Using Eggshells for your garden

DoreenPalmer Tue Jun 03, 2014 1:47 pm

I have been researching regarding using eggshells in my garden. Does anyone here do that? Do you bake your eggshells? If yes what temp and how long. Another question about this do you ever add vinegar to break the eggs down faster? Do you wash your eggshells? Thank you if you have time to answer this.

NAR56 Tue Jun 03, 2014 2:19 pm

I use them in my Tomato bed. All I do is wash the shells and let them air dry. Then I put them in as bag and crush them up to small bits and mix then in the soil. I also plant some deep cover with soil, then plant my tomato. I hope that helps you and I am sure others will chime in as well.

**camprn** Tue Jun 03, 2014 2:31 pm

DoreenPalmer wrote:I have been researching regarding using eggshells in my garden. Does anyone here do that? Do you bake your eggshells? If yes what temp and how long. Another question about this do you ever add vinegar to break the eggs down faster? Do you wash your eggshells? Thank you if you have time to answer this.

I have absolutely no time to faff about like that. I use the egg then the shell, into the compost bin it goes. the end.

audrey.jeanne.roberts Tue Jun 03, 2014 2:56 pm

1 minute on high in the microwave then I crush them up and put them in my compost bucket.

Takes care of any bacteria, the microwave actually crisps the shells a bit so the break up easily. Super fast.

Audrey

lyndeeloo Tue Jun 03, 2014 3:21 pm

I plant Roma tomatoes for making sauce every year. They seem to be very susceptible to blossom end rot. A few years back I read about using eggshells to add calcium to the soil to prevent the rot. I started using them around the plants and have had very little or no problem with BER since. Seems to work for me. I don't plant the Romas in my sfg, they are in my traditional soil beds. I don't know if it is necessary in MM but I put it around all my tomatoes now just in case. Very Happy

I microwave the shells for 2 minutes and then crush them up. If you use this method make sure to use a glass container not plastic, the plastic gets melted sometimes. The shells will crackle and pop in the microwave and get really hot so be careful.

**walshevak** Tue Jun 03, 2014 3:53 pm

audrey.jeanne.roberts wrote:1 minute on high in the microwave then I crush them up and put them in my compost bucket.

Takes care of any bacteria, the microwave actually crisps the shells a bit so the break up easily. Super fast.

Audrey

Same technique, but some go into the worm bin.

Kay

**sanderson** Tue Jun 03, 2014 4:09 pm

Another method by necessity:

A neighbor has been saving cartons of egg shells for me. She leaves the cartons on the door step so it's kind of fun to find them. Well, they aren't rinsed. So I cracked them up, added some water and microwaved to steam them like I do my rinsed ones. Ugh! The stink! I think for her eggs, I will boil a pot of water and add them for a minute. Quickly drain in the sink, then rush the pan outside to spread contents on a news paper to dry. All while holding my breath!

Denese Tue Jun 03, 2014 4:32 pm

I take mine and put them in my VitaMix with some water. Blend for a few seconds and then pour them on the compost. Never rinsed them. Never heard of doing that. Hmmmm. thinking

kensadams Tue Jun 03, 2014 4:44 pm

An interesting video on using dried eggshells and banana peels for tomatoes
http://therustedgarden.blogspot.com/2013/06/making-eggshell-banana-peel-tomato.html

**AtlantaMarie** Tue Jun 03, 2014 8:24 pm

camprn wrote:
I have absolutely no time to faff about like that. I use the egg then the shell, into the compost bin it goes. the end.

+1, Camprn! I'm the same way.

However... one year we had some dry dog food that got old and "anty." We put it around our tomatoes and they went absolutely crazy with growth & tomatoes. I'd guess the cheaper, the better. More bone & meal in them.

Marc Iverson Tue Jun 03, 2014 8:56 pm

I generally wash, alternatively let them air-dry, and bake mine, because otherwise my dogs will dig through the compost pile to get them, eating who knows what rotten stuff in the process and making an unholy mess.

I collect them in a bag, then lean my palms on them and crush them about right inside the bag to help break down the bigger pieces. Then I line a cookie tray with foil, dump out the bag onto the foil and spread the shells around a bit. To bake, I just leave them in an oven that's cooling down from when I've been baking or roasting something else. The residual heat does the job of making the shells no longer interesting to my dogs. If I don't use foil, sometimes the shells stick to the pan. I just fold up and re-use the foil, if I haven't torn it.

Chopper Tue Jun 03, 2014 9:15 pm

camprn wrote:I have absolutely no time to faff about like that. I use the egg then the shell, into the compost bin it goes. the end.

Same here. I do not baby what goes into the compost. It breaks down or it doesn't. So far it has worked out pretty well.

