Growing tomatoes yourself allows you to enjoy fresh, healthy fruits that are available when you need them. These vegetables need nutrient-rich soil and not all soils are suitable. Here are some tips on how to best prepare it for tomatoes.
Steps
Step 1. Warm the soil
The first stage of soil preparation is to warm it up. Tomatoes grow well in the heat; when temperatures start to rise, it still takes some time for the soil temperatures to rise. You can speed up the process by covering the garden with black plastic sheets that absorb the heat of the sun; secure them with stones, bricks or any other sturdy and heavy object
Step 2. Check the pH
You can buy a specific kit at any garden center. Run the test according to the instructions on the package; the lower the number, the more acidic the soil is; a value of 7.0 corresponds to neutral ground. Tomatoes grow best in slightly acidic soil, with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0; you can make the necessary changes by adding sulfur (to lower the pH) or lime (if the soil is too acidic)
Step 3. Evaluate the nutrients
- The test should also give you information about the nutrient level and chemical composition of the earth. The garden should have a good balance of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus to ensure a good tomato harvest.
- Nitrogen helps plants develop healthy leaves; those showing yellowing leaves may have a deficiency of this substance. If the soil is low in this nutrient, you can supplement it with fertilizer. Organic sources of nitrogen are: alfalfa, compost, fish meal, feathers and rotting leaves; the inorganic sources are: ammonium sulphate, ammonia, calcium nitrate and sodium nitrate.
- Potassium makes plants more resistant to disease and facilitates their growth. A deficiency of this mineral could lead to slow development and weak plants; if you need to enrich the soil with potassium, you can use wood ash, granite dust, rock sand or potassium sulfate.
- Phosphorus contributes to root and seed development. When the soil is devoid of them, the tomatoes have reddish and "stunted" stems; if the test results show a soil that needs to be enriched with phosphorus, you can add bone meal, compost, monocalcium phosphate or phosphorite.
