Growing juicy, flavorful tomatoes is a rewarding experience for gardeners of all skill levels. But if you want to take your tomato harvest from good to great, there’s a simple but powerful trick: amending the planting hole before you transplant your seedlings.
By putting the right organic materials into the hole before planting, you can boost root development, nourish your plants, prevent common problems, and maximize fruit production.
Tomatoes are heavy feeders, and giving them the nutrients they need from the start leads to stronger plants and better yields.
Here’s a complete guide on what to add to your tomato planting holes for the best tomato harvest ever.
Why Amend the Hole Before Planting Tomatoes?
When you amend the planting hole, you’re feeding the roots right where they need it.
Instead of waiting for surface fertilizers to soak into the soil, you’re giving the plant immediate access to essential nutrients that promote early root growth, flowering, and fruiting.
Amendments also improve soil structure, enhance microbial activity, and help maintain optimal moisture levels.
Best Things to Put in the Hole Before Planting Tomatoes
Here are the top amendments to put directly into the planting hole before setting in your tomato seedlings. You can use one, some, or all of these depending on what you have available.
1. Epsom Salt
We all know how beneficial and useful Epsom salt can be, but you could never have imagined that Epsom salt can have positive effect on your tomatoes as well.
Why Epsom Salt? – Epsom salt is rich in magnesium, the most-needed nutrient that makes wonders with tomatoes. So, the next time you wonder what went wrong with your tomatoes, maybe they were lacking magnesium.
What to do? – Use one or two tablespoons of Epsom salt in the hole, before transplanting the seedling in the planting hole.
However, it’s best if you cover the salt with a layer of soil in order to prevent the roots of the plants touching the salt directly. You’ll see that the results are amazing and you’ll get the most juicy and delicious tomatoes.
2. Aspirin
Most probably you would have never thought that aspirin can find its use to the gardening as well. However, you thought wrong! Aspirin can be as beneficial for your tomatoes as it is for you.
Why Aspirin? – Due to the salicylic acid in aspirin, your tomatoes will flourish once they get in touch with aspirin. It will be a great solution for increasing the yield as well as fighting off diseases such as blight.
What to do? – Add two or three aspirin tablets in the hole and you can also make your own homemade solution and spray your tomatoes once in a while. You will help your tomatoes to boost their immunity.
3. Baking Soda
It seems that baking soda may be the right solution for every problem in the kitchen as well as in the garden. Your tomatoes will benefit from it as well.
Why Baking Soda? – If you like your tomatoes sweeter in taste, then baking soda is just right for you. This is especially true for the ones who grow tomatoes in containers.
What to do? – Just sprinkle little baking soda around the base of the tomato plants. Once the soda absorbs in the soil, it will lower the acidity levels and your tomatoes will have a sweeter taste.
4. Used Coffee Grounds
It seems that the coffee grounds are better off in the soil rather than in the garbage. You’ll see it mostly by the look of your tomatoes once you’ve placed used coffee grounds in the holes before planting your tomatoes.
Why Used Coffee Grounds? – The used coffee grounds can be used even as a mulch. Used coffee grounds improve the soil composition and it’s also a great source of fertilizer. Your tomatoes will produce juicy and healthy fruits thanks to the used coffee grounds.
What to do? – Place the used coffee grounds in the soil before transplanting the tomatoes, then cover it with soil.
5. Kelp Meal
Kelp meal is loaded with trace minerals as well as micro-nutrients, which is crucial when it comes to fertilizing your plants. The same applies for your tomatoes.
Why Kelp Meal? – First of all, it supplies your tomatoes with all the much-needed nutrients. Second of all, kelp addition to tomatoes can prevent the shock that they may experience with excessive use of fertilizer.
What to do? – Kelp Meal will give your tomatoes a great boosted start. The only thing you need to do is add a cup-full of kelp meal in the hole before planting your tomatoes and watch your tomatoes grow with ease.
