Fertilizers continued to be used on Tomato plants as well on other vegetables in the garden. My Question is Why do we need fertilizer?

I used to use a basic vegetable or garden fertilizer but I finally decided --no more.

I don't like buying vegetables that have been treated with chemicals so I will not use them anymore.

Then how do you keep the insects away and plants healthy?

There is a better way.

Everything I write here is my opinion and has been successful for me.

You must start from the beginning and each step of the way change your growing habits.

When you till your soil, be sure to add some compost and some dried cow manure. If you can work on the garden at the end of the growing season then use fresh manure if available. Check your soil pH it should be about 5.5 to 6 if not add some lime. The test if obtained from a garden center may be able to tell you how much to add.

• In the fall gather all of leaves, get more from the neighbors if you need them (they are gold) cover the garden as high as you can. At least one foot deep. This will prevent weeds from sprouting early in the spring. Keeps the ground warmer. In heavy soils with clay helps to keep it from getting like rock. Do not use grass clippings that have had pesticides on them.

• Start a separate compost pile if conditions allow. Either way as you put down the leaves do it in layers interspersed with a light layer of lime if needed and some organic matter( food scraps, cow manure, sawdust,peanut shells,egg shells etc). This all serves to break down into nutrients that the soil and the tomatoes need. It is sometimes called sheet composting.

• In the spring, rake back the leaves, you can plant right thru the thin layer of compost that is left or till it and make raised beds. The leaves that are raked back can be used later in the aisles to keep down weed growth and after soil is mounded up around the new plants as they get bigger,can be used as a mulch.

• Plant about 2 feet apart depending upon the variety. Make sure to water once a day in the beginning to give the little tomato plants a good chance to get what they need from the soil. Besides watering,planting and staking techniques there is another very important step to healthy tomato plants.

Companion plants are planted in between the tomato plants and can be around the edges of the garden as well.

These are plants that grow well with certain other plants but are disliked by many insects. Tomatoes get along very well with Marigolds, Onions and Carrots as an example.

Some insects sometimes do find a way in but it is rare.

Put these steps into use in your garden and fertilization will be unnecessary and your Tomatoes will taste a lot better too.

I plant marigolds between everyone one of my tomato plants.