Lono – For Improved Yield Lono is Levity's flagship nitrogen fertilizer which greatly improves fruit number and size and promotes good root growth. Lono provides tomatoes with 'Stabilized Amine Nitrogen' which focuses growth on fruit development rather than vegetative growth.
Using a low nitrogen fertilizer is best for tomatoes. Nitrogen is the first number on the fertilizer package. For example, 6-4-4 means 6% N. It is up to you what fertilizer you choose.
Maintaining a leaf area index of 3 will maximize fruit growth. Hand thinning of tomatoes on the end of a truss ensures more evenly sized, larger fruit. The use of growth regulators such as auxins at anthesis can stimulate fruit set, and increase fruit size especially under low light and low temperature conditions.
The 3-4-6 nitrogen, phosphate, potash make-up is ideal for producing large, plump tomatoes. Tomato-tone supplies calcium, magnesium and sulfur for an added tomato boost. You can check out my review of Tomato-tone, as well. Another granular tomato fertilizer that works very well is Tomatoes Alive! made by Gardens Alive.
Warm Up the Soil
Tomatoes grow best in warm soil; chilly soil will slow their growth. If your garden beds are covered with mulch, pull it back in early spring to expose the soil to the sun's warmth. Placing a sheet of clear plastic over the bed will also help.
The most common cause for small tomatoes is stressed plants. When plants are experiencing stressing circumstances, such as extreme drought or heat, insect infestation, or disease, they oftentimes stop sending their energy into flower or fruit production.
Tomatoes are prone to magnesium deficiency later in the growing season, which can show with yellowing leaves and diminished production. Ultra Epsom Salt treatments at the beginning of their planting and throughout their seasonal life can help to prevent and remedy magnesium deficiency in your tomato plants.
Potassium is the key driver of fruit size and alongside nitrogen is required in large quantities throughout fruit development and growth. However, too much nitrogen at a late growth stage can restrict fruit size; therefore a balanced nutrient application is crucial. Phosphorus can restrict fruit growth too.
If your soil is well-balanced and composted, you can use fertilizers with NPK of 4-6-3. If your soil lacks nitrogen, use a more balanced fertilizer, such as a 10-10-10 NPK ratio, when plants are still developing. Opt for a fertilizer with lower nitrogen levels before the plants start fruiting.
Give them consistent watering (deep and infrequent trumps a daily sprinkle), well-draining soil (incorporate generous helpings of compost into beds or containers at planting time), plenty of heat and light (direct, unobstructed sunshine for a minimum of 6 hours daily is best) and a slow-release, balanced fertilizer ...
2) lack of water (wilting) can cut down on fruit development. 3) high temperature stress will limit fruit size. This is very common in the hot, humid southeast, especially in May and June. 4) shading during the cloudier months prevents full development of fruit.
We can see that supplying boron alone has an effect on fruit size, but Damu has a significantly greater effect. Damu increased average fruit weight, leading to a significantly larger yield. Here we see peppers from a field trial in China, Damu treated plots produced significantly larger average fruit size.
Drop in a tablespoon of some good commercial fertilizer (13-13-13 or 12-24-12) are good ones and cover this fertilizer with a couple inches of dirt. Now plant your plant as suggested above. It's always a good idea to water the plant in a little in order to get the air pockets away from the root system.
Tomatoes thrive in loamy soils with good drainage and high organic matter content. Adding composted coffee grounds to planting beds is a great way to build healthy soil for tomato planting but won't provide all the required nutrients.
Focus on one flower
Then, when the plant is big enough to set fruit, don't let all of the fruit mature. Remove all but one fruit per cluster. Usually the first fruit to set on a cluster will be the largest, so snip off all of the other flowers or small fruit on that cluster.
Gibberellins. Gibberellins ( GA ) promote cell elongation, shoot growth, and are involved in regulating dormancy. Promalin®/Perlan® (containing GA4+7 and 6-benzyladenine) have been used to improve fruit size and reduce russetting in apples.
High-nitrogen fertilizers are known for causing huge growth in plants, which is why many types are rich in nitrogen or include it as the main component. Fertilizers high in nitrogen will also restore bright green hues to your foliage.
The baking soda absorbs into the soil and lowers its acidity levels giving you tomatoes that are more sweet than tart. Although I haven't done this with every plant on my patio, having a few extra sweet nuggets to mix into a fresh tomato salad has been a wonderful discovery!
For potted plants, Scott recommends applying the Epsom salt solution once per month. When planting a magnesium-loving plant in your garden, such as roses, Scott recommends adding a light sprinkle of Epsom salt to the soil before planting it into the garden.
Most of us have heard that eggshells can help increase the calcium in our garden soil, and some of us may have even tried it in our own yards. The goal is to help prevent blossom end rot on tomatoes and other plants affected by calcium deficiency. As it turns out, using eggshells really doesn't fix anything.
Excessive Nitrogen in Soil
Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for tomato plants, but too much of it can actually stunt their growth. This is because nitrogen encourages leaf growth at the expense of flowers and fruit.
What is key is to take advantage of all nutrients in the substrate while maintaining the balance of the substrate for short and long term benefit. The most suitable tomato fattening fertilizers are those combinig organic matter with high content of potassium.