A healthy person's diet includes eggs. And not just chicken ones. Many people prefer quail, some adore goose, and some prefer exotic ostrich. One way or another, the contents of the eggs are eaten, and the shells are often simply thrown away. According to statistics, a family from three people consumes up to 800-900 chicken eggs in year. If the average weight of one shell is 10 g, then over the course of a season you can accumulate up to 8-9 kg of eggshells.
Is it a lot or a little? If you want to make good use of the substances in the shells, then not so much! It is estimated that depending on the degree of acidity of the soil, you can add from 0.5 kg to it. up to 1 kg. for each square meter surfaces.
Actually, calcium in pure form- this is a metal; in nature, calcium compounds are more often found - bicarbonates and the salts formed from it. These salts are the components of limestone, chalk, and the shells of any eggs. Calcium carbonate accounts for up to 95% of the content of the hard shells of eggs. In addition, 27 more elements chemical table Mendeleev are present in it. These are magnesium carbonate, magnesium phosphate, phosphorus, potassium, iron, aluminum, sulfur. In percentage terms, they occupy a very small part, but with constant fertilization they will not go unnoticed either.
The films accompanying the shells themselves from the inside are rich in organic matter. Mainly mucin and keratin.
The structure of calcium bicarbonate, present in large quantities in the shell, differs from the structure obtained chemically chalk.
PLEASE NOTE: Since the shell is created by nature itself, calcium salts have a completely different crystalline form, which is better absorbed by plants.
Video - making a solution from eggshells to fertilize plants
Why shells are good for plants
Ground egg shells and in water infusions will benefit your garden, especially if it is located on clay, heavy and acidified soils, as it contributes to:
- soil deoxidation. All over the world, soils with a pH level of 5.5 to 7 are considered fertile. Only at these levels can the nutrients surrounding the plant roots be dissolved and these materials vital for photosynthesis and growth be absorbed. And if the level value is 5, then this means that the soil is highly acidic, toxic for many plants, and it is necessary to reduce the acidity by 100 times in order to lower this figure to an acceptable 6;
- enrichment with minerals;
- increasing soil looseness. Areas allocated for vegetable gardens are often clayey and heavy in structure. This (in addition to acidification) does not allow air to reach the root system, leads to stagnation of water in the soil, and when the weather changes, cracking of the soil and breaking of roots. The addition of eggshells significantly improves the aeration properties of the soil;
- repelling pests (mole crickets, slugs, moles). While powder can be used for slugs and snails, it is recommended to use large pieces of shell for mole crickets, shrews and moles. You can only slightly break it with your hands. The sharp edges of hard shells will prevent the spread of pests;
- protection against certain diseases (black leg, blossom end rot).
Ways to use eggshells
The shell, crushed to a powder, can be:
- just pour it into the soil and then cover it with a rake. This can be done before and after planting; it is very useful to add it to the holes under potatoes and onions;
- sprinkle on top of the ground to protect against cruciferous flea beetles, clutches of cabbage butterflies, reduce weed growth and mulching;
- Use in decoctions and infusions for irrigation.
Finely crushed shells can be scattered by hand, but it is more efficient to make special device: V plastic bottle We evenly make small holes through which the powder will pour out onto the surface of the beds.
For trees, shallow embedding around the perimeter of the trunk circle is useful in order not to damage the roots.
To use the beneficial properties of the shell film, you can make infusions from the shell without removing this film.
Usually, one to two weeks are enough for the water into which the untreated shells are placed to begin to become cloudy and emit a specific smell of hydrogen sulfide. This means that the infusion is ready and you can water the plants with it. Take from 5 to 10 shells for 1 liter of water. Ready solution can be diluted with water up to 10 times when watering.
We collect and store shells correctly
Those who have tried to collect shells will immediately note the only drawback of this process - the smell that, over time, organic protein residues on the inside of the shells and thin films remaining inside begin to emit. We recommend two methods for hassle-free collection and storage of shells:
- with washing under running water in order to get rid of organic particles and the films themselves;
- roasting in the oven as the shells accumulate.
If you wash the shells thoroughly, you will get positive side– the ability to dry future fertilizer without any inconvenience associated with odor. But also negative side will consist in the fact that you will not get enough useful substances contained in the films themselves.
The second option is more troublesome, since as the shells accumulate, you will need to warm them up on a baking sheet or in a patch. But it will be much easier to crush and grind the shells.
Each gardener turns hard and hard shells into useful lime dust in his own way:
- can be processed through a meat grinder;
- You can do this quite quickly using a coffee grinder;
- just crush with a masher by hand;
- wrap in a thick canvas bag and beat with a hammer.
Dried shells can be stored for quite a long time. Preferably not in polyethylene, but in paper bags or glass, but not tightly closed containers. The potential plant balm you prepare should not suffocate.
Crushed eggshells - photo
For which plants can shells be used as fertilizer?
As you know, each plant has its own individual preferences. Some of them like the soil to be more acidic, others less so. Therefore, trying to feed violets (Saintpaulia uzambarii) with infusion from the shells or pour crushed powder from them into the soil is not only useless, but even harmful.
