Many gardeners use eggs in the garden to boost soil nutrients. Try putting eggshells in your compost. You can also plant eggshells or a whole egg in the hole before planting tomato plants.
A great boost when planting tomatoes, peppers and just about anything is dig your hole and throw in a handful of finished compost and/or worm casting with another small handful of phosphorus (bone meal, rock phosphate, etc) and mix with some soil, then put your plant in.
Tomato plants that may develop blossom-end rot could be helped by an egg in your plant soil because of the extra calcium.
Eggshells are a rich source of calcium, which is essential for preventing conditions like blossom end rot in tomatoes. Crushing eggshells and incorporating them into the soil around tomato plants can provide a slow-release calcium boost as the shells gradually decompose.
Tomatoes thrive in loamy soils with good drainage and high organic matter content. Adding composted coffee grounds to planting beds is a great way to build healthy soil for tomato planting but won't provide all the required nutrients.
"Plants like strawberries, blueberries, kale, and cabbage prefer slightly acidic soil and adding in eggshells can do more harm than good," says Jen McDonald, certified organic gardener and co-founder of Garden Girls, a garden design company based in Houston, Texas.
We also recommend putting a third cup of pure worm castings in the bottom of the hole. We amend our beds with worm castings and we also spray a worm casting tea on the plants while they grow. Really great stuff.
Like us, plants use calcium for growth. A lack of calcium is indicated when plants look stunted and don't grow to their full potential. Blossom end rot, which is commonly seen in squash, tomatoes, and peppers, is caused by a calcium deficiency. Feeding plants with milk ensures they will get enough moisture and calcium.
The idea behind this is that the egg breaks down slowly for a steady drip of calcium, preventing blossom end rot on your tomato plants.
Tomatoes & Epsom Salt
Simply add one or two tablespoons of Epsom salt for tomatoes to the area before planting seeds or transplants.
Second when tomatos begin to appear and are about 1 inch in diameter lightly sprinkle baking soda around each plant to make them sweeter. Repeat this process again when tomatoes are about half grown. I used a lot of baking soda in his picture so it would show up but about 1/4 cup per plant is plenty.
Coffee grounds should not be used as the sole fertilizer for tomato plants. The grounds do not contain the nutrient balance that tomatoes need to thrive, and adding too many grounds will affect the soil's pH. Tomato plants can tolerate slightly acid soils, as low as pH 5.5.
Can I Just Sprinkle Epsom Salt on Plants? Never apply Epsom salt straight from the package. Always dilute the granules in water first, and either drench your plants' roots or spray it on the foliage. Don't spray on hot or sunny days, however, to avoid scorching the foliage.
Eggshells take a lot longer to break down compared to many other compostable goods, and too many of them can increase the acidity of your compost. This shouldn't be a problem, unless you plan on using it to grow plants that prefer low soil pH.
When you plant tomatoes, plant a little deeper than they come in the pot, all the way up to the bottom few leaves! Tomatoes root along their stems, so this trick helps them develop stronger roots. Tomatoes can be planted a lot deeper because they can produce new roots anywhere along their stems.
Water correctly: Do not overwater. The first week tomato plants are in the ground, they need water every day, but back off watering after the first week, slowly weaning the plants down to 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week.
Banana peels contain potassium and phosphorus, which are important nutrients to grow thriving plants. Placing banana peels directly in the soil may seem like a good idea, after all, it's a way to reduce food waste and put minerals back into the soil. But you'll want to rethink your strategy.
Are coffee grounds good for plants? Coffee grounds are an excellent compost ingredient and are fine to apply directly onto the soil around most garden plants if used with care and moderation. Coffee grounds contain nutrients that plants use for growth.