12 Best Soils for Tomatoes That Are Full of Nutrients

Are you considering starting your own garden? Or have you been a farmer or homesteader growing tomatoes your whole life and are now looking for a different soil for better growth?

No matter the reason you are growing your own plants, you are going to want to find the best soil for planting tomatoes. 

There is a large variety of soils on the market today that claim better growth rates and bigger, juicier fruits, but not all can put their money where their mouth is.

Below you will find a list compiled of our favorite top 12 soils that we feel will give you the best results come next harvesting season.

Top 12 Soils for Tomatoes

Here is a list of the top 12 soils we feel will help you grow the best tomato plants. We looked for the soils that have the best components and nutrients your plants need.

1. Miracle-Gro Expand ‘N Gro Concentrated Planting Mix

Expand ‘N Gro Miracle-Gro is a great potting soil for tomatoes. This mix is made with fertilizer and coir. The coir is compressed when packaged, making it expand once water is added to the soil.  This soil will expand up to 3 times more than its original form. Mixing this soil into the native soil already in the ground will give your tomatoes an advantage and extra nutrients for growth.

This potting soil can feed your tomato plants for up to 6 months. Holding up to 50% more water than native soil and up to 90% more air, this soil provides all the factors needed to grow some of the best tomatoes possible. Adding this tomato soil mix to your garden will make a big difference in the end results.

What We Like

• Expands up to 3 times its original size when watered
• Holds up to 50% more water than other soils
• Creates up to 90% more air than soil
• Can be used in-ground or in containers
• Simple to follow instructions, easy to use

Ingredients

• Compressed coir
• Fertilizer

2. Compressed Organic Potting Soil From Organic Plant Magic

This organic potting soil is designed for safe, but effective, growth aid to your tomato plants. Made from coconut coir, worm castings, and natural bacteria, this is a useful and non-toxic way to feed your plants. With the magical expanding core, you can get seven times the amount of fertilizer once watered, giving you more coverage with less soil. 

Being 100% non-toxic and organically made, you can rest assured that you are providing yourself and your family with safer, cleaner foods. Rest assured your kids and pets will not be harmed if you find them playing in the garden as there is nothing in this soil that is dangerous. If you are looking for a healthier way to grow amazing tomato plants, this is a product you should consider adding to your shopping list.

What We Like

• Non-toxic and organic
• Expands up to 7 times its size when watered
• Easy to store due to the smaller package size.
• Rapid hydration
• Keeps plants feed for months

Ingredients

• Coconut coir
• Warm casings
• Healthy bacterias

3. Fox Farm Happy Frog Organic Potting Soil Mix Indoor Outdoor Garden Plants

Trust us when we tell you that this soil is not just a great name with an eye-catching bag.  Happy frog potting soils is also a very unique soil used mainly for potted plants. If you are growing your tomatoes in a pot or raised garden bed , this soil is for you.

It is an organic potting soil that is composed of natural microbes and mycorrhizal fungi that increases the rate of growth rapidly by giving your tomatoes everything they need for healthy development. Fox farm did not stop there when creating such an amazing soil. It is also PH adjusted to optimize nutrient uptake, giving your plants the opportunity to reach their maximum potential.

What We Like

• Organic and naturally made
• Adjusted PH for more growth potential
• Easy to use and lightweight
• Offers strong plant structure

Ingredients

• Mycorrhizal fungi
• Soil Microbes

4. Nature’s Living Soils, Super Soil Organic Concentrate

This potting soil for tomatoes is a concentrated organic super soil. The natural living organisms in this soil gives your plants everything they need to thrive. With ingredients such as bat guano, fishbone meal, and Epsom salt there is no denying this product has it all.

The micro-organisms in this super soil will release just the right amount of nutrients to your tomatoes over time. Be aware of the strong odor you will notice when opening the bag. This is proof that you are getting a great concentrate and your tomatoes are going to grow perfectly.

What We Like

• Natural organisms
• Just water after laid and soil will keep feeding until harvest
• Organic concentrate
• Living soil technology

Ingredients

• Organic earthworm casting
• Bat guano
• Blood meal
• Bone meal
• Fishbone meal
• Alfalfa meal 
• kelp meal
• Lime
• Epsom salt
• (see packaging for the long list of microorganisms in this product)

5. FoxFarm Ocean Forest Potting Soil Organic Mix Indoor Outdoor For Garden And Plants

This all-natural soil is designed with potted plants in mind. The soil is made with your common soil nutrients and mixed with nutrients found in the sea, giving you a versatile and strong mixture of soil.  

You can use this soil with your indoor and outdoor plants, or your raised garden beds. Ocean Forest potting soil has its PH adjusted to 6.3 to 6.8 giving it just the right balance to grow big, bright red, ripe tomatoes. This is a great soil for just about any level gardener. You can’t go wrong with Fox Farm.

