If you are looking for a few secret weapons to help power your tomato plants to grow stronger and bigger than ever – and produce more tomatoes than ever this year – you need to plant egg shells and coffee grounds with your tomato plants!
If there is one vegetable plant more than any other that needs loads of nutrients to grow strong and healthy, it’s the tomato plant. It requires vast amounts of energy to develop thick stems, sturdy branches and vibrant foliage. But it needs even more to produce plenty of blooms and fruit as well!
Although tomato plants use a whole slew of different minerals to power their growth, when it comes right down to it, there are four specific nutrients they need more than anything else – and those four are nitrogen, potassium, phosphorous and calcium.
Tomato plants need and use nitrogen for powering strong plant and foliage growth. In addition, they need phosphorous to form their blooms and fruit – and potassium to harness the sun’s energy for photosynthesis. And last but not least, tomato plants need calcium – and a lot of it!
Calcium plays a critical role in the cell structure development of tomato plants. Without enough, stems and branches can be weak and feeble. Even worse, if there is a lack of calcium, tomato plants can’t form their fruit properly either.
That lack if calcium can then lead to blossom end rot and a long list of other issues for the plant’s long term health and productivity.
The Power Of Using Egg Shells & Coffee Grounds With Tomato Plants
Although healthy soil often contains a fair amount of the four critical nutrients above, unfortunately, as tomato plants grow, they can use those nutrients up quickly. And that is exactly where helping your soil and plants out with a little extra boost of power from egg shells and coffee grounds can pay big dividends.
The best part of all is planting the two with your tomato plants couldn’t be easier. Or cheaper for that matter. After all, both can be saved and gathered for free. Even better, both are all-natural and 100% organic as well!
But to really get each of these powerful nutrient sources to help your tomato plants grow better – you have to use them at just the right time – and in just the right way.
So with tomato growing success in mind – here is a look at how to use coffee grounds and egg shells to perfection when planting your tomatoes this year, and even better – how to grow your most productive tomato crop ever this year!
How Coffee Grounds & Egg Shells Help Tomato Plants
How To Use Egg Shells To Power Your Tomato Plants
So why are egg shells so valuable to tomato plants? Because they contain load and loads of calcium! In fact, egg shells are overflowing with calcium. So much so that over 90% of the entire shell is made up of calcium carbonate.
But when it comes to getting that calcium out of the egg shells and into your tomato plants – it takes a little more than simply throwing a few broken egg shells into the planting hole of your tomato plant.
Egg shells take a long time to break down in the soil and become usable calcium for your plants. Even if you break egg shells into tiny pieces, it can take as long as 6 months to a full year to become available for plants. But you can speed that process up greatly with one simple trick!
By simply grinding egg shells down to a powder with a coffee grinder or food processor, the resulting egg shell powder absorbs into the soil fast. Unlike egg shell pieces, the powder mixes right into the soil.
Using Egg Shell Powder
So how do you best use egg shell powder with tomato plants? The first method is to put egg shell powder in the planting hole of your tomatoes as you plant them. Simply mix in three to four tablespoons of egg shell powder when you plant.
But even better, once you fill the area around your plant, add a few more tablespoons on the surface of the soil around your plants. With this double dose of power, every time it rains or you water, more and more calcium will leach into the soil – making it easy for your plants to get all the calcium they need to produce loads of fruit!
You can even use a little egg shell powder in your seed starting soil if you grow your own plants from seed. See: The Secrets To Growing Your Own Tomato Plants
Coffee Grounds – How Coffee Grounds & Egg Shells Help Tomato Plants
Much like egg shells provide loads of calcium for tomato plants – coffee grounds can help with adding the perfect dose of nitrogen. Even better, can give plants potassium and phosphorous as well.
Spent coffee grounds actually bring a whole slew of valuable trace nutrients to your tomato plants. And because they mix into soil easily, they go to work fast. Coffee grounds also bring even more value by helping to loosen soil and retain moisture. Both of which happen to be extremely important when it comes to getting the roots of tomato plants to grow fast.
So how do you best use them? When planting your tomato plants, mix three to four tablespoons of coffee grounds in the planting hole. The grounds will slowly leach out their power, helping roots to expand quickly.
Just as with the crushed egg shells, a few more tablespoons on top of the soil will also help to provide more nutrients as they leach down through the soil after it rains or you water. And if you happen to have a bit of coffee left over in the morning, don’t be afraid to let it cool and then water the soil around your plants. Once again – it will give a little boost of nutrients to help your plants!
Adding Even More Natural Power – Why To Plant Tomatoes With Egg Shells & Coffee Grounds
In addition to egg shells and coffee grounds, there are a few other powerful ingredients that you can add when planting that can really aid in powering big growth and production from your tomato plants. The first and most helpful of those is compost.
Compost
Compost is overflowing with the nutrients tomatoes love. Even better, it’s in a form they can easily take in. But compost also helps loosen the soil and helps to improve the soil’s ability to hold the moisture tomato plants need so badly at their root level.
Two to three cups of compost mixed into the soil of your planting hole will do the trick. By lightening the soil, it will help the tomato plants roots expand with ease. And of course, feed those same roots as they grow.
Worm Castings – Why To Plant Tomatoes With Egg Shells & Coffee Grounds
Worm castings are the manure of earthworms. And are they ever loaded with the perfect balance of nutrients to power tomato plants!
Like compost, worm castings help to lighten the soil and help with moisture retention as well. But it is the perfectly balanced nutrients within the castings that really help energize tomato plants. Simply add one-quarter to one-half cup in each planting hole and watch the magic happen. Affiliate Link: All Natural 100% Pure Worm Castings
Wood Ashes – Why To Plant Tomatoes With Egg Shells & Coffee Grounds
Talk about a big dose of potassium, carbon and calcium for your tomato plants! Much like pulverized egg shell powder, the ashes from wood contain high amounts of calcium. But they also contain a lot of potassium and carbon which help tomatoes greatly as well.
Potassium is vital to how a tomato plant forms and ripens its fruit. It also plays a key role in just how sweet it can be too. And carbon? In study after study, it’s been shown to help increase the overall yield of tomato plants when in higher levels in the soil.
By simply mixing in a few cups of wood ashes from your fireplace or fire pit, you can bolster your soil’s nutrient levels more than ever – and all but ensure an amazing harvest from your tomato plants this year.
Here is to using the power of egg shells and coffee grounds when you plant your tomatoes this year!
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