Your Tomato Plants Need This Ingredient That's Already In Your Pantry

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You already know that baking soda is a magic ingredient to counteract bitter canned tomatoes, but what if we told you that it's quite possibly the secret to fatter, sweeter tomatoes straight from the vine? Just a small amount of baking soda — ¼ cup per plant — is the key to lessening the acidity of the soil in your garden, the results of which are juicier and less tart tomatoes. Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, is an alkaline substance. If you remember high school chemistry class, you'll remember that alkaline products, or bases, counteract acids. Furthermore, baking soda is an effective form of natural pest control, which may ensure that your tomatoes remain unmolested by slugs, ants, and aphids. There's a subtle flavor difference between cherry and grape tomatoes, to say nothing of big beefsteak or heirloom varieties, but they will all benefit from a bit of powder from that box hidden in your fridge. (And, besides, activated charcoal is more effective at eliminating bad smells anyway!)

Keep in mind that, when it comes to baking soda around your tomato plants, less is more. Since baking soda is technically a salt, too much of it can dehydrate your plants and make them sick. If you choose to use this hack, utilize just a little bit when you first plant, and, if you are happy with the results, add a second dose when they are halfway grown.

Plants need a few basic things to grow, air, water, and sunlight being the most readily available. Commercial fertilizers contain the "big three" nutrients that your garden loves, which are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. If you don't love putting artificial fertilizers in your garden, you might be interested to know that there are some everyday items hidden in your home that can help your tomato plants live their best life.

Crushed eggshells are long on nitrogen, and are often recommended for tomato plants. You're just going to throw eggshells out anyway, so why not put them to work? Another bafflingly simple nitrogen bomb for your plants? Hair, whether it comes from your furry friends or your own head. You can even collect clippings from your local barbershop. Just cut it up into small pieces and sprinkle it around the plants. Used coffee grounds or tea leaves are rich in potassium and phosphorus and, again, would otherwise go in the trash. Composted banana peels are another great source of potassium that your plants will slurp up happily. Ashes from your wood-burning fireplace are another potassium source that would otherwise end up in your garbage can. Smart gardeners will determine exactly what their plants are short on by testing the soil. A comprehensive soil test kit that determines levels of pH, ammonia, phosphorus, potassium, and nitrogen will give you scientific answers on what your tomatoes want without scattering home remedies willy-nilly.