Do not add excess alkaline additives to aster plantings. Seedlings of tomatoes, peppers and eggplants would rather be watered from the shells than directly added to the substrate.
But they will respond very positively to the introduction of shells into the ground:
- leaf salad;
- all types of cabbage;
- radish;
- swede;
- pumpkin;
- watermelons, melons;
- greens (parsley, dill, celery);
- legumes (peas, beans, beans);
- stone fruits (cherry, plum);
- pome trees (apple, pear);
- raspberry, currant, gooseberry bushes;
- citrus and coniferous.
Important nuances
To find out which soil predominates on your site, you can use the official method: take samples and take them to the laboratory, where after research you will be given exact numbers.
Indicator tapes have become popular recently. A strip of such tape is moistened with damp soil and the acidity levels are immediately determined.
But there is a faster one affordable way: about 50 g of earth is taken into the bottle, topped up with water to 200 ml. Instead of a lid, you should use a compressed (rolled) rubber pacifier (finger pad). After a few minutes of vigorous shaking, bubbles will begin to form in the bottle. chemical reaction. If the rubber on the nipple stretches a little, then the soil is slightly acidic. But if gas formation is strong, then most likely you will not avoid liming.
About soil neutrality they will say:
- clover;
- chamomile;
- coltsfoot.
Acidic soil is defined as:
- plantain;
- horsetail;
- Ivan da Marya;
- mint.
On alkaline they will grow:
- mustard.
DON'T FORGET: one shell for good development garden plants it's not enough!
The shell can be combined with purchased fertilizers, or you can combine this natural delicacy with the same natural fertilizers as onion peels, ash, banana peels, orange peel, nettles, shells walnut, potato peelings. There is known evidence that potatoes did not get sick and grew large and even if ash, shells and dry onion peels were added to the holes when planting them.
It is better to make decoctions (infusions) from banana skins and zest of any citrus fruits. For example: 10 eggshells and the zest of 2 oranges are crushed, boiled for about half an hour in 3 liters of water, after infusing and cooling for several hours, you can water not only the seedlings, but also any indoor plants suffering from a lack of fertilizer, especially in the spring.
Video - using eggshells as fertilizer for the garden
Gardeners and gardeners have long used improvised materials and even waste to increase productivity. There are many reasons for this: availability, environmental Safety, high efficiency, the ability to do without chemical additives. An example of such a natural remedy for improving soil fertility is egg shells. We will discuss in the article how to use eggshells in the fall (spring) in the garden as top dressing, and how to apply them to the soil.
Composition and beneficial properties
The eggshell contains about 30 macro- and microelements, the main of which is calcium. Moreover, this element is present in an easily accessible form for absorption by the root system of plants, since it has already passed the stage of synthesis in the bird’s body. Largest specific gravity in the total mass of the egg shell are:
ALL useful elements of eggshells (click to expand)
- calcium carbonate, or calcium carbonate – 93%;
- phosphorus – 0.12%;
- magnesium – 0.55%;
- potassium – 0.08%.
Along with the main components, the egg shell contains silicon, copper, sulfur, selenium, iron, zinc, manganese, fluorine, molybdenum and other rare earth elements, which are indispensable when growing garden and vegetable crops. The protein film lining the walls of the shells from the inside consists of organic compounds with the inclusion of mucin and keratin, which are also necessary for full development plants.
Application in crop production
There are many different ways to use egg shells:
| Application area | Target | Method of application | Application form |
| Fertilizer | Increased yield | Foliar and root feeding | Water extract, fine powder |
| Liming see → |
Reducing soil acidity | Powder | |
| Structuring heavy soil | Loosening the soil, increasing the saturation of the earth with oxygen | During the main processing (ploughing, digging) of the soil | small crumbs |
| Drainage | Prevention of putrefactive processes in the soil | Place in the bottom of the seedling cups | In a squashed form |
| Mulching see → |
Improving soil structure, retaining moisture | Sprinkle between rows | Small and medium crumbs |
| Disease Control Agent | Prevention of bacterial diseases (end rot, blackleg, etc.) | Place at the bottom of the planting hole, sprinkle on the surface of the soil, spray on the affected plants | Fine powder |
| Pest protection | Repelling harmful insects | Spread over the soil surface | Large and small crumbs |
A paste made from ground eggshells soaked in vegetable oil – effective remedy against the mole cricket. When planting seedlings of cabbage, cucumbers, and tomatoes, pour 1 teaspoon of the resulting preparation into the planting holes. Having tasted such bait, the insect dies.
Media consultant, agronomist Z. S. Kulikova
Drainage made from crushed eggshells prevents moisture stagnation and the development of putrefactive processes in containers for growing seedlings.
Fertilizer from shells
The shell decomposes extremely slowly in the soil, so using it as a fertilizer in its entirety is irrational. Before use, it is advisable to grind the collected raw materials to a powder state. The finer the resulting substance, the easier all the beneficial substances will pass into the soil and be absorbed by the root system of plants.
The greatest effect is achieved when feeding plants with shell fertilizer in the form of a water extract. Procedure:
- Wash the collected shells.
- