What do you do with egg shells

Debora Cadene 5/27/2012, 1:09 pm

I have been saving my egg shells. Not sure why or what to do with them, as I am unsure of how to incorporate them into the garden, and I do not have a compost pile as of yet. Also wondering about used coffee grinds. I did try just tossing them onto my garden one time, and I mean that litterally. I just tossed them over my perennial shade plants one time....It appeared that the plant leaves didn't like it, so I assumed I had fried little holes into the leaves with the grinds, also thinking that mabey the coffee grinds were to acidic. What do I know??. Never did anything like that again and have also never added anything from my home to the garden either. I know that some foods we eat can go into the garden, but that's about all I know of the practice.

**camprn** 5/27/2012, 1:11 pm

When ever I crack an egg, I just crush the shell in my hand and toss it into the on the counter compost container. Then I hardly ever give them a second thought. Very Happy

toss the coffee grounds on the ground, not the plants.

All vegetable matter can go in the compost. no fats, or meats or bones, unless you want visitors to the pile.

Start a compost pile, the easiest way is to go to the hardware store and buy 2"x4" wire fencing. I like the 60" wide. Then take it home and make a circle of it.
What do you do with egg shells 55219870_260

What do you do with egg shells 55219870_260

My wire bin is big and on the left. You can make it as wide as you want. When you cut the horizontal wires, snip it so that you will have the wire sticking out to wrap around and secure to the other side.

What do you do with egg shells 12312

What do you do with egg shells ModernSustainability_blogspot_basketsModernSustainability_blogspot_baskets_5

Make your own bin

**llama momma** 5/27/2012, 1:21 pm

If you are growing tomatoes, crush the shells, sprinkle it in the planting hole, others say to scratch it in around the base of the plant. The calcium helps prevent BER or blossom end rot. And if I'm wrong someone will correct me. If you are contemplating a worm bin then the shells can be washed, dried, pulverized, and sprinkled in the bin to control acidity and enhance reproduction. I use them a lot for that purpose. Others say crushed egg shells sprinkled around slug favorite plants will deter them because of the sharp edges. And crushed shells thrown in the compost is always a good thing too.

Nicola 5/27/2012, 1:52 pm

I (mindlessly) save my egg shells too. Some go right into the kitchen bin, like camprn, and more get a quick rinse, set on the edge of the dish drainer to dry, then get tossed into a foil (lasagna-type) container and forgotten about. When I remember Wink

I'll put them into the toaster oven on low, then pulverize them into a powder to give back to my chickens, mixed in their feed. It's supposed to help with eggshell production, and saves paying more for a supplement. I also noticed my boyfriend has put some at the base of some plants in his garden and containers.

rjeverett 5/27/2012, 1:58 pm

I was having some blossom end rot on my peppers last year and just crushed up some eggshells and sprinkled them around the stems working them into the soil a bit, not sure if that was what did it, but the blossom end rot did improve.. This year I am attempting my own compost and have been throwing them in there, but may save some for the beds too if I find that it will be beneficial.

herblover 5/27/2012, 4:23 pm

I put them in my compost but did put them in the planting holes of my tomatoes after reading that tip. I also crush and add them to birdseed; it is supposed to help strengthen their shells.

**walshevak** 5/27/2012, 4:31 pm

I whirled some in the blender last year and put into the bottom of my tomato holes.

This year some go into the worm bin.

Kay

**rowena___.** 5/27/2012, 4:47 pm

i use the blender blade assembly on small-mouth mason jars, which makes a handy grinder that can be used for crushing eggshells, grinding whole bean coffee, etc.

i use the crushed eggshells as nutritional supplements on tomatoes and peppers, and as a slug shield around plants where slugs tend to congregate, which is to my eye random and without a pattern in my garden.

GWN 5/27/2012, 11:05 pm

I was having some blossom end rot on my peppers last year and just crushed up some eggshells and sprinkled them around the stems working them into the soil a bit, not sure if that was what did it, but the blossom end rot did improve.. This year I am attempting my own compost and have been throwing them in there, but may save some for the beds too if I find that it will be beneficial.

I have read where it is good to crush egg shells and apply it to gardens, but that it DOES take awhile for it to break down in to a usable form of calcium for the plants, SO don't give up......

**rowena___.** 5/28/2012, 10:22 am

you can also boil the egg shells first, with just a splash of vinegar in the water, which will bring out some of the calcium. use this to water your plants for an immediate boost in calcium, then use the eggshells as amendments.

enfuegoinc 5/28/2012, 10:35 am

rowena___. wrote:you can also boil the egg shells first, with just a splash of vinegar in the water, which will bring out some of the calcium. use this to water your plants for an immediate boost in calcium, then use the eggshells as amendments.

Does anyone have an idea of how long it takes for the shells to begin decomposition? My wife began this last fall outside of Chicago and we do not wish to overdo it. What do you do with egg shells 370856013

What do you do with egg shells 370856013

herblover 5/28/2012, 11:47 am

rowena___. wrote:you can also boil the egg shells first, with just a splash of vinegar in the water, which will bring out some of the calcium. use this to water your plants for an immediate boost in calcium, then use the eggshells as amendments.

