Seaweed Fertilizer For Tomatoes

Seaweed fertilizer can turn around your garden’s productivity for good. It’s an organic fertilizer from a reliable source whose production is environmentally friendly. It boosts the soil’s fertility and consequently yields healthy plants. Seaweed is excellent on your lawn, house plants, flower beds, and vegetable garden. So, can you use seaweed fertilizer for tomatoes?

Yes, you can use seaweed fertilizer for your tomatoes. Liquid seaweed is a tonic, organic seaweed extract that you can administer to your tomato plants. Spray it as a foliar to boost the growth of rich green leaves. Seaweed increases plants’ immunity, enhancing their ability to resist diseases.

This article explores the use of seaweed fertilizer on tomatoes and the benefits thereof. But, we need to know what defines this fertilizer.

What’s Seaweed Fertilizer?

Seaweed fertilizer is an organic liquid fertilizer extracted from ‘seaweed,’ especially Kelp— a large brown/red/green seaweed. After collecting the weed, excess salt water is washed away; the weed is put in fresh water and given time to ferment or decompose into liquid or sludge.

This fertilizer increases soil fertility as it contains trace elements, minerals, and vital nutrients like nitrogen, potassium, magnesium, iron, and zinc. These soil boosters are in their simplest form; hence, the plant roots can easily absorb them. As a result, your plants’ health and productivity increase.

Seaweed fertilizer is a biofertilizer, and biostimulants have become increasingly popular in personal and commercial farming due to their benefits over the usual top-dressers.

Is Seaweed Fertilizer Good For Tomatoes?

Seaweed fertilizer is good for tomatoes. The seaweed extract solely won’t be effective. This fertilizer is macro and micronutrient inclusive. The vitals are at their appropriate levels, making seaweed a complete fertilizer to apply to your tomato plants. This fertilizer’s N-P-K maintains low nitrogen levels, ensuring your tomatoes do not produce excess leaves and yield the maximum number of healthy fruits.

Spraying this foliar fertilizer on your small tomato plants enhances the growth of healthy green leaves. Additionally, it boosts your plants’ immunity, increasing their ability to resist diseases.

How do you apply seaweed fertilizer to your tomatoes?

You apply seaweed fertilizer to your tomatoes in the three ways provided below:

• Mix all the ingredients and mist your houseplants or herbs using a hand-held spray bottle.
• Dilute your seaweed fertilizer in a watering can and spray your tomatoes normally.
• If you have a tomato plantation, make large volumes of the solution and use a sprayer to administer the foliar.

When Should You Use Seaweed Fertilizer For Tomatoes?

You should use seaweed fertilizer for tomatoes throughout the growing season. The specific moments include:

• Germination and root development: Soak your seeds overnight or spray them right after planting to enhance quick germination and early root growth.
• Transplanting: Sprinkle your seedlings’ root balls with seaweed fertilizer after removing them from the container. It prevents transplant shock when you plant crops in the garden or a repotting container.
• The 4th and the 8th after planting: It enhances proper flowing and fruit production of your tomatoes.

It’ll also cause no harm if you apply this fertilizer every 2-4 weeks as it’s a mild dresser. You can apply it on the foliage and around the stem, preferably early morning or late evening. Even so, you must keep the recommended ratios.

Nonetheless, it’s advisable not to apply seaweed fertilizer to your tomatoes: 

• During winter, avoid unnecessary disturbance of the plants’ dormancy.
• When plants start flowering, keep the nitrogen low and prevent bushy little yield plants. 

Can Seaweed Fertilizer Burn Tomato Plants?

Yes, seaweed fertilizer can burn tomato plants. The undiluted form of seaweed fertilizer is too strong and can burn your plants if you miss out on the mixing ratio. For that reason, you’re supposed to have a 1: 10 diluting ratio for the fertilizer and water, respectively.

Mist your tomatoes with this solution and ensure that you spray until the liquid drops off the leaves. The plant can absorb it directly from the leaves without any adverse effect.

What Are The Benefits Of Seaweed Fertilizer?

Below are the benefits of seaweed fertilizer to your plants. They result from the tons of macro and micronutrients, N-P-K content, and the presence of amino acids. Let’s see how.

