Do Tomatoes Like Acidic Soil?

Various plants have different pH levels they favor. Some plants thrive well in acidic soil while others thrive in alkaline soil. When it comes to tomatoes, let’s find out if tomatoes do like acidic or soil.

If you are a gardener and you wish to be successful in your planting endeavors, you need to be enlightened on the necessary soil growing needs for your plant to flourish.

Soil pH is one essential growing requirement and the growing requirement for different plants varies. So, in this article, we will be focusing on the tomato plant.

The pH level of the tomato plant is one important factor to consider when aiming for successful tomato growth. So, let’s get to know if tomatoes do like acidic or alkaline soil.

Are Tomatoes Acid Loving Plants?

Now let’s find out if tomatoes plants do like acidic soil. Ideally, tomato plants will flourish in slightly acidic soil. Hence, it’s safe to say tomatoes are slightly acid-loving plants.

Therefore, when considering growing tomatoes in your garden, ensure you check the pH soil range of your soil so it suits the tomato plant you intend to grow.

So, let’s dive in further and look into the ideal pH range of the tomato plant.

PH Level For Tomatoes: What Is The Appropriate Range?

Now we know tomatoes do like acidic soil. PH levels or range that falls below 7 on the pH scale is known to be acidic.

Therefore, the appropriate soil pH range for the tomato plant to thrive well is around 6.0 to 6.5. However, tomato plants can still grow outside this range but they just won’t thrive so vigorously as they would in their appropriate pH range.

So, supplying your tomato plants with the appropriate pH levels will offer you a healthy tomato plant as well as a great harvest.

How Do You Acidify Soil For Tomatoes: Useful Tips To Adjust Soil PH

The right soil is needed for you to grow the best tomato plant. Just like the soil texture and nutrient content also matter, the pH of the tomato plant is also important.

This is why you need to create ideal growing environments or conditions for your tomatoes. Amending your soil to suit the plant is the right thing to do. A soil additive is generally a great way to raise or even lower the pH range of your soil.

• • The first thing you should do before amending your soil to suit the tomato growing need is to test the soil. Know the current pH range or status of your garden soil and adjust accordingly.

Once you know the status of your, then you can proceed to either raise the soil pH or lower the soil pH. Remember, the appropriate tomato soil pH ranges from 6.0 to 6.5. So work with this range.

So, if you have decided to grow tomatoes in your garden and you wish to know to adjust (lower or raise soil pH) the soil in your garden, here are some useful tips to put you through:

1.    Soil Amendments For Raising Soil pH

Raising your garden soil pH is required once you’ve tested and confirmed your soil pH is too low for the tomato plant to thrive. Here are some common soil amendments for raising the soil pH to suit your plants:

• • Limestone: Limestone is also known as calcium carbonate and it can be found in antacids tablets and chalks. The addition of limestone raises the soil pH. Additionally, limestone will also supply calcium to your plants.

  • Wood ash: The addition of wood ash will help increase the soil pH in the garden. Just like limestone, wood ash will also provide calcium as an added bonus to your plant.

  • Dolomitic Lime: Dolomitic lime is also similar to limestone and it will help raise the soil pH level. This amendment is rich in magnesium and calcium. Therefore, it will provide both calcium and magnesium to your tomato plants.

  • Calcium Sources: Sources of calcium will also help increase the soil pH level. Calcium sources include eggshells, bone meal, and clamshells. These amendments tend to work better and faster if they are ground into fine powder.

Organics 09365 Additive De-Acidifier, 6 lb, Lime Soil

2.    Soil Amendments For Lowering Soil pH

So, for soil pH that is too high, lowering them to suit your tomato plant is the ideal way. Here are some common soil amendments that can help lower the soil pH in your garden:

• • Sulfur: Sulfur is an element that helps decrease soil pH range. But this amendment works gradually and it can take months for it to take full effect. Sulfur is also an essential nutrient required by your plant. Therefore, sulfur addition will help prevent the deficiency of sulfur.

  • Sulfates: Amendments such as iron sulfate or aluminum sulfate both assist in decreasing the soil pH. Sulfates work faster compared to elemental sulfur. But take note and be careful not to use too much so you don’t have excessive aluminum or iron in your garden soil.

  • Ammonium-based fertilizer: Ammonium-based fertilizer that includes ammonium sulfate and ammonium nitrate is great to lower soil pH faster. However, these fertilizers have fast action that they may burn your plant if used inappropriately. Therefore, ensure you use the right dose.

Why It Pays For Your Tomato Soil To Be Acidic

Here are some benefits of supplying acidic pH to your tomato plants:

• • The tomato plant thrives well in an acidic environment.

  • You enjoy a healthier tomato plant and a better yield.

  • Nutrients can be well assimilated or absorbed from the soil with the right pH range. Therefore, the necessary nutrients required by your tomato plant become available for proper growth.

FAQ’s

Do Tomatoes Like Acidic Soil: Final Say

We have seen that tomatoes plants do like acidic soil. Therefore, if you wish to have a healthy and bountiful tomato harvest, it is important you supply your tomato with an acidic growing medium.

Some soil amendments are great for improving the soil in your garden. Remember, the first thing to do to adjust your soil pH is to test your soil to know the status of your soil. We have listed out some useful tips to help with soil amendments for increasing and lowering the pH levels of your soil to suit your tomato plant.