How to Use Eggshells for Plants: Using Eggshell Compost, in Soil and as Pest Control

 

 Many people do not know how good it is to use eggshells for plants. If you're wondering what to make with crushed eggshells (or whole eggshells), read on. Eggshells are considered a natural source of calcium. It is indispensable in growing a variety of garden and horticultural crops, promotes flowering of decorative flowers. Eggshells are actively used as a fertilizer by lovers of organic farming.

We'll see how eggshells can help your compost, plants, soil, and even keep some common pests away.

Eggs in compost

A common question is: can you put eggshells in compost piles ? The answer to this is yes, you can. Adding eggshells to compost will help add calcium to the final composition of your compost.

This important nutrient helps plants build cell walls. Without it, plants cannot grow as fast, and, in the case of some vegetables like tomatoes and squash , the fruit will develop blossom end rot because there simply isn't enough calcium getting into the plant. Using eggshells in compost can help prevent this.

While you don't need to crush the eggshells before composting them, doing so will speed up the rate at which the eggshells break down into the compost. You may also want to consider washing the eggshells before composting to avoid attracting animals, as well as to reduce the small risk of disease posed by raw eggs. 

which garden plants is this top dressing suitable?

When choosing to feed plants with an egg, it is important to know for which plants the eggshell as a fertilizer is indispensable:

All varieties of cabbage. The crushed shells are added to each well during planting, and then with each organic dressing. Enough 0.5 tsp. powder for 1 plant.

Raspberries, currants. The best result is obtained when growing black currant, but other varieties will gratefully accept this top dressing. In the spring, when the soil thaws, as well as after the autumn harvest within the boundaries of the near-trunk circle of shrubs, the earth is sprinkled with shell flour.

Melons and watermelons. Top dressing is applied at the time of planting and in the fall, when a digging of the garden is planned.

Seedlings of nightshades. For watering sprouts of potatoes and eggplants, tomatoes and bell peppers, an infusion of the shell is suitable. For adult crops, such feeding is not recommended: in this case, the fruits are poorly tied and ripen for a long time.

Beets, zucchini, onions, legumes, cucumbers, herbs. Cultures are watered with infusion every 2 weeks, and flour is added in spring and autumn.

Strawberry. Mix equally ashes and powder from the shell, poured into the holes.

Trees (pome fruits, stone fruits). In the fall, the soil is fertilized with shell flour along the near-trunk circle, then the soil is loosened. For each 1 m2 take up to 700 g of powder.

Annual decorative flowers. Water with infusion 1 time in 2-3 weeks.

Perennial flowers. They are fed 1 time in 3 weeks with liquid fertilizer, and the powder is also poured into the holes at the time of planting.

It is important to know not only which plants love eggshells, for which crops it is not suitable for fertilizing. We are talking about garden plantings and home flowers grown in pots and preferring an acidified environment. These are primarily petunia, violet and gloxinia, as well as hydrangea, fern, azalea, carnation and rhododendron. For the same reason, cranberries, sorrel, gooseberries, lemon balm, blueberries and basil are not fertilized with shelike. 

Why is eggshell tea better?

A much better way to reap the benefits of eggshell for plants is to make eggshell tea or water.

This is an organic method where, after application, the nutrients will be available much more quickly for the plants.

The experiment was conducted at the University of Minnesota, in which an eggshell was boiled in a few cups of distilled water.

After boiling, the shell remained in that water for 24 hours. The eggshell water was then sent for analysis in the laboratory.

The results were surprising:

• Three elements increased very little, Sodium, Phosphorus and Magnesium.
• But two other elements, calcium and potassium, increased significantly by 4 mg.

You could say that 4 mg is a small amount, but keep in mind that it comes from a single eggshell. Boiling 10 eggshells can definitely increase the concentration of these five elements, which can affect the growth of your plant.

Why is Eggshell Tea Good for Plants?

Eggshell tea is a good calcium and potassium amendment and also helps to slightly raise the pH of the soil, very useful, if you have an acidic or neutral soil, but you can also use it if you have an alkaline soil, since the ability of plants to absorb calcium does not depend on the pH level.

Calcium is very important in the development of the roots and in the quality of the fruit. Strengthens the structure of the cell wall giving greater vigor to the plant. It also helps fight disease and protects plants from heat stress.

Potassium is the second most important element that plants need, in addition to nitrogen. It is known to increase drought tolerance, fruit color and flavor, photosynthesis, and stem vigor. It helps regulate water and improves the plant's ability to cope with temperature changes.

How to make Eggshell Tea

You will need 10 to 20 clean and dry eggshells, the amount of eggshells depends on the concentration of the solution you want to prepare.

Boil the crushed eggshells in 4 liters of water and let them rest for 24 hours. This will allow enough time for the plant nutrients available in the husks to infuse into the water.

After that, strain the water and it is ready to use.

How to use

Use the eggshell tea for your garden plants or for potted plants. Pour this healthy calcium and potassium supplement directly into the soil. According to the experiment, 4 to 5 eggshells per plant is enough. For potted plants, reduce this amount to 2 or 3.

Apply this eggshell tea to the plants at intervals of one to two weeks.

You can also use the water where you made hard-boiled eggs. Two cups of this water per plant are appropriate.

Using eggshells as an insecticide for pests

Eggshells can also be used for plants as an insecticide to help fight pests such as slugs , snails, cutter caterpillars  , and other pests  .

Crushed eggshells

Crushed eggshells work much like diatomaceous earth in these pests. When crawling pests cross an area in the garden where crushed eggshells have spread, the eggshells make several small cuts in the pests. The pests then dehydrate and die from these cuts.

Crushing eggshells for pest control is as easy as tossing empty eggshells into a food processor for a few seconds or simply rolling them under a bottle or rolling pin. After the eggshells are crushed, spread them around the areas of your garden where you have problems with slugs and other crawling pests.

Using eggshells in the garden is a great way to use up something that would normally be thrown away. You can put eggshells in compost, on the ground, or use them as a type of organic insecticide, which means that you not only help reduce litter, but also help your garden.

Why not sow in eggshells

Save the egg shell halves, put in some soil and use them as little pots for planting. Since a seed doesn't even need soil to germinate, it stands to reason that it will also germinate in eggshells.

But what happens once the seedling has a pair of true leaves? It is probably too big for the eggshell and you will need to transplant it into a larger pot. So why plant directly into something bigger and skip the eggshell?

There are even people who claim that you can plant the eggshell directly in the garden and since the shell is organic it will spoil. But the reality is that it won't break down quickly.

And unless you break the shell before planting, or poke a few holes in it, the roots will be trapped inside for a couple of years. But the main problem is that most seedlings will need to grow larger than the husk can provide before planting in the garden.

You might think that the eggshell provides nutrients to the seedling, but the seedlings need very little nutrients and what they need they will get from the soil. Also, until the eggshell breaks down, it will not provide nutrients.

I can't really think of any good reason to start with eggshell seeds.

How is the eggshell used for plants?

When mixed with the soil, the ground eggshell provides calcium to your plants. Calcium is essential for the formation of the cell walls of a plant. To prepare the eggshells, grind with a grinder or grind with a mortar and apply them to the soil. Because eggshells take several months to decompose and be absorbed by the roots of a plant, it is recommended to add them to the soil in autumn and spring.