question about using eggshells

Ok, i was told by a neighbor to put crushed egg shells in the hole when I planted the tomatoes, the shells will keep end rot and other things away from the tomatoes. Have any one else tried this and does it work?

annabelle - crushed egg shells will add calcium to your soil. I'm not sure if extra calcium helps prevent blolssom end rot, or it's caused by inconsistent watering.

HI annabelle,

I have used crushed egg shells in my containers for the past couple years. I know I forgot to put them in one container last year, and I know I got only one plant with BER, but I can't tell you if it was the pot without the eggshells!

I've read posts from Carolyn explaining BER, so I'm not so convinced that the egg shells make any difference. Still, I have a collection of shells waiting to go into the holes when I plant them next week!

I figure it can't hurt. Much, anyway.

I actually crush them and spread around on top of the soil. The crushed eggshell will discourage slugs for now and be turned into the soil at a later date.

BER is generally inconsistent watering.

I've also noticed it is common on the first tomato or two... then no more problems.

Thanks, I'm putting the eggshells in the holes when I plant

I wanted to come back and say that it can take a very long time to break down eggshells, often times more than a year, so that ANY Ca++ is released, and if the same variety is planted with and without added eggshells I think you'll se no difference at all when a control is used.

Some folks will add eggshells and then see that they don't get BER after that but it wasn't the eggshells that did it, it's b'c the more mature a plant is the better it can withstand the many stresses that can lead to BER.

And it isn't just uneven watering.

If you go to the top of this page and click on the second thread ( resource) and go down until you see members faves, you'll see that my thread on BER is one that was chosen to put in the resource thread.

Please read it for a more detailed explanation of BER, that is, if you want to read it. LOL

Carolyn

Or you can click here:

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/291012/

Carolyn's explanation is the third post down