Urban Garden Casual » UGC Reader Question: How Much Fertilizer do I put in my Upside Down Tomatoes

Urban Garden Casual reader, Joyce Dunn, asks the following question:

“My husband saw the upside down tomatoes in 5 gallon buckets and wants to plant two now!!

All I have (it’s too far to go to town) is organic Miracle Gro potting Mix, Espoma dolomite, and Espoma fertilizer 4-6-6.

How much of each would you say goes into a 5 gal. bucket?

We would like to get the ratio right so we don’t burn the tomatoes. BTW, I like your site and have bookmarked it - very interesting.”

Joyce, thanks for the kind words about Urban Garden Casual, we’re glad you are enjoying it!

I hope my answer will help. I would use the Miracle Gro potting mix to fill the pot. However, if you can get a little composted manure, you can add up to 1/3 of the volume of the bucket of manure, mixing it in well.

I don’t use dolomite on my tomatoes. Instead, I use a seaweed emulsion, a manure tea or my favorite fertilizer which is Planet Food by Simplexity. However, if you are going to use dolomite, use no more than a handful mixed into the potting soil you use.

However, I am a fan of the Espoma fertilizers, and using a small amount would really make your tomatoes do well. When adding in commercial fertilizers, I generally use about half of the recommended amount. Make sure you keep the tomatoes well watered , that will prevent any problems with the fertilizer you are going to use.

Good luck!

[For other Tomato growing tips and information, visit our sister site Tomato Casual.]