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Phosphorus is necessary for all plants, including tomatoes. It allows you to absorb water and nutrients from the soil, synthesize them and transfer them from the root to the leaves and fruits. By providing normal nutrition to tomatoes, the microelement makes them strong, resistant to bad weather and pests. There are many phosphate fertilizers for feeding tomatoes. They are used at all stages of crop cultivation. For example, adding superphosphate to the soil and fertilizing tomatoes allows you to get a good harvest without problems or hassle. Find out in detail about when and how to use superphosphate fertilizer for tomatoes you can find it below in the article.
Types of superphosphate
Among all phosphorus-containing fertilizers, superphosphate occupies a leading position. It is what gardeners most often use to feed various vegetable and berry crops. However, superphosphate also comes in different forms. When you come to the store you can see simple and double superphosphate. These fertilizers differ in their composition, purpose, and method of application:
- Simple superphosphate contains about 20% of the main trace element, as well as some amount of sulfur, magnesium and calcium. Manufacturers offer this fertilizer in powder and granular forms.It is perfect for soil of any nutritional value. Tomatoes are always responsive to fertilizing with simple superphosphate. It can be used when digging up soil in autumn or spring, for adding into a hole during planting seedlings, for root and foliar feeding of tomatoes.
- Double superphosphate is a highly concentrated fertilizer. It contains about 45% easily digestible phosphorus. In addition to the main microelement, it contains magnesium, calcium, iron and some other substances. Used at the stage of soil preparation for growing tomatoes, as well as for feeding tomatoes by watering at the root no more than 2 times during the entire growing season. The substance can replace simple superphosphate when the concentration of the solution is halved.
Single and double superphosphate can be found in powder and granular forms. The substances can be used in dry form for incorporation into the soil or in the form of an aqueous solution, extract for watering and spraying tomatoes. Apply double superphosphate to priming It is recommended to put it into the soil in the fall, so that it has time to spread throughout the entire mass of the soil, thereby reducing the concentration of the main substance.
On sale you can find ammoniated, magnesized, boron and molybdenum superphosphate. In addition to the main substance, these types of fertilizer contain additional substances - sulfur, potassium, magnesium, boron, molybdenum. They can also be used to feed tomatoes at various stages of cultivation. Thus, ammoniated superphosphate is recommended to be added to the soil when planting seedlings for better rooting of plants.
Adding microelements to the soil
To grow tomato seedlings, soil can be prepared by mixing sand, turf soil and peat. The resulting mixture must be disinfected and filled with nutrients. So, to obtain a good, nutritious substrate, you need to add 1 part turf soil and 2 parts sand to 3 parts peat. Additionally, you can add sawdust treated with boiling water in the amount of 1 part.
Fertilizers must be added to the soil for growing seedlings. To 12 kg of substrate, add 90 g of simple superphosphate, 300 g of dolomite flour, 40 g potassium sulfate and urea in the amount of 30 g. The resulting microelement mixture will contain all the necessary substances for the successful growth of strong seedlings.
The soil in which tomato seedlings are to be planted also needs to be filled with minerals. During autumn digging into the soil for every 1 m2 you need to add 50-60 g of simple superphosphate or 30 g of double fertilizer. Substances should be added directly into the hole before planting seedlings at the rate of 15 g per plant.
It is worth noting that sprinkling superphosphate on top of the soil is not effective, since tomatoes can only absorb it when wet at the depth of the roots or when liquid fertilizer is sprayed on the leaves of the plant. That is why, when applying fertilizer, it is necessary to embed it in the soil or prepare an extract or aqueous solution from it.
Feeding seedlings
The first feeding of tomatoes with fertilizer containing phosphorus must be done 15 days after planting young plants.Previously, it was recommended to use only nitrogen-containing substances. The second feeding of seedlings with phosphorus should be done 2 weeks from the day of the previous application of fertilizers.
For the first feeding, you can use nitrophoska, which will contain the required amount of potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen. This fertilizer is diluted in water based on the ratio: 1 tablespoon of substance per 1 liter of water. This volume of liquid is enough to water 35-40 plants.
Prepare a fertilizer with a composition similar to nitrophoske can be done by mixing 3 tablespoons of superphosphate with 2 tablespoons of potassium sulfate and the same amount of ammonium nitrate. Such a complex will contain the necessary substances for the growth and development of tomato seedlings. Before adding, all of these components must be dissolved in 10 liters of water.
You can also use Foscamide in combination with superphosphate for the first feeding of tomato seedlings. In this case, to obtain fertilizer, it is necessary to add substances in an amount of 30 and 15 g, respectively, to a bucket of water.
For the second feeding of tomato seedlings, you can use the following phosphate fertilizers:
- if the seedlings look healthy, have a strong trunk and well-developed foliage, then the drug “Effekton O” is suitable;
- if there is a lack of green mass, it is recommended to feed the plants with Atlet;
- If the tomato seedlings have a thin, weak stem, then it is necessary to feed the tomatoes with superphosphate, prepared by dissolving 1 tablespoon of the substance in 3 liters of water.
After two mandatory feedings, tomato seedlings fertilize as needed. In this case, you can use not only root, but also foliar feeding.Phosphorus is perfectly absorbed through the leaf surface, so after spraying tomatoes with a solution of superphosphate or other phosphate fertilizer, the effect will occur within a few days. You can prepare a solution for spraying by adding 1 spoon of the substance to 1 liter of hot water. This solution is highly concentrated. It is infused for 24 hours, after which it is diluted in a bucket of water and used to spray seedlings.
