Placing eggshells in your gardens is a common gardening tip that many people follow to give their plants a boost. The kitchen scrap has plenty of benefits for crops, the main one being that it provides a slow-release source of calcium, which helps to build strong cell walls and a healthy vascular system for nutrients and water to get around the plant.
Some people also claim that eggshells can help prevent diseases such as blossom end rot, a condition where the tip of fruits develop a dark, sunken and rotten area. However, according to Ideal Home, there is one fruit that will not benefit from eggshells being scattered around it.
It explained that contrary to beliefs “in most cases” adding eggshells to the soil of your tomato plants does not help prevent blossom end rot in tomatoes.
While the disorder is caused by a lack of calcium in the fruit and eggshells provide calcium to plants, the main cause of blossom end rot in tomatoes is caused by inconsistent watering.
Richard Barker, commerical director of LBS Horticulture, said: “The eggshells will add calcium to the soil, but blossom end rot is not actually caused by calcium deficiency in the soil, instead by the plants not transporting calcium to develop fruits. Blossom end rot can still happen in soil that is rich in calcium, and in most cases it is caused by irregular watering.”
Gardeners should, instead, prioritise even watering to prevent blossom end rot in tomatoes, to ensure that the plant is absorbing the calcium from the soil.
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) also explains that “soil or potting compost should be kept consistently moist throughout the growing season and must never be allowed to dry out” and that during hot conditions plants may need watering two or more times a day.
It added: “It is better to water twice a day than once with a double volume. Growing bag compost is very difficult to moisten evenly and thoroughly once it has dried out.”
Once a fruit has developed blossom end rot nothing can be done to save it, which is why it is crucial to do all you can to prevent your tomatoes from being affected by it.
