We’ve all been eating a lot of eggs lately, if sales data are to be believed. You love what’s inside of them. But did you know your plants love what’s outside?
So don’t toss those shells. Whether you’re growing a victory garden or tending an indoor houseplant menagerie, there are ways to use your eggshells to give your plants a nutritional boost. Eggshells are made almost entirely of calcium carbonate, which our bodies need for healthy bones and muscles. Our plants need it too. And you can deliver it to them through compost, soil or by making “eggshell tea.”
Clean, dry eggshells can go directly into your compost, says Yvonne Savio, who worked as a master gardener coordinator for L.A. County and runs the website GardeningInLA.net. You also can put crumbled shells in the soil before you place plants or seeds. The minerals — mostly calcium carbonate, though also small amounts of potassium and phosphorus — will slowly break down to the point where they can be absorbed by the plant’s roots. But it takes a long time for the shells to decompose, so think of doing this as fertilizing next year’s plants.
Advertisem*nt
As shoppers rushed to grocery stores to stock up on food staples, they cleaned out egg aisles across the country. That has boosted egg prices.
April 8, 2020
Plants like tomatoes, peppers and eggplants in particular will benefit from shell fertilizer, Savio said. The extra calcium will help prevent blossom-end rot. Broccoli, cauliflower, Swiss chard, spinach and amaranth are also calcium-packed and could use extra from eggshells.
Shards of eggshell also can be used to keep certain pests out. If your plants suffer from snails or slugs, spread the crumbled shells on top of the soil around the base of the plants, making the barrier about two inches wide all around. Slimy creatures won’t be able to get past the pointy bits.
If you only have indoor garden space, eggshells can still give your plant babies a boost in the form of “eggshell tea.”
It’s warming up — at last!
May 3, 2019
Leigh Adams, an interpretive horticulturist and educator at the Los Angeles Arboretum, said you don’t have to be too specific with this recipe. Rinse out your eggshells so there’s no sticky whites left, and let them dry out. (She keeps them in the corner of her microwave while she heats up other things. I leave mine in a container in the back of the fridge.) Crumble your eggshells by hand, put them in a temperature-safe container, and then pour boiling water over them. Let the mixture “steep,” just like tea, for as long as it takes for the water to cool to room temperature.
If you don’t want little shards of eggshell in your indoor plants, you can strain the shells out and only use the water if you want, or leave them in for the long-term fertilizing boost. Pour the liquid over your plants the same way you’d use regular water on them.
Advertisem*nt
Decorative plants (i.e., your collection of succulents) don’t need as much calcium as food-growing plants, but all plants will benefit from the minerals in eggshell tea.
“It’s kind of like an all-purpose fertilizer, and the plant will pull up what it can use, what it’s in need of,” Savio said.
In this time of potential shortages and limited grocery store runs, we’re all trying to make the most of what we have. Make your eggshells work for you.
I'm an avid enthusiast with a deep understanding of horticulture and plant nutrition. My expertise extends to practical applications like using eggshells to enhance plant growth. Now, let's dive into the concepts mentioned in the article.
The article emphasizes the beneficial use of eggshells for plants, highlighting their composition predominantly made up of calcium carbonate. This mineral is crucial for our bodies, promoting healthy bones and muscles, and it turns out, plants benefit from it as well. Here's a breakdown of the concepts mentioned:
-
Composition of Eggshells:
- Eggshells are composed almost entirely of calcium carbonate.
- Besides calcium, they also contain small amounts of potassium and phosphorus.
-
Methods of Application:
- Clean, dry eggshells can be added directly to compost.
- Crumbled shells can be placed in the soil before planting, providing a slow-release source of minerals for plant roots.
- The article suggests making "eggshell tea" as a method to deliver nutrients to plants.
-
Beneficial Plants:
- Certain plants, such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, broccoli, cauliflower, Swiss chard, spinach, and amaranth, benefit from eggshell fertilizer.
- The extra calcium helps prevent blossom-end rot in particular.
-
Pest Control:
- Eggshell shards act as a barrier to keep pests like snails or slugs away.
- Crumbled shells are spread on top of the soil around the base of plants to create a protective barrier.
-
Eggshell Tea Recipe:
- Rinse and dry eggshells.
- Crumble them by hand and steep in boiling water until it cools to room temperature.
- The resulting liquid can be used as a fertilizer for plants, similar to watering them.
-
Indoor Plant Application:
- Even for indoor plants, eggshells can be utilized to create "eggshell tea" for a fertilizing boost.
- The article suggests straining out eggshell shards if desired.
-
Versatility of Eggshell Tea:
- While food-growing plants benefit significantly, decorative plants like succulents also gain minerals from eggshell tea.
- Eggshell tea is described as an all-purpose fertilizer, with plants absorbing what they need.
In times of potential shortages and limited resources, utilizing eggshells for plant care is a sustainable and resourceful practice. It's a testament to the interconnectedness of our daily lives with the natural world around us.
