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What NPK Ratio Do Tomatoes Need?

Penn State Extension

Tomatoes need a 5-10-10 or 8-32-16 NPK ratio during flowering and fruiting. During early vegetative growth, use a balanced 10-10-10. The key is switching from nitrogen-dominant feeding to phosphorus-dominant once the first flowers appear. Too much nitrogen after flowering causes excessive foliage with poor fruit set.

What You Need to Know

Tomatoes need a 5-10-10 or 8-32-16 NPK ratio during flowering and fruiting. During early vegetative growth, use a balanced 10-10-10. The key is switching from nitrogen-dominant feeding to phosphorus-dominant once the first flowers appear

Too much nitrogen after flowering causes excessive foliage with poor fruit set.

For personalized recommendations based on your specific garden size and fertilizer, use our fertilizer calculator.

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