Social media gardening will leave you reeling in awe or shock. Have you ever seen a raw egg getting tucked into the soil like it’s being served breakfast in bed? If you thought you’d seen it all in the garden, this one might surprise you: fertilizing your tomatoes with eggs.
That’s exactly what Melissa from @oldstatehomestead did in a popular TikTok video that’s hard to unsee. She may have started a trend with an egg, a seedling, and what looks like a sheet of black plastic stretched across the garden bed like it’s up to something. And while it might sound strange at first, this egg-as-fertilizer trick is worth exploring.
Why Eggs in the Garden Soil?
Eggs might be the perfect fertilizer for tomatoes (and other plants, for that matter). Eggs are packed with nutrients that plants crave, specifically calcium, which is crucial for healthy tomato growth. Calcium helps to prevent blossom end rot, a common problem that turns tomatoes’ bottoms black and mushy.
Eggs also contain phosphorus and potassium—two other nutrients your tomatoes will happily gobble up. When the egg breaks down in the soil, it releases these nutrients, giving your tomatoes a slow, steady feed of everything they need to thrive. Eggs might also be beneficial for other plants like peppers, eggplants, or even certain flowers.
How Do You Do It?
Before you start cracking eggs into garden beds like you’re making an omelet, here’s how to do it right for your tomatoes to yield a healthy plant and big harvest.
1. Prepare Your Planting Site
Start with well-draining soil in a garden bed, container, or raised bed. If you’re planting into the ground, loosen the soil at least 8 inches deep to allow strong root development. If you’re using plastic mulch film like Melissa’s garden, lay it down first and cut a hole where each seedling will go. This helps retain heat and moisture and suppresses weeds.
2. Crack the Egg Into the Planting Hole
Dig a hole about 6–8 inches deep at the center of your cut. Crack a raw, whole egg directly into the hole. Do not mix it into the soil; leave it at the bottom of the seedling roots. As it decomposes, the egg releases calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and other micronutrients gradually into the root zone, supporting steady growth and helping prevent blossom end rot.
If you’re concerned about animals digging it up, you can crush a few clean eggshells instead and mix them into the bottom of the hole. They break down more slowly but still release calcium progressively.
3. Transplant the Tomato Seedling
Gently transplant the tomato and place the seedling on top of the egg. Bury the stem deeply—tomatoes grow roots along the buried stem, so leave just the top few inches with leaves exposed. Backfill the hole with soil, firm it down gently, and water thoroughly. If you used a polythene cover, press the soil down around the opening to keep it sealed.
Things to Consider
While the egg method is a great tool in your gardening arsenal, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. Don’t go overboard with eggs. One egg per plant is usually plenty. Too many eggs in the soil can cause an imbalance or attract pests like ants, who might be more interested in the eggs than your tomatoes. Also, this is a slow-release method. It might take a few weeks for the egg to break down and for the nutrients to start doing their thing.
Check out other gardening tips:
Grow Like a Pro: Direct-Sow Tomatoes and Peppers for an Easy Harvest
Easily Transform Kitchen Scraps into Tomato Plants
