Watering & Feeding
Feeding tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant
Too much nitrogen makes fruiting crops grow big leafy plants with few fruits. Once they start to flower, switch to a fertilizer with more phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) to push flowers and fruit.
Steps
- Feed lightly at planting with a balanced fertilizer or compost.
- Once buds and flowers appear, switch to a low-nitrogen mix — look at the N-P-K numbers on the label. The first number (N) should be smaller than the other two.
- Bone meal, fish + kelp, or a labeled 'tomato & vegetable' fertilizer all work well.
- Side-dress every 3–4 weeks through the fruiting season.
- Always water deeply after fertilizing so nutrients reach the roots.
Helpful tip
If leaves are dark green and lush but you see few flowers, you're overfeeding nitrogen — skip the next feeding.