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Nutrients Needed to Grow Tomatoes in a Greenhouse

Tomatoes are heavy feeders. Their flower and fruit production requires high amounts of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium -- the three major nutrients available in garden soil. Whether the vegetable is produced indoors or out, nutrient supplements are necessary to encourage high yields. Fertilizers are added as side-dressings throughout the growing season and can be applied in granules or through a mist system. The amount of fertilizers and the methods of distribution are best determined by the type of plant and its growing conditions.

  1. Indoor Growing

    • Growing tomatoes indoors requires irrigation systems, sterile growing mediums, aeration techniques and temperature controls. One of the advantages of growing tomatoes indoors is the ability to control every aspect of the plant's environment. Such control allows a grower to produce high yield crops at any time of year. Irrigation systems often recycle water and, since most tomato fertilizers are distributed via irrigation water, the fertilizer content must be monitored to ensure that there is not a nutrient build-up or the reverse.

    Irrigation Systems

    • Drip irrigation and overhead spray systems are the dominant forms of irrigation used for tomato greenhouse crops. Home gardeners with small greenhouses may hand-water their tomatoes in a manner similar to that used on outdoor plants. The benefits of drip irrigation, however, are that the system can be set to a timer, and the fertilizer and water are evenly distributed at timed intervals. Place drip irrigation emitters near a plant's base. Overhead watering systems may contribute to foliar diseases, especially if overhead foliage isn't provided with adequate aeration.

    Nutrients

    • Tomatoes require the major nutrients -- nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous -- as well as high amounts of calcium and magnesium. Calcium and magnesium supplements must be used alongside general fertilizers. Calcium nitrate, in concentrated form, cannot be included within a concentrated general fertilizer because of incompatible chemical reactions. Tomato growers rig their drip irrigation systems with two separate emitters and drip lines -- one for the distribution of general fertilizer and the other with the calcium nitrate mix.

    Considerations

    • Many companies produce liquid fertilizers suited for indoor growing. Fertilizer formulas are displayed on the outside of containers. The first number in the formula indicates the amount of nitrogen available in the solution. The second number indicates the amount of phosphorous, and the third is the amount of potassium. The numbers are in a ratio. A common formula suited for tomato growing is a 15-5-15 fertilizer. This fertilizer, along with calcium nitrate supplements, will provide your indoor tomatoes with the nutrients they need to grow.

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Growing Tomatoes
  1. Growing Jalapenos
  2. Growing Roses in a Condo
  3. Nutrients Needed to Grow Sunflowers
  4. How to Grow Tomatoes Horizontally
  5. Lattice for Growing Tomatoes
  6. How to Grow Tomatoes in an Unheated Greenhouse
  7. How to Grow Tomatoes & Carrots
  8. How to Grow Cherokee Tomatoes
  9. The Cycle of Growing Tomatoes
  10. Growing Orchids in a Northern Climate Greenhouse
  11. How to Grow Tomatoes in a Greenhouse
  12. What Kind of Lighting Is Needed to Grow Tomatoes?

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