When making delicious pancakes, baking chocolate cake, or simply whipping up a tasty spread, you will probably use a few eggs. But have you ever imagined those hard, crunchy shells can be put to good use? Well, these eggshells can easily be composted and used to grow new seeds for the next season. So, let’s go through some of our top favourite uses of eggshells for plants, which help reduce food waste and boost your garden.
- Nutrients Eggshells Add to the Garden
Eggshells are highly nutritious and rich in magnesium, calcium and sulphur. The high level of nutrients is excellent for strengthening the cell walls of both fruits and veggies. Moreover, an eggshell fertilizer also contains iron and zinc, which help plants thrive successfully.
- Eggshells as Planters
How about the idea of creating your eggshell planters for seedlings to nest and grow? Sounds wonderful! It is a sustainable and economical way to start gardening because eggshells are rich in calcium. This mineral helps plants thrive, and once they are ready to be brought outside, you can put the shell into the ground, where it can slowly decompose and help nourish the soil and plants. Also, if you have limited space, you can use eggshells for plants to grow smaller herbs.
A few vegetable garden tips to use:
- Rinse eggshells well and use a small needle to make a hole in the base to boost drainage.
- When adding vegetable seed sowing compost, lightly push it downwards so it compacts a bit at the bottom of the eggshell, then sow the vegetable seeds on top and just cover them slightly, especially the tomato seeds, they do not like sown too deep at all. You can try this with herbs, as well as they are easy to grow from seeds indoors.
- When seedlings grow a couple of inches tall, transplant them to a bigger container or a garden.
- Eggshell as a Fertiliser
Did you know eggshells are composed of approximately 95% calcium carbonate? It is an essential nutrient that moderates soil acidity. As fast-growing plants quickly exhaust the soil, eggshells are an ideal supplement. Simply crush the shells and sprinkle them over the container where you will be planting. Also, you can add eggshells for plants directly into the bottom of the potted plant holes.
Note: Eggshells take several months to break down and be absorbed by the plant's roots. Therefore, we recommend that the eggshells in the garden you use be tilled into the soil during autumn. You can add new ones once spring arrives.
- Pest control
If snail pests are in your garden, try sprinkling eggshells around the plants. It is because shells act like shards of glass, which will help keep the pest at bay, especially around delicate plants. Apparently, the shells can also be used to deter deer because they dislike the smell of albumen.
- Composting
As we already mentioned, eggshells are full of essential nutrients such as calcium, proteins and minerals. It is what makes these leftovers truly ideal for your compost bin. When adding eggshells to the compost heap, wash them so they don’t attract animals. You must crush them into a fine powder, which is then added to compost to benefit the plant’s growth.
- Calcium boost
Try using eggshells for plants to boost their growth, especially when planting cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers and other vegetables. As eggs have high calcium content, they promote healthy veggies. When plants, such as tomatoes and peppers, don’t absorb enough calcium, they can turn black and rot away easily. This happens to other plants, as well. Therefore, using eggshells to supply your veggies with the right amount of calcium is essential in boosting their optimal growth.
- Mulch
Many gardeners often use clean eggshells as mulch. Although it may take a lot of eggshells to cover an entire garden, it can help suppress the weeds and support soil to retain more moisture. Also, it covers and protects soil well by not exposing it to direct sun. We suggest you use coffee grounds and eggshells in combination. This mixture can be quite helpful when applied in a thin layer over the soil and used as mulch. Not only does it improve the health of your veggies, but it also enriches the soil with essential nutrients.
Ways of Using Eggshells in Veggie Garden
If you wish to give your plant an extra boost of nutrition, make sure you collect and keep the eggshells after using eggs in some delicious recipes. Here are two easy ways to store and prepare eggshells to be used in plants:
Grinding eggshells
Grinding is the easiest way to use eggshells. All you need to do is clean the shells and let them dry completely before grinding them up. Use a food grinder and stay committed until you get a fine powder.
Eggshell tea
Have you ever heard of making compost tea for your plants to give them a nutritional boost? Making eggshell tea is the easiest way to use eggshells in the garden to allow plants to easily absorb nutrients. To prepare tea, you need to rinse and dry the eggshells first. Once they are completely dry, you can put them to a boil. As the water gets heated, crumble shells with your hands. Let the mixture steep in, just like you do with your tea. When the water reaches room temperature, you can strain out eggshells and add them to the compost bin.
With this, we conclude our list of ways you can use eggshells for plants in your veggie garden. So, the next time you wonder what to do with the eggshells when you are done cooking, remember not to toss them away. They are one of the best organic additives for your garden and quite an affordable way to boost your veggies. So what are you waiting for? It’s time to get out in the garden and utilise these vegetable garden tips to boost your garden’s nutrition.
