Tomatoes are one of Britain’s favourite crops, partly because they adapt easily to indoor and outdoor environments.
They do need some attention to reach their full potential, however, and one gardener claims to know just the trick.
The green-thumbed enthusiast, named Hod (@hey.its.hod), uses raw eggs to grow extra-large tomatoes.
She explained: “The egg trick for tomato plants made people so mad last year, but my tomatoes are thriving each year, so I’m gonna keep doing it.
The gardener swears by the hack
GETTY
“No, it does not make raccoons dig up my garden, nor does it smell like rotten eggs in my garden. These are my chickens' eggs, and they lay more than I need.
“The last two years that I’ve been doing this trick, my tomatoes have been perfect. I’m just going to keep doing it because it helps my tomatoes.”
The gardener claims last year's crop “got so big” that it ended up falling over.
While evidence supporting the benefits of raw eggs in the garden is limited, eggshells are renowned for their benefits.
Bonnie L Grant explained on Gardening Know How: “Eggs contain high levels of calcium.
“This is an important nutrient for plants, especially vegetables and fruits.
“Eggs will leach the calcium into the soil for root uptake during composting, which can conquer such problems as blossom end rot.”
The gardening expert noted that fertilisation with raw eggs is a practice that spans many centuries.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Gardeners can place eggs at the bottom of the planting hole for tomatoes
GETTY
“Our grandparents didn’t have access to modern formulations for soil amendment and instead relied upon composting to boost soil fertility and tilth,” Bonnie wrote.
“We can take a page from their book and learn how to reuse and give back to the soil naturally.
“A time-honoured tradition is to place raw, uncracked eggs in the bottom of the planting hole for tomatoes. It has its benefits and its drawbacks, as we will see.”
Bonnie noted that there is indeed a risk of smells and attracting local wildlife. Gardeners can avoid this by burying the eggs deep within the soil, however.