• Budding: Seaweed fertilizer encourages the development of extra buds on your plants. Apply the liquid once your plants begin to shoot.
• Shelf life: Liquid seaweed solution increases your fruits and vegetables’ lifespan. This requires application ten days before harvesting. 
• Post-harvest care: Seaweed extract boosts the longevity of cut flowers. Use it as a pre-cutting spray, applying it 1 or 2 days before.
• Root development: This fertilizer promotes root growth. Deep your plants’ cuttings in the fertilizer solution and plant them after the roots appear. 
• Germination: The extract’s solution is a germination process catalyst.  Spray your seeds after planting or soak them for one night and then plant them. It takes them a shorter time to germinate.
• Transplanting: Water your plants with the solution when transplanting. It prevents transplanting shock and ensures the continued growth of your crops.
• Pasture crops: Seaweed enhances the uptake of essential nutrients and proteins of the pasture crops. Hence, it boosts the overall quality of these crops.
• Plant immunity: Your plants can benefit from this fertilizer by increasing their yields, improving disease and frost resistance, and boosting their inorganic constituents’ absorption. The crops can also withstand stress conditions and minimize fruit storage losses.
• Crop protection: Seaweed fertilizer keeps diseases and pests away from your flowers, fruits, vegetables, lawns, and more. That promotes the vigorous growth of your plants.
• Organic gardening: The fertilizer has almost all the micronutrients a plant needs and is in an absorbable form. It also has the carbohydrates your plants need as building blocks. Plenty of Soil microorganisms also rely on these carbohydrates for food. 
• Soil conditioning: The alginate in the seaweed liquid fertilizers are excellent soil conditioners. They react with soil metals to form long, crossed polymers that improve soil crumbling and swelling once they are moist.  These polymers retain their moist state for an extended period.

How Do You Store Seaweed Fertilizer?

Store seaweed fertilizer in a spray applicator container or a plastic bottle, and label it clearly indicating its content. That applies to a diluted fertilizer. Store it in a cool environment free from direct sun or excess heat for the undiluted one. For instance, a basement, garage, or shed are ideal storage places.

Most importantly, keep the solution in a secure place where children can’t access it, just like you do with the blossom spray you make at home. Although its consumption has no adverse side effects, keeping it out of reach is crucial to prevent accidental intake. Its components include toxic heavy metals that can be harmful if taken in large volumes. These metals include mercury, cadmium, and lead.

Also, seaweed consumption can increase iodine levels in your body, leading to a thyroid problem. So, you should ensure proper storage, not only to prevent its damage but also potential bodily harm.

FAQ

Is Liquid Seaweed Fertilizer Any Good?

Yes, liquid seaweed fertilizer is good. It enhances the overall health of your plants and soil to create a good plant growth atmosphere. Your plants reap bountifully from the liquid fertilizer by acquiring tons of nutrients, disease resistance capability, and improved productivity. The produce increases in both quality and quantity upon its application.

Do You Fertilize Your Tomatoes Before Or After Watering?

Fertilize your tomatoes after watering. Applying fertilizer before watering causes it to absorb excess fertilizer that can burn your plants. Water your tomato soil 1-2 inches, then fertilize, and the booster will eventually spread throughout the plant. For the non-liquid fertilizers, apply them 6 inches away from the plant base.

Is Seaweed Fertilizer Good For Vegetables?

Yes, seaweed fertilizer is good for vegetables. In fact, it’s beneficial to all plants. This fertilizer contains vital minerals and complex carbohydrates. Hence, it provides valuable nutrients necessary for the growth and thriving of your vegetables.

Which Plants Like Seaweed Fertilizer?

Plants with iron and acid deficiency like seaweed fertilizer. These plants include rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias, and gardenias. Native plants also do well upon seaweed addition. The fertilizer is a rich and reliable source of essential acid and iron.

Is Seaweed Fertilizer High In Nitrogen?

No, seaweed fertilizer isn’t high in nitrogen. Its N-P-K ratio is 1-0-4. Nitrogen content in this fertilizer amounts to 1.2 percent. This nutrient promotes the growth of your plant leaves. The low nitrogen level makes seaweed fertilizer ideal for crops because high nitrogen content reduces productivity.

Parting Shot

Using the seaweed fertilizer for tomatoes boosts your soil’s nutrition level and promotes the healthy growth of your plants. This solution enhances quick germination and root development, prevents transplant shock, protects plants from pests and diseases, and extends your fruits’ shelf life.

Seaweed fertilizer is organic, has a sustainable source, and is environmentally friendly. It’s also easy to prepare at home. You only need to soak the plants in water and allow them to ferment or decompose into liquid.

The application of this fertilizer is also straightforward. Simply put your diluted solution in a spraying bottle and mist your plants thoroughly.