• Do you need help identifying a 🌶?
    Is your plant suffering from an unknown issue? 🤧
    Then ask in Identification and Diagnosis.

adding egg shells

bravesfan

bravesfan

So I want to use what I have to make sure my plants have what they need...what is the best way to add eggshells(calcium) to my pots? Just crush them up and put them on top? Not worth the effort? Crush up and put on soil then cover with more soil?

I figure this is the place to ask...thanks in advance
 
I will but what is the most useful way to add them?

Also if I have picked off leaves that were dead, yellow, etc are they ok to drop on the soil of the pot...kinda like a mini compost?
 
^ Ash them over a fire then crush into as fine a powder as possible. Sprinkle over the entire pot surface but don't overdo it, add a little at a time. Water it in. If after a few waterings you still see the tiny particles (ignore the big ones) then cover with a little soil.

You can skip ashing them but they won't break down as fast and you probably won't be able to grind them into as fine a powder.


The best way is of course to have already mixed them into the soil before transplanting the plant but so long as your soil isn't overly compacted then the calcium will work its way in over time except for the larger pieces.
 
using what you have is never a waste of time or effort. i have a special basket, i think it is a popcorn basket from one the mall. i store all my eggs shells in it, until the basket is full. i then put the shells into my food processor and grind up the shells. in the past, i use to bake the shells, as i was told ecoli or samonella may pollute the shell. but since have never found this to be the case. so, i grind the product and toss it directly into my soil.

i heard ants hate crossing over the crush shells, but unfortunately my ants seem to have leather padded soles and pass freely over the crush shells. i am guessing my snails have the same toughness as they appear to ignore the shells as well.

i think the crush shells aerate the soil and over a period of time break down to add the necessary calcium to the soil but the process is slow.

IF YOU WANT IMMEDIATE CALCIUM INJECTION INTO YOUR PLANTS, THIS IS NOT THE WAY!
 
Crushed up egg shells are a good pest deterent, but they aren't going to add much calcium to your plants.
there's much better and faster ways to do that.
But if you have a lot of egg shells as a waste product anyway:
Break them up.
Toast them (it stinks!)
Put into a jar or container with a loose lid, cover with vinegar.
The vinegar will disolve some of the calcium from the shells over over about 2 weeks and stop reacting or bubbling when the container is shaken.
CaCO3+ 2H+ -> Ca+2 + H2O +CO2

Pour off the mixture to use as a calcium feed. Re top up the shells with vinegar, and keep repeating until no more egg shells left or you get no bubbling reaction when adding vinegar.

Add about 1tbsp of that calcium feed to a gallon of water when you are watering (others may know a better ratio, I just play it safe)

Some people get worried about adding anything that's been near vinegar onto their plants, but I've had mold grow in a container I left for a month, so there's no vinegar acid left in it for sure!

Some people say toasting the egg shells is not needed, but I tried that and the reaction seemed a lot slower for some reason, so it seemed worth it to toast them a bit even if you aren't worried about salmonella or whatever reason it's commonly said to toast the shells.

All this is only worth it if you want free calcium and have a lot of egg shells. If you don't have egg shells, buy a calcium additive instead I guess.
 
love the chemical reaction!!
We made a frittata today so I have a bunch of egg shells to get rid of, not necessarily looking for immediate Ca+ injection but am willing to add it.
Thanks for all the replies...

Is it ok to throw, say, lettuce into my pots? more nutrients is better, yes?
 
^ No. High moisture content will support fungal, bacterial growth, and attract bugs and animals. These sorts of organic material need to go in a compost heap for months and mixed into the soil next year when they look more like dirt than kitchen scraps.
 
perfect
thank you for the sage advice, didn't think of moisture aspect

What is the general opinion on commercial compost? can get it for $1.50 per 5-gallon bucket at a local nursery...
 
I just pour them into an old straight walled aluminum pad and sort of twist a piece of wood 2x4 into the pile then dump them through a sifter. Whatever the sifter doesn't let pass I put back in the pan for next time.
 
I have actually read a lot on this subject and have a few pointers.
- Eggshells take a lot of time to dissolve in the ground before it can be taken up by the plant, tho if the soil is acidic it will speed up the process and will also balance the soil's PH.
- I personally put the egg shells in tin foil and in the oven for a bit to dry it out, it crushes a lot better.
- Crushed eggshells, not ground on top of the soil will deter snail by cutting them when they cross over.
- For every eggshell you need tons of vinegar, for my last batch I've almost used a bottle and will probably have to use more than one. I read the right way to dilute it is 1/20 .
- Personally the liquid I get from egg shells+vinegar I evaporate in the sun to get a calcium acetate powder which is easier to store and takes less space.
 
The sun does a good job—at least at 32°N latitude—of desiccating egg shells. No electricity required.
 
^ Who, when, how?

IMO, you can just save up a bunch and when it comes time to build your ideal soil mixture, add in about 4 shells worth of ground pieces per cubic foot of soil. That would be too much at once if it were processed by ashing them or dissolving in acid (vinegar) but as a slow acting source they will supply the plant over the entire season.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top