they usually mean one of two things, either liquid fertilizer (diluted in the water and added at the soil line or a foliar spray) or side dressing.

i usually use a light foliar spray of seaweed and some worm tea every week, and side dress every coupla weeks with a light mix of bone meal, high-P guano and dried seaweed mixed into some good compost. YMMV.

I buy one Tomato fertilizer bottle of ALGOFLASH for the season (I think it's 1 liter...it does come from Europe, but Park's Seeds sells it).
Then I have GROW MAGIC which is a seaweed concentrate.
I add the Grow Magic to the Algoflash when I fertilize by watering. I also foliar spray the seaweed stuff once in a while, say monthly.

I don't feed my Maters anything other then a bit of Epsom salt if they plant looks stressed. I don't know how Epsom salt works, but after I sprinkle some around the base of the plant and water it in, the Mater plant will green up and jump up in size within a week. Other then that, I don't give them anything additional.

BTW, be careful with feeding your maters. If you feed them to well, they'll put the energy into growth instead of fruit production.

I side-dress with Espoma Tomato-Tone (4-7-10). It's loaded with micronutrients, and the low N content makes it harder to overfertilize - although I still managed to overdo it. Also, when I'm spraying with copper+mancozeb to prevent bacterial and fungal diseases (about every 7-10 days), I add some water soluble 20-20-20 at 1/2 tsp/gal for a light foliar feeding.

The side-dressings are like thanksgiving meals, and the foliar feeding is like an energy drink.

So far this is working well, but I'm pretty new to growing veggies so take my practices with a grain of salt.

I never feed mine. I just provide them with lots of compost at planting, then lots of air, sunshine & rain water.
Tom

I feed mine every 2-3 weeks with Miracle-grow for tomatoes.

Sacrilege to some, but it works for me.

I do amend the garden every spring and mix in last year's
grass clipping compost.

About ten days after I plant them out, I do a foliar spray. It's a combintion of comost tea (made from whatever I have left from planting them in) and Alaska fish fert. If anything starts lookin a lil puny, I might do another foliar spray of just the Alaska fish fert about six weeks later. 'Maters aren't as hungry as say corn, or something that requires constant "feed me Seymor" treatment. Yet, I don't subscribe at all to the "treat 'em like a weed" philosophy, as my soil is heavy red clay. This soil has its benefits, and detriments, and the dual applications that i mentioned, have worked well for me for quite some time. Happy gardening 2007-B-ri

I'm in the same school with Oregon Veg. I amend the soil with lots of compost, horse manure, leaves, grass, straw, coffee, whatever I can get my hands on. I even threw in some fish this year. Then I plant 'em and mulch 'em, water very sparingly (like once a month) and fuhgettaboutit. Feeding and fertilizing and special tea preparations and foliar regimens are too much fuss 'n muss for me. There are a lot of philosophies/approaches to this question. If you are happy with what you are doing and getting good results, that is the point. Not all garden soil environments are the same, and requirements will differ from one to the next. I would change my system if my plants weren't producing well, but my cup runneth over. I hope your cup does the same, and if it does, maybe you don't need to do any other "feeding".

I fertilize my tomatoes to excess with Cockadoodle DOO and Espoma Garden-tone fertilizers. Water them with soaker hoses timed for 15 minutes every 6 hours.

I FEED MY TOMS WITH COMPOST TEA , ABOUT A GALLON A WEEK AND EPSOM SALT AT PLANTING TIME. OF COURSE YOU NEED A FERTILE RAISED BED TO BEGIN WITH. BILL W.

Mixed feelings about this but I'm with raisemybeds and Oregon Veg! I feed them nothing! I just make sure they have the nutrients in the soil with Composts, fresh soil and a bit of Peat Moss.

My dad feeds them Miracle Grow liquid food and he's got a ton of yeilds and lots of growth..so I dont know.

Compost

Rabbit Hill Farms Tomato and Pepper Food (made in Corsicana, TX), and when I think about it seaweed foliar spray.

I feed mine lightly with 10-10-10 fertilizer about 2 weeks after planting in garden, then no more. I water with soaker hoses only when the ground gets dry.
John A

Feeding and fertilizing and special tea preparations and foliar regimens are too much fuss 'n muss for me. There are a lot of philosophies/approaches to this question.

not as much when you grow in containers. i have to water regularly, and i have to fertilize regularly.

I add about several inches of new compost each year, water them until they get going, and that's it.
Boby

That's true - Containers you HAVE TO fertilize and feed because the nutients in the soil will deplete quicker then you can say tomato. Especially during summer months when the roots take over.

yeah, i'm still jealous of you kids and your yards and your dirt. all i have to work with is some rubbermaid containers and a roof.

schwankmoe, are you renting? I'm selling my townhouse here in Stamford. The garden ready for you, all you have to do is plant the seed. :) Get away from that roof top there!