A week before the intended planting of plants in the ground, it is necessary to carry out another root feeding of the seedlings with fertilizer prepared from superphosphate and potassium sulfate. To do this, add 1.5 and 3 tablespoons of each substance to a bucket of water, respectively.
When preparing fertilizing, its amount should be halved.
Thus, phosphorus is extremely necessary for tomatoes at the seedling stage. It can be obtained by using ready-made complex preparations or by adding superphosphate to a mixture of mineral substances. Also superphosphate can be used as the main and only component for the preparation of root and foliar fertilizers.
Feeding tomatoes after planting
Feeding tomato seedlings with phosphorus aimed at developing the root system of the plant. Seedlings do not absorb this microelement well, so superphosphate must be used in the form of an extract or solution. Adult tomatoes are able to absorb simple and double superphosphate well.Plants use 95% of phosphorus for fruit formation, which is why superphosphate should be actively used during flowering and fruiting.
10-14 days after planting tomatoes in the ground, you can feed them. To do this, you should use a complex fertilizer containing nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus or organic matter with the addition of superphosphate. Thus, mullein infusion is often used: add 500 g of cow manure to 2 liters of water, then leave the solution for 2-3 days. Before using mullein for tomatoes, dilute it with water 1:5 and add 50 g of superphosphate. This tomato fertilizer will contain the entire complex of essential minerals. It can be used 2-3 times during the entire growing period.
How to determine phosphorus deficiency
To feed tomatoes, organic fertilizers with the addition of superphosphate or complex mineral fertilizers containing phosphorus are often used. The frequency of their use depends on the fertility of the soil and the condition of the plants. As a rule, on soils of average nutritional value, 2-3 fertilizing is used; on poor soils, 3-5 fertilizing may be needed. However, sometimes tomatoes receiving a complex of microelements show symptoms of phosphorus deficiency. In this case, it is recommended to use superphosphate fertilizer once again.
In tomatoes, signs of phosphorus deficiency are:
- change in leaf color. They become dark green, sometimes acquiring a purple tint. Also a characteristic sign of phosphorus deficiency is the leaves curling inward;
- the tomato stem becomes brittle and brittle. Its color becomes violet as phosphorus starvation occurs;
- Tomato roots wither and stop consuming nutrients from the soil, causing the plants to die.
You can see the lack of phosphorus in tomatoes and hear comments from an experienced specialist on solving the problem in the video:
If such symptoms are observed, the tomatoes must be fed with superphosphate. To do this, prepare a concentrate: a glass of fertilizer per 1 liter of boiling water. Leave the solution for 8-10 hours, then dilute it with 10 liters of water and pour 500 ml of tomatoes at the root for each plant. Superphosphate extract prepared according to the classic recipe is also excellent for root feeding.
You can also compensate for phosphorus deficiency by foliar feeding: a spoonful of superphosphate per 1 liter of water. After dissolution, dilute the concentrate in 10 liters of water and use for spraying.
Superphosphate extract
Superphosphate can be used as an extract for feeding tomatoes. This fertilizer has an easily accessible form and is quickly absorbed by tomatoes. You can prepare the hood using the following technology:
- add 400 mg of superphosphate to 3 liters of boiling water;
- Place the liquid in a warm place and stir periodically until the substance is completely dissolved;
- Infuse the solution for 24 hours, after which it will look like milk in appearance, which means the hood is ready for use.
The instructions for using the extract recommend diluting the prepared concentrated solution with water: 150 mg of extract per 10 liters of water. You can make a complex fertilizer by adding 1 spoon of ammonium nitrate and a glass of wood ash to the resulting solution.
Other phosphate fertilizers
Superphosphate is an independent fertilizer that can be purchased in specialized stores and used as a fertilizer for tomatoes. However, farmers are also offered other fertilizers with a high phosphorus content:
- Ammophos is a complex of nitrogen (12%) and phosphorus (51%). The fertilizer is water-soluble and easily absorbed by tomatoes.
- Nitroammophos contains equal amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus (23%). It is necessary to use fertilizer when the growth of tomatoes is slow;
- Nitroammophoska contains a complex of nitrogen with potassium and phosphorus. There are two brands of this fertilizer. Brand A contains potassium and phosphorus in the amount of 17%, brand B in the amount of 19%. Using nitroammophoska is quite simple, since the fertilizer is easily soluble in water.
These and other phosphate substances must be used in accordance with the instructions for use, since increasing the dosage can lead to excess microelement content in the soil. Symptoms of phosphorus oversaturation are:
- accelerated growth of stems without a sufficient number of leaves;
- rapid aging of the plant;
- The edges of tomato leaves turn yellow or brown. Dry spots appear on them. Over time, the leaves of such plants fall off;
- tomatoes become especially demanding of water and, at the slightest shortage, begin to actively wither.
Let's sum it up
Phosphorus is very important for tomatoes at all stages of cultivation. It allows the plant to develop harmoniously and correctly, consuming other microelements and water from the soil in sufficient quantities. The substance allows you to increase the yield of tomatoes and make the vegetables taste better. Phosphorus is especially necessary for tomatoes during flowering and fruiting, because every 1 kg of mature vegetables will contain 250-270 mg of this substance and after eating such products will become a source of useful phosphorus for the human body.