Nonna.PapaVino Tue Jun 03, 2014 9:25 pm

We use every egg shell we can. After cracking them for the goodies inside, I rinse the shell and put it out on newspaper in the sunroom. When they're very dry and crispy (and sun-sterilized), I smash them up with an old rolling pin and put the resulting shell "sand" around each and every tomato plant. It would appear the sharp pieces of egg shell deter slugs, too. Nonna

audrey.jeanne.roberts Tue Jun 03, 2014 9:40 pm

Eggs can contain salmonella and since I don't know how well, long or even if that bacteria would live in my soil I choose to take the small extra step. My compost often doesn't hit over 140.

Chopper Wed Jun 04, 2014 1:51 am

audrey.jeanne.roberts wrote:Eggs can contain salmonella and since I don't know how well, long or even if that bacteria would live in my soil I choose to take the small extra step. My compost often doesn't hit over 140.

Lots of stuff contains e coli or salmonella. Since I cannot steam my compost I have ceased worrying about it and take normal precautions. It is probably more prudent to do it your way, but I don't.

**AtlantaMarie** Wed Jun 04, 2014 7:24 am

Nonna.PapaVino wrote:We use every egg shell we can. After cracking them for the goodies inside, I rinse the shell and put it out on newspaper in the sunroom. When they're very dry and crispy (and sun-sterilized), I smash them up with an old rolling pin and put the resulting shell "sand" around each and every tomato plant. It would appear the sharp pieces of egg shell deter slugs, too. Nonna

Now THAT'S a good idea! Hmmmmm... thinking

suigenaro Mon May 22, 2017 12:57 pm

any residual protein on the shells will become nitrogen fertilizer.

**trolleydriver** Mon May 22, 2017 1:17 pm

camprn wrote:
DoreenPalmer wrote:I have been researching regarding using eggshells in my garden. Does anyone here do that? Do you bake your eggshells? If yes what temp and how long. Another question about this do you ever add vinegar to break the eggs down faster? Do you wash your eggshells? Thank you if you have time to answer this.
I have absolutely no time to faff about like that. I use the egg then the shell, into the compost bin it goes. the end.

I'm in camprn's camp. Sometimes I'll rinse them in hot water but most often I just crush them immediately and put them in with the kitchen scraps that go into the compost bin. Over the winter we store crushed eggshells in the freezer until they can go into the compost bin outside.

**llama momma** Mon May 22, 2017 2:13 pm

Make vitamin water as Mel writes in his answer book. In a bucket of sun warmed water drop in egg shells for calcium and minerals. Toss in chopped banana peels for potassium and phosphorous. Small amt of coffee grounds for nitrogen. Let it sit a few days. You just made NPK + calcium, etc. Water plants and add pieces to compost or mix right thete into Mel's mix.

**donnainzone5** Mon May 22, 2017 3:13 pm

I lieu of a rolling pin, I use an empty wine bottle to crush eggshells, after putting them into baggies, of course.

SwampTroll Mon May 22, 2017 3:18 pm

donnainzone5 wrote:I lieu of a rolling pin, I use an empty wine bottle to crush eggshells, after putting them into baggies, of course.

I just drop the egg shells and dried banana peels into my blender and give it a whirl. Gotta be careful when opening it up though as it takes a bit for the finer parts to settle and not create a cloud. I plan on mixing this in with some of the heavier feeders.

**trolleydriver** Mon May 22, 2017 3:24 pm

llama momma wrote:Make vitamin water as Mel writes in his answer book. In a bucket of sun warmed water drop in egg shells for calcium and minerals. Toss in chopped banana peels for potassium and phosphorous. Small amt of coffee grounds for nitrogen. Let it sit a few days. You just made NPK + calcium, etc. Water plants and add pieces to compost or mix right thete into Mel's mix.

Thanks llama momma ... I forgot about that vitamin water recipe. I have Mel's Answer book and need to get back into it.

**llama momma** Mon May 22, 2017 3:29 pm

You're welcome Trolley Driver !

countrynaturals Mon May 22, 2017 6:26 pm

llama momma wrote:Make vitamin water as Mel writes in his answer book. In a bucket of sun warmed water drop in egg shells for calcium and minerals. Toss in chopped banana peels for potassium and phosphorous. Small amt of coffee grounds for nitrogen. Let it sit a few days. You just made NPK + calcium, etc. Water plants and add pieces to compost or mix right thete into Mel's mix.

Excellent idea. Thanks. Abbreviated version: when you hard boil eggs, let the water cool and use it in the garden for added calcium. (This hint came from Fresh Eggs Daily.)

**donnainzone5** Mon May 22, 2017 7:35 pm

CN and LM,

I've been using the cooled water from hard-boiled eggs for some time now. It does seem to help. I've had no BER, for example.

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