Content

• Steps

If you grow tomatoes, then you will always have fresh and healthy vegetables right from the garden. Garden soil with a lot of nutrients is suitable for them, so growing tomatoes anywhere will not work. Our tips will help you prepare your garden beds correctly.

Steps

1. 1 Warm up the soil.
   • First of all, you need to warm up the soil. Tomatoes grow well in warm soil. The ground in the beds warms up only some time after the air temperature rises. So, you can speed up this process by covering the ground with a dark plastic wrap that attracts the sun's rays. Press down on the film with stones, bricks, or other heavy objects.
2. 2 Check the soil pH level.
   • A soil analysis kit can be purchased at any garden center. Perform the analysis according to the instructions. The lower the value obtained, the higher the soil acidity (7.0 is neutral). Tomatoes grow best in low acid soil with a pH of 6.0 or 7.0. The pH level in the soil can be changed if necessary. Add sulfur to the soil to lower the level, or add lime to raise the pH.
3. 3 Soil nutrients.
   • The analysis will also show the available nutrients and soil chemistry. A good tomato crop will provide a reasonable ratio of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus in the soil.
   • Thanks to nitrogen, the bushes will have healthy leaves. If the leaves are yellowed on the tomatoes, then the reason lies in the lack of nitrogen. Add fertilizer to replenish the nitrogen deficiency in the soil. Organic nitrogen sources include alfalfa meal, compost, fish meal, feather meal, and leaf humus. Inorganic nitrogen sources: ammonium sulfate, anhydrous ammonia, calcium nitrate, and sodium nitrate.
   • Potassium increases disease resistance and promotes tomato growth. Potassium deficiency leads to stunted growth and plant weakness. If the soil lacks potassium, then add wood ash, granite dust, crushed rubble or potassium sulfate.
   • Phosphorus promotes root growth and seed formation. With a lack of phosphorus in the soil, the stems of the bushes may have a red tint and grow slowly. If the analysis shows a lack of phosphorus, then use bone meal, compost, superphosphate, or phosphorite.
4. 4 Add compost.
   • Compost is a great way to reclaim your garden soil. It improves structure, increases the suitability for growing plants and promotes nutrient retention. In addition, it attracts earthworms and microorganisms. Compost is made up of decomposed organic matter. You can buy ready-made compost at a garden center or make your own from tops, leaves, fruit and vegetable waste.