What We Like

• Adjusted PH balance for optimum growth
• Ocean floor micronutrients
• Easy to use soil
• Ready to use straight from the bag
• Consistent nutrients throughout the growth process

Ingredients

• Aged forest products
• Sandy loam
• Sphagnum peat moss
• Earthworm castings
• Bat guano
• Fish emulsion
• Crab meal

6. Organic Potting Mix by Perfect Plants for All Plant Types

Best suited for potted plants, this organic potting mix is an amazing addition to your gardening products. With non-toxic, natural ingredients this is perfect for plants made for picking. If you’re like many and enjoy grabbing a delicious tomato straight from the vine, you know you are safe indulging when using this mix. 

This soil is easy to manage, has excellent draining abilities, and absorbs a large amount of water, giving your plants the maximum amount of food and water for amazing rapid growth. It comes in a resealable bag that makes storage a cinch. If you are a gardener trying to make some delicious tomatoes, you need to grab yourself a bag of this tomato soil mix.

What We Like

• Resealable bag
• Natural non-toxic ingredients
• Easy to manage draining

Ingredients

• Perfect plants perlite
• Coconut coir
• Peat moss

7. Black Gold 1302040 8-Quart All Organic Potting Soil

This all-purpose organic potting soil is another great option for growing your tomato plants. It has a great track record from gardeners of all kinds, providing happy reviews after using this soil.  It has been listed by the Organic Materials Review Institute for the production of organic food and fiber, making it a respected company that is honest.

You can use this soil in your tomatoes potted baskets, or in your raised garden bed. This soil comes in a convenient lightweight bag and all you need to do is water, water, water. You can count on the Black Gold tomato plant soil for luscious fruits every season.

What We Like

• All-purpose soil
• Award-winning product
• Highly rated
• Organic materials

Ingredients

• Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss
• Composted or Aged Bark Compost
• Earthworm Castings
• Horticultural Grade Perlite
• Pumice

8. Espoma AP8 8-Quart Organic Potting Mix

A product designed for indoor and outdoor potted plants, Espoma Organic Potting Mix is a great choice when growing your own tomatoes. To use this soil, it is best to have gravel at the bottom of the container to allow for any excess water drainage. You never want to overwater your plants, so make sure you are allowing the soil to dry in between each watering.

This tomato plant soil is designed with enhanced water retention to avoid any drought damage and has a myco-tone water saving formula, all meant to ensure your tomato plants will get the hydration it needs — and it will last a long time.

What We Like

• Myco-tone water saving formula
• Moisture retention to reduce drought stress
• Organic materials

Ingredients

• Sphagnum peat moss
• Humus
• Perlite
• Myco-tone
• Earthworm castings
• Alfalfa meal
• Kelp meal 
• Feather meal

9. Coast of Maine – Platinum Grower’s Mix

This plant soil is OMRI (Organic Materials Review Institute) listed for okay for organic use. With a great blend of naturally sourced nutrients, your tomato plants are going to be provided with everything they need to grow at an amazing rate and to a healthy size. You will have some of the best tomato plants around.

With this super soil, all you must do is add water and your plants will be taken care of for the entire growth cycle. This soil is formulated to help bring seedlings to full-grown fruits without any other intervention. You will not have to spend a lot of money on fertilizers or other growth sprays, as this is all your plants are going to need until harvest.

What We Like

• Organic materials review Institute listed
• All in one mix, just need to add water
• A balance between water retention, soil texture, and drainage
• Feeds your plants throughout the entire cycle

Ingredients

• Mycorrhizal fungi
• Kelp
• Fishbone 
• Alfalfa meals
• Worm castings
• Peat
• Coir
• Lobster compost

10. Burpee Organic Premium Potting Mix

This soil mix contains all the right nutrients needed from your potted tomato plants. Just water the soil and this mixture will provide your plants’ optimal growth for up to three months.  With its capacity for holding a lot of water, this soil can moisturize your plants in between waterings. OMRI listed, this organically created soil is a great way to make your tomatoes delicious.

Even if you are not an experienced gardener or this is your first time growing your own tomatoes, you can rest assured knowing Burpee Organic potting mix will give your plants all the nutritional growth they need the entirety of their life cycle.

What We Like

• High water capacity
• OMRI listed
• Continues stream of nutrients for 3 months
• Enriched with Burpee plant food

Ingredients

• Coconut coir
• Macronutrients

11. Miracle-Gro 74978500 Seed Starting Potting Mix

Miracle-Gro has been a well-known gardeners go-to for many years. With many trusted products you know you are only getting the best formulas when using Miracle-Gro. That is no different here. This Miracle-Gro Seed starting potting mix should be on your list of things to buy when starting your tomato plants.

This soil is formulated for starting your seeds and preparing them to grow. It has been specially formulated to create rapid growth for seedlings’ roots. Your baby tomatoes will grow to be juicy and giant if you choose to add this formula to your gardening routine.

