| You can buy many great tomato fertilizer solutions | | | | the soil more acidic (if it is too alkaline) the grounds |
| like the Miracle-Gro products and fertilizer spikes. | | | | are also high in nitrogen, potassium and magnesium |
| These can work very effectively for growing healthy | | | | which are important for plant and fruit growth. To |
| tomatoes but did you know you can make your own | | | | keep your soil PH balanced you could combine the |
| fertilizer and soil mixes? I will show you a few simple | | | | coffee with the egg shells. |
| and effective methods of creating your own organic | | | | Making Your Own Compost |
| fertilizer for tomatoes while recycling household | | | | Compost is a natural fertilizer that can be used to |
| waste at the same time. | | | | grow your plants in directly or as a supplement to |
| We'll start with two simple fertilizers you can create | | | | the soil. You can make compost from all sorts of |
| right away. These can be very effective if you want | | | | organic waste including dead leaves, grass mowings, |
| to control the acidity of the soil. You can test your | | | | weeds, prunings, manure, food leftovers, coffee |
| soil PH levels with a simple test kit from your garden | | | | grounds and egg shells. First you need a compost bin |
| center. Tomatoes prefer PH levels between 6 and | | | | to keep in the heat and encourage decomposition |
| 6.8. | | | | you can get one from your garden center. Put the |
| Egg Shells - A good supply of calcium | | | | bin in a shaded area to keep the material damp. Try |
| Calcium is an important nutrient for the tomato plant | | | | and chop, or shred the material it increases the |
| and will help reduce the chances of blossom end rot | | | | surface area of individual pieces speeding up |
| which is a type of disease. You can use egg shells for | | | | decomposition so you can get your compost earlier. |
| this purpose by letting them dry out then putting | | | | Mulching |
| them through the blender to create a fine powder. | | | | This final technique has other purposes but will |
| You can then sprinkle the powder around the plant | | | | provide some fertilization effect if organic mulch is |
| and then water the soil to encourage nutrient uptake. | | | | used. The purpose of mulch is to insulate the ground, |
| Calcium is alkaline and will make the soil less acidic. | | | | prevent weeds growing and keep moisture in. It also |
| Used Coffee Grounds - A natural acidic fertilizer | | | | fertilizes the soil as it decomposes - saving you |
| If you are a coffee drinker and make filtered coffee | | | | having to add fertilizer yourself. Straw and grass |
| you can save your coffee grounds and reuse them | | | | clippings make good mulches but shouldn't be added |
| on your tomatoes. Spread out the grounds on a | | | | to your vegetable patch too early as it can prevent |
| sheet of newspaper and allow them to dry. Then mix | | | | the soil heating up - late spring/early summer is a |
| them into the soil and again water. As well as making | | | | good time to add it. |