Egg shells to add calcium?

[desertgirl]

I had some blossom end rot on my tomatoes last year, and would like to "calcium up" my soil to prevent this from happening again. I have been grinding up my chicken's eggshells and encorporating them into the soil. Anyone else do this? Does it work? It seems like it would, and I'd like to avoid buying additives if I can get away with a natural way to fix my problem.

 

[seedcorn]

It will help, just not fast. One of the causes of blossom rot is lack of water during fruiting. A quick fix would be dried milk sprayed on the plants, altho dried milk is expensive.

 

[journey11]

It would eventually, when they break down. If you've been doing this all fall/winter, that should help. I put them in my compost too.

If you see blossom end rot coming on, you can quickly turn it around with dried milk, like seedcorn said.

I've never tried spraying it on, but a trick I learned from another gardener is to take 1/2 cup of dried milk per plant and scratch it very lightly into the soil (don't tear up the roots) about a foot out around the plant, then water it in. Cover with mulch. Works very quickly!

 

[desertgirl]

Excellent. Thank you!

 

[desertgirl]

I mean.....Eggs-cellent!

 

[obsessed]

I as thinking of adding some oyster shell. I bough some for my ducks and it is such a huge bag that I was thinking a sprinkling won't hurt.

 

[vfem]

I had found a great article about adding the eggshell mixed with bonemeal and a handful of compost to each hole that you dig (super DEEP) for you tomatoes. You break off the bottom branches of the tomato plant and then bury 80% of the plant with the shell/bonemeal/compost mixture at the bottom.

Obsessed, I think oyster shell would work, but takes longer to seep calcium into the soil.

I think there is something else in that mix... I gotta go look it up!

 

[briana1975]

When you guys say dried milk are you talking about powdered milk?

 

[journey11]

When you guys say dried milk are you talking about powdered milk?

Yeah, like carnation instant milk powder (except buy the cheap brand!)

vfem -- That is what I do too, except I never thought to add egg shell. Bone-meal is definitely a must. I've been telling my dad for years to bury his tomato plant 80% deep and he still won't try it! Really helps them get good deep roots.

 

[vfem]

When you guys say dried milk are you talking about powdered milk?

Yeah, like carnation instant milk powder (except buy the cheap brand!)

vfem -- That is what I do too, except I never thought to add egg shell. Bone-meal is definitely a must. I've been telling my dad for years to bury his tomato plant 80% deep and he still won't try it! Really helps them get good deep roots.

Oh yes super deep roots means super healthy huge plants!!!!