I’d heard that growing tomato from seeds was difficult and that I’d be better off purchasing small tomato plants, but I found it to be very easy. My first time growing tomatoes from seed, I started them indoors long before the last frost thinking if they didn’t work out, I had plenty of time to purchase young tomato plants when it was time to put them outside. Since a pack of tomato seeds was about half the cost of a single plant, I had little to lose.
Tomatoes love eggshells as they provide a significant amount of calcium. There are several ways to introduce calcium to tomatoes, but I started them off right away by planting the tomato seed in the eggshell itself. (See my tomato in eggshell slideshow). I planted 8 seeds and I believe I had 100% germination (or very close to it).
When cracking your eggs, try to crack closer to one end so that you have a larger piece of eggshell to plant in. Place a small amount of potting soil or seed starter mix in the eggshell and water lightly. A spray bottle works well, but I use an old contact lens solution bottle as the small stream of water won’t harm tiny plants or disturb seeds. Make an indentation with your finger to place one or two tomato seeds in and cover lightly with soil. Place the eggshells in an egg carton and cover with plastic wrap to retain moisture and keep in a warm place (on top of refrigerator is great) until sprouts appear. They won’t need light until after sprouting.
When sprouts appear, move your tomato seedlings to where they’ll get plenty of light during the day. You can purchase a lamp specifically for this purpose or simply put them in a sunny window, but be careful of draft and make sure to keep the soil moist.
If you start your tomato plants indoors, you’ll need to acclimate them to the cooler outdoor temperatures gradually. Start putting them in a sunny location outside for just a few hours each day, remembering to bring them in before it cools as the sun goes down. Gradually increase the outdoor time over a period of days or weeks, depending on the climate in your area. You may leave them outside when all threat of frost has passed.
Once the young tomato plants develop the second ‘true’ leaves and are ready to ‘pot up’, simply tap the shell on the bottom to loosen it, then plant the tomato seedling, eggshell and all. By planting it this way you won’t disturb delicate roots, and the tomato seedling will continue to get the benefit of calcium from the shell as it leaches into the surrounding soil.
Whether you started your seedlings in eggshells or not, you can still give your tomato plants a calcium boost by adding more eggshell to the soil at any time. Well before the weather permits putting the plants outside full time, I work eggshells into the garden soil as I accumulate them. For on the spot nourishment, after digging your hole in the larger pot or the garden, simply drop a few eggshells into the hole before placing your seedling and refilling with soil.
The secret to getting sturdy, thick stalks is to set your tomato plant in the dirt a little deeper when re-potting, even going past the first leaves. New roots will form around every part of the stalk that is beneath soil, and more roots mean a stronger plant.
Plant your garden in a sunny area or plant in pots that can be moved where they will get at least 6 hours of sun each day. Water the base of the plant rather than from the top, ensuring that the roots get a good soaking. Once tomatoes start to appear, cut back on watering a little, then sit back and wait for a bountiful harvest.
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