Grow Your Own Magazine

hi all could any one tell me when i need to start feeding tomatoes they are about 4 inches tall now or do i leave while later thanks john

Hi Grasser,

Are your tomatoes forming couple of true leaves ? You can use liquid high phosfate fertilizer (but don't use full strength, dilute it to 1/5 of suggested dose). If the pot is big enough you can always delay feeding them.
Good luck.

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I grow, I pick, I eat ...

If you used a good quality seed compost when you sowed them you don't need to start feeding them yet.

Start feeding them with a propriatory 'tomato feed' once the first fruits have set. You should pot them into their final positions (either in the ground, in grow bags or large pots) once the first flowers open. They'll grow like billy-o at the moment anyway - no feed required!!!

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There's vegetable growing in the family, but I must be adopted
Happy Gardening!

thanks they got go got three pairs of true leaves now in 3inch pots with multipurpose composts s
still in propegater
will they be allright as they are hope you dont mind me asking im new on here i think you are all great bunch of people john

If each of them has it's own 3" pot, they should be fine for a while (wait till it reach 15 to 20cm by that time the soil nutrient should be depleted).
Why don't you let them out of the propagator? Propagator give them warmer temp which makes them grow faster but with less light they might turn leggy. My toms are at the windowsill without propagator, this way they grow slower but the plant is more compact.
All the best .

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I grow, I pick, I eat ...

I don't usually start to feed till the flowers start to set. You are in danger of getting loads of leaves if you're too generous!

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Earth laughs in flowers. Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Updated November 17th - The Big Dig

Once they have germinated move them out of the propagator and grow them hard. Obviously they won't stand any frost, but you don't want them to get soft and leggy. As for feeding you shouldn't need to feed until the first flowers form or start to set. Then use a special tomato feed. You are aiming for strong sturdy short jointed plants, not tall soft ones which will collapse as soon as they start to bear fruit.