Off topic, but if you boil bones for chicken/beef stock put a T of vinegar per gallon of water in. It will leach calcium from the bones into your broth without any residual vinegar taste.

**rowena___.** 5/28/2012, 12:33 pm

enfuegoinc wrote:
rowena___. wrote:you can also boil the egg shells first, with just a splash of vinegar in the water, which will bring out some of the calcium. use this to water your plants for an immediate boost in calcium, then use the eggshells as amendments.
Does anyone have an idea of how long it takes for the shells to begin decomposition? My wife began this last fall outside of Chicago and we do not wish to overdo it.

they don't really decompose, the calcium leaches out. for science class this past fall we dissolved an egg shell by leaching out the calcium over the course of several days:
http://www.edinformatics.com/math_science/science_of_cooking/naked_egg_experiment.htm

the problem is that you can't use straight vinegar on a plant that you don't want to kill. Smile

so you just have to use a tiny bit in a lot of water.

it is simpler if you just make hard-cooked eggs. use a little vinegar in the water, save it when you drain the eggs, let it cool then use that to water your plants.

**rowena___.** 5/28/2012, 12:34 pm

herblover wrote:Off topic, but if you boil bones for chicken/beef stock put a T of vinegar per gallon of water in. It will leach calcium from the bones into your broth without any residual vinegar taste.

after i make stock, i put the bones in the pressure cooker until they turn to mush, then i use them for bone meal for the garden or to make dog biscuits for my pets.

enfuegoinc 5/28/2012, 1:49 pm

rowena___. wrote:
herblover wrote:Off topic, but if you boil bones for chicken/beef stock put a T of vinegar per gallon of water in. It will leach calcium from the bones into your broth without any residual vinegar taste.

after i make stock, i put the bones in the pressure cooker until they turn to mush, then i use them for bone meal for the garden or to make dog biscuits for my pets.

Healthy Food Prep Blog
My sister boils her stock, bones and all when cooking beef, chicken or pork for making dog treats.

GWN 5/28/2012, 4:48 pm

rowena

after i make stock, i put the bones in the pressure cooker until they turn to mush, then i use them for bone meal for the garden or to make dog biscuits for my pets.

That is SOO interesting.....great use of everything

**rowena___.** 5/28/2012, 5:29 pm

thank you, GWN. my kitchen goal this year is zero waste--nothing unused. it sounds like a lot of work but really it has very manageable.

GWN 5/28/2012, 6:41 pm

my kitchen goal this year is zero waste--nothing unused. it sounds like a lot of work but really it has very manageable.

My Goal as well, but I have a ways to go though.
How long does it take for bones to turn to mush in pressure cooker?

happycamper 5/28/2012, 8:37 pm

I usually do three of the things that have been posted with egg shells.

1. Throw them into the compost 2. Crush them and place them around tomato plants for a slug deterent and 3. I put them in the blender with water and pour them in the garden during the winter where a calcium loving vegetable is going to be planted to give them time to decompose (egg shells take time to breakdown).

**rowena___.** 5/29/2012, 10:36 am

it takes about an hour for chicken bones, and about 4 hours for beef bones, thus i only do beef bones in the winter (no AC in the kitchen). one day i hope to have an outdoor kitchen in which to do my canning and so forth.

happycamper, how cold are your winters? even here in nashville it gets cold enough that my composters completely stall in january.

happycamper 5/29/2012, 8:08 pm

"happycamper, how cold are your winters? even here in nashville it gets cold enough that my composters completely stall in january."

Rowena, I live in the Pacific NW and I am a zone 8 for my area. We don't get long periods of solid freezing temps (maybe 7-10 days a year as a guess), we rarely see snow or ice and our coldest month is February. It rains here 10 months a year. I have 5 rotating compost piles/composters and since I have 8 chickens (high nitrogen poop and bedding) and compost all kitchen waste, I usually have 3 piles cooking while two are resting.

**rowena___.** 5/29/2012, 9:09 pm

oh, chickens! nashville just passed an ordinance allowing chickens in the urban services district but my husband, who grew up on a farm, does NOT want any chickens. Smile

so i'm biding my time, and our friends are plying him with fresh chicken eggs from their coops. Twisted Evil

GWN 5/29/2012, 11:23 pm

but my husband, who grew up on a farm, does NOT want any chickens.

Rowena perhaps if you promised him NOT to get a rooster....... Smile

**walshevak** 5/30/2012, 6:16 am

rowena___. wrote:it takes about an hour for chicken bones, and about 4 hours for beef bones, thus i only do beef bones in the winter (no AC in the kitchen). one day i hope to have an outdoor kitchen in which to do my canning and so forth.

happycamper, how cold are your winters? even here in nashville it gets cold enough that my composters completely stall in january.

Recognize this Rowena.

What do you do with egg shells Imgp0010

My friends in PI are constructing it between the storage hut and the house. Unk Nik is working on the fire box cooking area and a hand sink and shelf will be added to the right wall area hanging under the eaves area.

Kay

**rowena___.** 5/30/2012, 10:21 am

HOME!

GWN, roosters aren't allowed anyway within the USD, so that argument doesn't work. what WOULD work is if i promised him that he'd never, ever have to see or hear or clean up or cull a chicken, ever. LOL

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