Put These 8 Things in Your TOMATO Planting Hole For The Best Tomatoes Ever

Tomatoes are the quintessential backyard garden crop. They are easy to plant and maintain, and nothing beats that fresh and juicy bounty still warm from the sun. Home gardens often reap the best tomatoes ever. However, it’s disappointing when the tomato plants succumb to fungal infections or the harvest is small and lacks flavor. Fortunately, there are some easy solutions to these issues.  

8 Natural Ingredients to Grow the Best Tomatoes Ever 

Eggshells 

Eggshells are filled with essential minerals like potassium and phosphorus. These nutrients could help increase the flavor of the tomatoes. Additionally, the calcium in the shells could reduce the chances of the blossom ends rotting, which happens from too much moisture. The calcium helps regulate its water supply to avoid this and encourage balanced water transfer throughout the plant. 

Simply clean and dry the eggshells and crumble them directly over the soil before sowing the seeds or adding the plant. It takes a long time for the shells to break down, so consider eggshells the “slow-release” fertilizer that can help next year’s tomato plants. [1] 

Baking soda 

At this point, what can’t baking soda do? Because it’s a great remedy for killing fungal infections in tomato plants. This fungus could cause discoloration on the stems or leaves that could result in the plant dying. 

To prevent this, first, you must remove as much of the infected plant as possible. Next, spray the plants with water. Then spray the plants on all sides with one of two solutions: 

1. One-part milk to four-part water + 1 teaspoon of baking soda per quart of water 
2. 2 ½ tablespoons of vegetable oil in one gallon of water 

Be sure you don’t overspray the mixture to avoid drying out the plants. Re-apply the solution every 5–7 days. [2] 

Aspirin 

Aspirin is not just a cure for headaches. An aspiring-water solution could also boost the health of plants to grow the best tomatoes ever. It could help them resist certain diseases and pests, accelerate germination, and increase the plant’s size and bounty.

Spray the diluted aspirin solution in the morning. This will give the plants a chance to dry off in the sun before evening comes. [3] 

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Used Coffee Grounds 

Don’t toss the grounds after your morning cup of joe. Instead, sprinkle about a cup of used coffee grounds around the tomato plant. Using a trowel, mix it into about 2–3 inches of the soil to help the coffee decompose. Coffee is a natural fertilizer that helps conserve moisture and keep pests away. [4] 

Bone Meal 

Bone meal is made from livestock and poultry that’s steamed and ground into powder. It contains nutrients such as nitrogen, calcium, and phosphorus that are slowly released into the soil. As a result, you only need to apply bone meal once per season. However, test the soil before adding it. If the test shows a deficiency in calcium or phosphorus, go ahead and add the meal. However, do not use if there are high levels of phosphorus in the soil; the excess could end up harming the tomatoes. [5]  

Banana Peels

Like bananas themselves, the peels are very high in potassium and other nutrients. Potassium can help strengthen the stems of the plants and ward of disease. The manganese in the peels could aid the plant in photosynthesis. Its calcium helps prevent rotting. To get these benefits, bury the banana peels near the plants to release their minerals into them. [6] 

Kelp Meal 

Seaweed or kelp meal makes a great fertilizer. It’s rich in nutrients and a natural bio-activator. Unlike some of the other things on this list, kelp meal breaks down quickly. It’s also completely organic. You could use the meal according to package direction or make it into a kelp tea and water the plants with it.

Keep in mind that kelp could be high in salt, which is unhealthy for plants. However, you’ll have to apply a huge amount of the meal for the salt to build up and cause issues. Fortunately, most gardeners don’t use enough for this to happen. [7] 

Fish head 

 As strange as it sounds, a fish head makes a powerful fertilizer. It’s full of all the healthy nutrients in fish, and we usually just throw them away. Instead, bury the head about one foot deep where it will reach the tomato plants. Alternatively, grind up the head, mix it with two cups of water and one cup of milk. Apply this solution to the plants for an extra nutrient boost. [8] 

No matter which natural fertilizer you choose, good luck with your home garden. Hopefully, this year’s crops will reap the best tomatoes ever. 

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