Soil preparation for planting tomatoes

Soil preparation for the tomatoes
Tomatoes prefer a well-drained soil or growing medium which encourages a deep and healthy root system. Organic matter is essential to develop and maintain good soil structure – well-made garden compost is ideal.

Soil preparation

Tomatoes prefer a well-drained soil or growing medium which encourages a deep and healthy root system. Organic matter is essential to develop and maintain good soil structure – well-made garden compost is ideal. The best way to find out the nutrient status of your soil is to have it analysed – The RHS offers a soil analysis service. Tomatoes prefer a soil pH in the range 6.0 – 6.5 i.e. slightly acid, but this is a bit too low for some crops such as lettuce and brassicas, so you might need to aim at between 6.5 and 7.0. However don’t apply lime immediately before planting tomatoes unless the pH is below 6.0.

You should aim to apply all of the Phosphorus and Magnesium needed for the whole season, part of the Potassium (also known as potash) but little or no Nitrogen, or else you will get lots of lush growth and your flowers won’t ‘set’ fruit. Don’t forget that your garden compost should contain a lot of nutrients. In the absence of a soil analysis, apply a high-potash fertilizer e.g. Chase Animal-Free Tomato Fertiliser according to the recommendations on the packet; fork in the fertilizer or compost to a depth of about 20cm.