How to Add Calcium Back into Your Soil

Calcium-deficient soil can stunt plant growth, deter fruit blossoms, and produce poor vegetation. While gardeners feel defeated after watching fragile blossoms drop from the plants or harvesting a small produce pile of soft-fleshed, yellowing veggies, there are simple and organic solutions that can correct this problem in future growing seasons.

Adding calcium to nutrient-deficient soil needs only a few minutes of time and effort during the planting season; application during the growing season involves application from simple household or farm supplies without the need for an additional expense.

Egg Shell Calcium

One of the simplest solutions to the calcium-deficient soil problem is the application of eggshells. Crushed eggshells provide a source of calcium to the soil as they break down in garden beds or garden rows. Save shells from any type of egg in an outdoor container with a non-sealing lid; rinse them to remove egg residue and avoid attracting bugs and predators.

Crush the shell and add to each plant, seedling, or seed’s hole during the planting process. A crushed shell or half shell should be sufficient to nurture the plant for the season and eliminate the symptoms of calcium deficiency.

Feed Calcium Solution

Add calcium to the soil with the same solution farmers use to strengthen poultry eggshells with calcium deposits. A shell feed mixture is available at any feed store or poultry supply outlet. The crushed shells effectively strengthen fragile poultry eggshells; this powerful dose of calcium imparts the same strength to produce as well.

Sow the shell directly into the soil when preparing the garden ground or raised beds to enhance the overall soil health, or add a small dose to each plant or seed hole in the garden’s rows or mounds to directly benefit each plant.

Calcium Milk Feed

One of the simplest sources of calcium for soil and plants is the best source for humans: milk. A time-honored tradition in gardening, “milk-fed” fruits raised by farmers were prized for their size and health, even showcased at fairs as prime examples of produce.

Adding soured milk to the soil or directly watering plants can give the garden a boost of calcium and enhance the overall health of the plant and its fruit. A great way to recycle “bad” milk, this method can be used to administer calcium to more mature plants before and during their primary fruit-bearing weeks.

Good calcium deposits in the soil ensure healthier crops and a better gardening season. For gardeners who know the hazards of calcium-deficient soil, simple tips for restoring soil health may be the solution to their garden woes.