What We Like

• Starts from seedlings
• Enriched with Miracle-Gro plant food
• Good for starting cuttings
• Specially formulated for fast root development
• Feeds instantly
• Lightweight mix

Ingredients

• Nitrogen
• Boron
• Phosphates

12. Premium All Purpose Potting Soil

Proven Winners formulated an exceptional potting soil for tomatoes. This soil can be used indoors and out and is great for your backyard gardens. It is a medium weight mixture perfectly designed for optimal growth. Your tomatoes will be getting the best-blended ingredients needed to start the seedlings off right so they will grow to produce the best tomatoes possible.

This is easy to use mix that is ready to go straight from the bag. It has great air porosity and drainage, giving your plants healthy roots throughout their life. This formula was designed to outdo the competitors giving gardeners a go-to soil that works every time.

What We Like

• Excellent air porosity
• Medium weight texture
• Ready to use straight out of the bag
• Great drainage

Ingredients

• Canadian sphagnum peat moss
• Processed softwood bark
• Horticultural-grade perlite
• Dolomite lime
• Professional wetting agent

Soil for Tomatoes Buying Guide

When compiling our list of the top potting soils for tomatoes, we wanted to give you an idea of what is important when growing the perfect crops. You need a great formula, designed with maximum nutritional value.

Check the Ingredients List

We have noticed that most of our favorites are on the top of the list because they are created from organic materials, which seems to offer the best growth agents for tomato plants. Naturally sourced materials are high in nutrition and are safer than chemical-based growth agents. 

Getting your mixtures from living organisms seem to make a big difference in the way your plants grow and produce. Sometimes locating the ingredients can be tricky. Check the label, and if you are still unsure you can always visit their web page.

Are They Highly Rated?

Another thing we looked for when compiling our list is the reviews. We wanted to see what other gardeners were saying about the products we wanted to use. There were a lot of helpful tips in the reviews letting us know if it was the right product for us. Some of the reviews gave us an insight into how the packages can be misleading. 

Be wary of angry reviewers. Sometimes people will get mad and leave a bad review because their package was late, or the box was crinkled.  Although these can be frustrating situations, it has nothing to do with how the product itself works.

Some of the reviews also let us know that the soil was great for their flowers, but not so much for their vegetable and fruit gardens. This was helpful because without that piece of info all we had to go on was that it was top-rated soil. It may be a great soil, but not the best soil for tomatoes.

Is it Easy to Use?

When purchasing a soil product, make sure the label is clear and the directions are easy to follow. Something as simple as a little too much or too little water can completely destroy your tomato plants. When shopping around for the perfect soil for your tomato plant you want to make sure no matter which brand you choose you are going to be able to understand how to use it properly. 

Most mixtures these days come ready to go, but you do not want to assume. Be sure you are not missing an important additive or mix that will help the soil out. You also must consider the space and amount of soil it needs, the directions on each of the packages will let you know how much ground it covers. Be careful when using the soils that expand, putting too much of this soil into a pot will create a mess. 

Location

Are you planning on planting your tomato seeds in planters and pots or did you plan on a field full of tomatoes? This is going to make a difference in the soil you choose to use. Many companies specifically formulate their mixtures depending on where and how the plants are going to be growing. Each location is going to need a different make-up to utilize the nutrients in the correct way.

When growing your tomato plants in a container you are going to want a special formulated soil designed for proper drainage so your plants are not at risk of being over watered. Whereas you would want a completely different formula for outdoor plants because there is much more space to absorb any unwanted access water.

Shop With Safety in Mind

Most people already make sure they are using gloves to protect themselves while gardening, usually it is from the dirt. However, you have to make sure you are buying safe soil when choosing a brand. Soils that use fertilizer in them will be dangerous for you to handle. Always check your labels and keep that in mind while gardening.

You also want to keep in mind who else will be visiting your garden when purchasing soil of any kind. You don’t want a pet or a child to get sick if you are using toxic soil on your tomatoes, you also want to be sure you know if it is not safe before using so you aren’t tempted to grab a ripe tomato off its stem to snack on while finishing your landscaping.

Questions and Answers

A helpful source of information we found was right in the Question and Answer sections of the websites. Looking at what other people were asking was a huge help to us. It turns out most people who are gardening are usually wanting to know pretty much the same information.

You can also get a lot of good tips and advice in this section from actual customers who have already used the products. They can give you insight into what they used it for and how it helped or did not help them.

You can also get opinions on not so obvious questions, like does the soil stain clothing? Another question we found was whether or not it made your house or yard smell or if the soil can make your dog sick if they are digging in it. All these questions are good ones and you are probably going to want the answers before you purchase the product.

Conclusion

We have gone through and listed twelve great soils you can use to grow an amazing tomato garden. This list has many options and vastly different mixtures. In choosing which one is the best soil for tomatoes you must look into many different factors. From expandable soil materials, to bat guano and kelp, what your soil is made up of is going to be the determining factor in how your tomatoes will grow.