# 8 Unusual Items for Fertilizing Tomatoes



## Lindsey

I have heard that people who use coffee grounds only have tomatoes that taste like coffee. Is this true? I definitely have enough coffee grounds every day, but am anxious to use them for this reason. What do you think?


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## Tee

Hi Lindsey, I have never heard of coffee ground causing the tomatoes to taste like coffee. Who knows - if you use coffee grounds a lot it might. Using coffee grounds is a great amendment for your soil if you use it wisely. I think some coffee grounds added will not hurt anything, but coffee grounds can make the soil a little acidic after prolong and abundant use. Adding some once a month or so shouldn't hurt anything.

Coffee grounds are also great to add to your compost pile, around blueberries and around azaleas. 

Tee


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## cj_smith

I have recently done some research on organic fertilizers, and tried one Alfalfa, alfalfa tea to be exact. I got 100% alfalfa leaf tea bags, and gave each tomato plant one tea bag, then watered over it. The tomatoes greened up quickly, they love the stuff. After all, it's also used as a cover crop/green manure also. I think clover would work well as a companion plant, as well as a chicken or rabbit treat.

I've heard molassas, comfrey, kelp and cotton seed and possibly peanut meal make good organic fertilizers as well.

I also saw a youtube video where a hole was dug, and all kinds of UNCOMPOSTED veggie scraps were put in the hole, and then a tomato plant planted on top of the scraps. The tomato florished and bore fruit until it was killed by frost.

So, I think almost any carbon based matter would work, except anything like meat items (rancid stench), or anything that might be to acidic (citrus peelings) or have to high a concentration of something. 

I tried comfrey leaves, but I think straight leaves, are to rich or something and they have to be composted and diluted first.

If you can run the comfrey through chicken or rabbits (my chickens LOVE comfrey, a few of my rabbits will eat it, others won't) then I think it will be better for the plants contained in critter manure.

Worm tea or castings are invaluble as a natural fertilizer as well.


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## Marc1

hey i just recently used the tea bag method to fertillize some of my plants i was just wondering if you could also use the water that you boil te tea bag in? and how long after using this method would you say youll see improvement?


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## cj_smith

depends on the type of tea. depends on "the tea bag method" you use.

If you're using "people tea bags" I would do research on the "tea" plants in the teabag, to see if the plant is high in any one compound that may have a negative effect on your plants.

I didn't boil my teabags, just laid them dry, on the soil at the base of the plant, then watered over them.

For whatever reason you want to use the actual liquid tea, I would...

1. wait for it to cool completely. 2. do some dilution "trials" using a high dilution ratio(more water less tea), then increase the ratio(lessen water/increase tea) if no plant response can be seen.

For instance, comfrey has many needed plant nutrients in it's leaves, but they are in a high concentration, so they need much dilution to find the beneficial ratio. Straight comfrey leaves or comfrey leaf "sludge" will harm plants.

I only used one tablespoon of dried flaked (looked like dried parsley leaves people sprinkle on entrees) per gallon of water, and probably half a teaspoon of alfalfa powder per gallon, per several plants, probably a cup of the solution per plant, with good results.

There should be an almost instant greening of the leaves, in deficient plants because the tea water, is the nutrients in a water soluble form for immediate uptake by the plant.

I noticed a vibrant green color up, after using worm tea and comfrey/alfalfa teas.

I like to put the teabag at the base of the plant, so every
time I water, some "tea" is extracted from the dried leaves to feed the plants regularly, vs. making up liquid tea every time I water, which is time consuming.

Also, eventually microbs/worms will eat the teabag and soggy tea leaves, further enriching the soil.

Alfalfa pellets (usually sold as an animal feed base, or additive) scattered around plants and over lawns, especially before a rain, should be just as bennaficial, without all the work of making tea.

hope this helps. I am by no means an expert.


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## cj_smith

dried flaked *comfrey* per gallon of water


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## Janet2

In South Africa we use banana peels chopped into tiny pieces and mulch the growing seedling or plant with that. The oxheart variety of tomato gets so big it looks like a pumpkin.


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## bob3

i have a koi pond how do you think of feeding my tomtoe plants with thefish waste that is in my filter.or just useing the pond water.thanks bob


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## LYDIA

I would like to buy some oxheart tomato seed in south africa where can I get them?


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## Holly2

Bob, that water is like liquid gold as a fertilizer for your indoor and outdoor plants! That's one thing I miss now that we no longer have an aquarium.


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## Matt2

I don't know the scientific reasoning but dried cow and chicken manure. The cow manure makes the plants bushier and the chicken manure makes them taller.


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## Rosie1

Epsom salts. 
Sprinkle some in the hole when planting--it works wonders! You can buy epsom salts at the pharmacy.


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## Diana5

I use earthworm castings on all my flowers and shrubs. How would they do on fruits and vegetables?


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