6. Fish heads
Fish meat is extremely healthy for the human body because of all the powerful nutrients in the fish. However, rarely do we eat fish heads and why throwing them in the garbage when we can use them in the garden.
Why Fish Heads? – Fish heads are already widely known for boosting your plants, especially your tomatoes. This is due to the fact that fish heads are loaded with potent nutrients such as the most essential trace minerals and their decay will trigger the release of potassium, calcium, nitrogen and phosphorus.
What to do? – Well, you need to be really careful with digging a hole which is at least a foot deep, because you may risk from critters digging them up. There are two ways in which you can use fish heads in your gardening.
The first one is putting them directly in the deep hole and the second one is using ground fish scrapes and mixing them with two cups of water and a cup of milk as a solution which you can use. Either way you choose, it will be a supercharge boost for your tomatoes.
7. Eggshells
There is another way to prevent food from going to waste and if you’re dealing with gardening, then it’s time to start putting those eggshells aside, because they will come in handy with your plants.
Why Eggshells? – Eggshells are loaded with calcium and if you have done your reading about the power of calcium, then you’ll know that calcium is the much- needed nutrient which stimulates growth.
What to do? – Before planting your tomatoes, put some eggshell in the whole and by doing so, you will prevent rotten tomatoes and stimulate the blossom of the plants.
8. Bone Meal
Bone meal or Bone manure is a natural fertilizer and a mixture of ground animal bones and slaughter-house waste products. It’s an organic fertilizer for your plants and it can also be used as a supplement for animals.
Why Bone Meal? – Bone meal is an excellent source of protein and phosphorus, the important nutrients which will boost your tomatoes and stimulate a healthy tomato growth.
What to do? – Add a handful or a cup of bone meal in the hole before planting your tomatoes. Bone meal will supply your tomatoes with the much needed nutrient- phosphorus and you’ll get the most healthy and juicy tomato fruits.
9. Cotton
100% cotton is sure the most pleasant and most suitable material for humans, because of the soothing properties. The same applies for plants. This may seem as unbelievable fact, but cotton can contribute to healthier tomatoes.
Why Cotton? – Cotton will boost the growth of your tomatoes and it seems that using cotton in your advantage in the garden is not just a hack, but also a widespread agricultural practice.
What to do? – Use a load of gin trash to put it in your garden. Cotton holds the soil in place and it’s a natural mulch. You can always try making good use of byproduct of cotton production and share your experience.
How to Plant Tomatoes Using the Deep Planting Method
Tomatoes benefit from deep planting because they can grow roots along buried stems, resulting in a stronger root system.
Step-by-Step Planting Guide:
-
Dig a deep hole: At least 6–8 inches, or remove the bottom leaves and plant two-thirds of the stem.
-
Add your amendments: Start with eggshells, compost, or fish head at the very bottom, then layer others like Epsom salt, aspirin, or bone meal.
-
Backfill lightly: Mix in some of the native soil to separate direct contact between roots and powerful amendments.
-
Insert your tomato seedling: Lay it sideways if it’s tall and leggy—roots will grow along the buried stem.
-
Water thoroughly: Give it a deep drink to help roots settle and absorb nutrients.
Pro Tips for Growing Exceptional Tomatoes
-
Mulch the base of the plant with straw or compost to retain moisture and suppress weeds.
-
Stake or cage early to avoid damaging roots later.
-
Water deeply and consistently to prevent splitting and blossom end rot.
-
Feed monthly with compost tea or organic tomato fertilizer.
-
Pinch off suckers to direct energy into fruit production instead of leafy growth.
To grow the best tomatoes, it’s not just about the variety you choose—it’s about giving them the right foundation from day one.
By adding natural ingredients like eggshells, compost, banana peels, and Epsom salt directly into the planting hole, you’re setting your plants up for vigorous growth, better resistance to disease, and an abundant harvest.
Whether you’re a beginner gardener or a seasoned pro, this simple practice of amending the hole can lead to healthier plants and tastier tomatoes all season long.
