Tomatoes are heavy feeders, so disregard the advice to keep nitrogen low. Don't *over-fertilize* of course. Follow directions on the package and all should be well. Miracle Grow fertilizer in a 3-1-2 ratio should be fine - although most folks are not fans of Miracle Grow potting mixes.

I like a combination of Osmocote slow-release and a soluble liquid fertilizer for my containers.

Josh

Would using Neptune's Harvest fish and seaweed liquid fertilizer every week or two and Oscomote at the outset of planting be too much?

Would I need more Potassium than those two provide for fruiting?

Well, I don't use Fish Emulsion for container plants under 15-gallon...but others do, and they are successful sometimes. I won't offer advice on that, though, because I don't have confidence in the results.

Give it a try and let us know how it goes.

Josh

What's wrong with using fish emulsion on a smaller container?

Container soils often have wide and rapid fluctuations in temperature and moisture levels, which, in general, means that they're far from ideal habitats for the microorganisms that break down organic fertilizers/amendments into plant available nutrients. These fluctuations will be less pronounced in a container with a larger soil volume, so my guess is that Josh has drawn the line at 15 gallons for his own growing conditions. That's not to say that fish emulsion will never be effective in a 10 gallon pot or that it will always be effective in a 15 gallon pot . Rather, it's an indication that, by their very nature, organic fertilizers provide less reliable results in container culture. With than in mind, each of us has to experiment in order to determine what does and doesn't work in our own unique circumstances.

Well, thanks for all the info everyone.

If anyone cares, I have decided to go with Tomato-Tone as my primary fertilizer. My plan is to mix it in with the potting mix during planting (Miracle-Gro brand potting mix), then do Miracle Gro liquid fertilizer once or twice for the Nitrogen.

Then, go straight to Tomato Tone every 10 days or so thereafter.

Thoughts? Am I going to nuke these suckers?