There are many things you need to consider when it comes to choosing the best potting soil for tomatoes. You have to know if the soil will work as good for your tomatoes as it did in the garden. There are still other conditions that have to be met. So what they do not know is how the wrong soil they use now isn’t the right soil to use in their new container gardening.
Tomatoes require proper attention to produce the best type of crop from the small pots they get in the garden. So you can’t just throw a couple of containers in a pot and forget about them. To get the best result, they should be given the same amount of nutrients as they get in the garden. If you just put them in the first available spot in the garden, they won’t get nearly as much nutrition as if they were planted in pots of top quality soil that has been given all the nutrients necessary for growing tomatoes in containers. You can get the same results if you plant them in containers instead of in the ground.
Compost is one of the best options for this. If you add organic matter to the compost, it will improve its moisture retention and improve the decomposition process. Your soil will also receive all the nutrients from the organic matter. However, adding too much organic matter will dilute the nutrient concentration and the final product might not be worth much of your time.
The best soil PH for growing tomatoes is an alkaline one. Tomato plants thrive better in soil with a high pH. This is because a high pH promotes nitrogen fixation (fixing nitrogen to amino acids). Nitrogen is needed to give your tomato plants the energy they need to grow strong. This is why most commercial fertilizers are acidic.
The cost-effective solution is to make your own compost and apply it to your soil (most gardeners compost their kitchen and yard waste in these containers.) If you have the time and space, you could also design and build your own greenhouse and place tomato plants in them. However, you have to be aware that the final result will not be as good as it would be in a container.
You may also need to do a soil test to find out what the best potting soil for tomatoes is. If you have raised beds you can easily do a soil test. Just take some test paper and moisten it. Then drop pieces of it onto the back of your hand. If the colors are close to that of the average soil sample, then that is the best choice for growing tomatoes in raised beds.
Some plants produce fruit that is darker and sweeter than others. If you want to ensure that your tomatoes get all the nutrients they need for good root growth and blooming, then you should choose tomatoes that are bred to grow in this condition. Another consideration is nitrogen. Some plants have higher levels of nitrogen than others, so if you are growing tomatoes to eat in the garden, then you will also need a good amount of nitrogen.
Your soil PH should be fairly acidic in order to encourage healthy root growth. Tomatoes don’t like acidic soil very much. If you want to grow tomatoes that are healthy, you should test the soil with a soil testing kit. Once you know the pH of the soil you will be growing tomatoes in, then you can make your tomato plants healthier and happier. Your garden and your tomato plants will thank you for it!