September marks the start of autumn gardening jobs, and we can see the garden beginning to slow down. This month poses several challenges to gardeners, specifically the tomato gardener who has late-season tomato plants. After spending months producing blooms and ripening fruit, these plants often begin to look worn out, and fruit production slows down.
But just because the plants are looking tired doesn’t mean the harvest is fully over. According the Jim and Mary Competti at This Is My Garden, it is possible to breathe new life into those tomato plants and keep them producing right up until the first frost.
The experienced gardeners claimed that one of the “fastest ways” to revive tired tomato plants in late summer is to feed them with a balanced but targeted nutrient boost.
They explained that at this point in the season, the goal isn’t to encourage more plant growth, but to keep the plants producing flowers and ripening fruit. That means focusing on phosphorus and potassium, not nitrogen.
Nitrogen is beneficial for the plants in spring and early summer for strong leaf and stem growth; however, too much nitrogen now will cause plants to “push out green foliage at the expense of blooms and fruit”.
Gardeners should be focusing on phosphorus and potassium. Phosphorus helps with strong root systems and better flower production, while potassium improves fruit size, quality, and ripening speed.
It is recommended to use a liquid fertiliser with a lower nitrogen number and higher middle (phosphorus) and last (potassium) numbers in its N-P-K ratio.
The gardening pros advise feeding tomato plants a half-strength dose every five to seven days.
For example, if the label says to use one tablespoon of fertiliser per litre of water, cut that to half a tablespoon per litre.
By feeding regularly and lightly, gardeners can keep their tomato plants energised and ready to keep producing fruit right through the last weeks of the season.