How do you prepare the soil for tomato plants?

This year wasn't so good for my tomatoes. I lost 1 of the 3 that I planted and the other 2 didn't do too well either.





One just didn't yield that much fruit and the other seemed to have stopped growing half-way through the season.





I really think it's the soil and was wondering... Is there a way to prepare the soil over the fall and winter months in preparation for next years plants?





What type of plants do you recommend? Regardless I would like to have at least one Sweet 100 Cherry Tomatoe variety in there somewhere. That was the one that I lost. It just shriveled up, turned yellow, and died on me. I watered them once a week and even used the Miracle Grow liquid feed on them once a week as well.





Thanks for any tips or pointers.

How do you prepare the soil for tomato plants?
Can't tell you what will work for you, but this is what works in my garden. Till the soil thoroughly, mix in a good amount of aged horse manure. If you can do this in the fall, even better. As for the chemical fertilizers, don't. They only work for the short term and actually cause imbalances in the soil. The manure encourages worm activity which is good for your plants. Before you plant your tomato plants in the spring - Soak the potted plants in water at least half an hour before planting; this "supercharges" the roots with water and causes less damage to the roots when moving them. Dig the planting hole at least 18 inches wide and deep. Mix 1 cup of calcium (sweet lime) into the soil in the hole and cover with about two inches of soil. Place your tomato plant in the hole leaving 1/3 of the plant above ground level. Strip the leaves below ground level and discard them. Fill the planting hole full of water, then finish filling it with dirt. Water thoroughly again - You cannot water it too much at this point. Point: All the stem buried in the dirt will grow roots making a healthier and stronger plant. When the dirt has settled in the hole, mulch with organic mulch (I use grass clippings but use no chemicals on my lawn). This is a good time to lay down your soaker hose watering system and then place the tomato cages around the plants. My tomato cages are made from wide-weave fencing, 4-1/2 feet tall, held in place with four yard staples and the plants still outgrow them.





This will give your plants the best start. The rest of the season, water every 5-7 days thoroughly (several hours). If the soil has been prepared in this way, you will need no more fertilizer the rest of the season, and do NOT use any chemical fertilizer. I do not have a green thumb, far from it, and, following this method, I have tomato plants in excess of five feet tall. Even other gardeners in our area ask what I do. The truth is, I do nothing except what I said above. I plant that way, lay the hoses, mulch, and water . . . then harvest.





My preference for tomato plants is heirlooms. Usually the only hybrids in my garden are SunGolds (cherry tomato). Except for the Romas, they are all indeterminates which means they will continue to grow until frost which is why they can grow so tall. I've been told not to plant tomatoes in the same place the next year; however, I've been doing this (same place in the garden) since 1999 and I have healthy, vigorous and productive plants so natural fertilizer must be working. No disease, no bugs, surely because of healthy soil. Nature knows her stuff, we just need to let her do it. There have been no chemicals of any kind in my garden, either "fertilizer" or pesticides, Mother Nature knows what to do. The bonus is that your soil will get better each year if you use organic fertilizers and mulch.





Most importantly - Do NOT leave your dead tomato plants in the garden. Put them in the garbage or yard debris to be hauled off. If you happen to have a disease and leave it in the garden, you will continue to have it and it will spread, get rid of the vines at the end of the season.





A good all-around tomato is Stupice; early, heavy bearer, medium size, flavorful. Once your grow heirlooms, a variety of them, you will always grow heirlooms.
Reply:I prefer horse to cow; either will do well for you. I use a ratio of about 1 part aged manure to 3 parts soil. From the size of bags of fertilizer I see at the garden center, I would say one bag for 4-8 plants. Remember the sweet lime; tomato plants need calcium. Report Abuse

Reply:im a farmer down here in florida and all you gonna need boy is to till up that land where you gonna put them mayter plants down and then you want to go and buy some cow manuar from your local hardware store, then you mix that in with the tilled up dirt and make it a good consistancy of both dirt and doo doo


then get some mulch also for your local hardware


then after you plant tha mayters you put that mulch on the top soil so ya dirt wont warsh away and it holds moisture


id suggest you buy pre grown mayter plants so that you wont have to wait for them to grow
Reply:maybe you damaged or shocked the roots during planting??. . its also quite possible you over fertilized with miracle grow. next year start slow with the miracle grow, and a good organic mix would help alot- you can buy soil enriched and mix it in , or if on a budget you can use things around the house, a few that some to mind are other fruits and vegtables- even scraps of, eggs shells are popular. throw the stuff over the area during the fall and winter and till or mix it in during the spring before plating. i swear by a bit of cow manure placed in the planting hole- mixed with a little peat moss to loosen the soil (cause manure hardens), and thats cheap and can be picked up at your local garden center. also it will help to leave the dead plants there, and till them into the ground for next year- the nutrients they took from the ground will be replenshied. and get you soil tested- it could possibley be to acidic, if its close to pine trees thats a definate. lime is inexpensive and will nuetralize you soil also, at a couple bucks a bag it cant hurt- cause it will never deplete the soil. good luck
Reply:I'am currently growing Cherry Tomatoes that are doing so well all i did was put the seeds down nothing fancy and it grew to a 4in a half tree with delicous tomatoes I water them only once a week and it gets alot of sun and shade. I put oyster water when I first planted it when it was 2inches that's all ............

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