Fruit and veg, practical guide
Feeding tomatoes and vegetables.
When to start, which crops are hungry and which are not, and why watering comes first.
- StartAt first flowers or fruit
- Pots and bagsNeed feeding
- BeanstalkA splash, watered in
Feeding through the growing stages
Young plants live off the compost or bed. Feeding earns its keep once the plant starts to fruit.
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Stage 1
Sowing and planting out
Young plants draw on the compost or bed. Tomatoes go outdoors only once temperatures are reliably above about 16°C, and later in the north. Runner beans go out in early June in northern areas.
FeedingNot yet
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Stage 2
Growing on
Leafy growth builds. Water steadily and keep tying in. Container compost carries its own supply for about six weeks.
FeedingWater first
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Stage 3
Flowers and first fruit
Now the plant commits energy to fruit. For tomatoes in pots and grow bags this is when feeding starts to earn its keep, with a feed made for fruit and veg.
FeedingStart feeding
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Stage 4
Cropping
The heaviest window. Keep feeding container plants on the label, and keep the watering steady, because irregular watering causes problems of its own.
FeedingRegular, by the label
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Stage 5
End of the season
As the season winds down, stop feeding. The RHS general rule is nothing after September.
FeedingStop
Not every vegetable wants the same
General guidance from the RHS and other horticultural sources. The label on your feed comes first.
Tomatoes, cucumbers, courgettes and peppers
Fruiting crops grown in pots and grow bags are the hungriest. Once fruit forms they want a feed made for fruit and veg, higher in potash, which supports flowering and fruiting. Too much of a leafy feed gives lush leaves at the expense of fruit.
- StartWhen the first flowers or fruit appear
- How oftenSources range from weekly to every 10 to 14 days, so follow your feed label
- In the groundOften need less, especially in enriched soil
- WateringSteady, not feast and famine
Leafy crops
Lettuce, spinach, cabbages and other crops grown for their leaves respond to a feed that supports leafy growth, which means one with more nitrogen. Fast growers in enriched ground often need little extra.
- WantsLeafy growth, so a general or nitrogen-led feed
- In the groundEnriched soil often carries them
- WateringSteady
Peas and beans
Peas and beans make much of their own nitrogen with help from bacteria in their roots, so in the ground they need little feeding. Enrich the bed with compost or well-rotted manure a few weeks before sowing instead.
- In the groundLittle or no feeding
- Before sowingFork in compost or well-rotted material
Potatoes
Potatoes in the ground rarely need feeding if the bed has been enriched. Potatoes in bags or pots have the small supply of compost that any container has, so the ground rule does not apply to them.
- In the groundRarely need feeding
- In containersA small supply of compost, as in any pot
- WateringSteady
Why pots and grow bags are hungrier
The RHS says most plants growing in the ground do not need routine feeding, but container plants and hungry edible crops do. A pot or grow bag holds a small amount of compost, and the crop uses it up in about six weeks. Ground that has been enriched with compost or well-rotted manure carries a crop much further.
That is why the same tomato variety can want feeding in a pot by the back door and very little in a well-prepared bed. It is also why improving the soil before you plant is often the better first move.
Water first, always
Feed supports growth but does not replace water. Pots and grow bags dry out faster than open ground, and feed on dry compost can do harm.
What you see, and what to try
Most problems on fruiting crops start with water, not food.
| What you see | What it usually means | What to try |
|---|---|---|
| A dark, sunken patch at the base of tomato fruits | Blossom end rot. It is a watering problem: irregular watering stops calcium reaching the fruit. It is not a shortage of feed. | Water steadily and keep pots from drying out. Extra feed on dry compost can make it worse. |
| Pale or yellowing lower leaves | Hunger is one cause. Drought, waterlogging and cold cause it too. | Check the watering first. If the plant is fruiting in a pot, a feed is reasonable. |
| Lots of lush leaf, few flowers or fruit | Too much of a leafy feed, which gives leaf at the expense of fruit. | Ease off, and use a feed made for fruiting crops. |
| Wilting on a hot day | Heat or a missed watering. | Water and shade first. Feed will not fix it, so wait until the plant has recovered. |
Three ways to waste a feed
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Mistake 1
Feeding too early
Before there are flowers or fruit, feeding does relatively little.
InsteadWait until the plant is flowering and setting fruit.
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Mistake 2
Feeding dry compost
Feed on dry compost can burn roots.
InsteadWater first, then feed.
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Mistake 3
Treating blossom end rot with more feed
It is caused by uneven watering.
InsteadWater steadily, and keep the compost evenly moist.
Beanstalk: Fruit & Vegetable Food
Liquid feed for the things you grow to eat, on the veg patch, the allotment or in pots by the back door.
- How to useFeeding individual plants? Apply a splash around the base of each one and water it in. That is straight from the back of the bottle.
- Size1L bottle
- Also good to know100% natural, peat-free and made without synthetic chemicals.
Questions people ask
When should I start feeding tomatoes?
Once the first flowers or fruits appear. The RHS suggests feeding container tomatoes once the first fruits start to swell, and other sources say from the first flowers. Before that, the compost has enough to be going on with.
How often should I feed tomatoes?
Sources range from weekly to every 10 to 14 days, so follow the label on your feed. For Beanstalk, the label says to apply a splash around the base of each plant and water it in.
Watch the plant, and keep the watering steady.
Do vegetables in the ground need feeding?
Often not. The RHS says most plants in the ground do not need routine feeding, and enriched ground carries many crops through the season. Hungry crops, and anything in pots, are the exceptions.
Can I use Beanstalk on the whole allotment, not just tomatoes?
Yes. Beanstalk is built for fruit and vegetable crops generally, not tomatoes specifically.
Can I use Beanstalk on crops I am going to eat?
Yes, Beanstalk is for fruit and veg. Follow the directions and the safety notes on the label.
Does feeding replace watering?
No. Feed supports growth, but it does not replace consistent watering, especially for tomatoes and other crops grown in pots or grow bags, which dry out faster than open ground.
