Grow Your Own Magazine

This is my first year at growing Toms, and mine have reached a size where they are now forming trusses of flowers on each plant.
I know I have to feed them, and aim to use Tomatorite (I think that's how its spelt) anyway. It says on the container "feed when fruit starts to form" (or words to that effect).
Do they mean flowers or tiny tomato's?

I start to feed mine after the flowers bloomed or while blooming (with light liquid feed). Most people feed their toms after it form mini fruit. You can feed them when it bloom or after it form mini fruit, either will do .

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I grow, I pick, I eat ...

I start feeding mine about 2 weeks after they've gone into the growbag, regardless of what stage they are at, as the nutrient in the compost has usually been absorbed into the plant by then. A bit of feed once a week as part of usual watering won't do any harm.

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If it ain't broke, don't fix it and if you ain't going to eat it, don't kill it

By the time mine get planted out properly they are usually starting to flower. I then start feeding every week when the first fruits set although if they looked pale then I might start a bit earlier.

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Some of us live in the past, always talking about back then. Some of us live in the future, always planning what we are going to do. And, then there are those, who neither look behind or ahead, but just enjoy the moment of right now.

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Workhorse - the instructions say fruit, so they mean the tomato itself. It's not long before the flower withers and falls and you will see the tiny fruit at the base of the flower. If they plants look poorly before that, however, give them some food anyway.

I start feeding before planting my tomatoes as they are in pots for such a long time BUT I don't use tomato feed at this stage - I use a general organic liquid fertiliser. When the fruit start to form I switch to a tomato fertiliser.

Do you have to use special tomato feed? Would just seaweed growth feed do?

Liquid seaweed feed (i.e. on its own) is not a particularly strong fertiliser - it is rather classed as a tonic as it contains a full range of trace elements.

Mixed with other substances - like manure etc - it helps make a more balanced fertiliser.

Tomato feed sometimes contains seaweed but it is used for its particular concentration of potassium which encourages fruit formation.

It's up to you, basically - tomato feed is probably the most ideal for tomatoes, but obviously it costs extra.

Thanks cutecumber,
I'll get some tomato food now!

I feed mine on comfrey water and saved fluid from compost heap, Have done well for 3 years, Its free and works for me.
Improvise,addapt and overcome.
All the best to all,
Fred P XXX

wilkinsons had their own brand tomato feed on offer at a £1 a bottle...seems to be doing the job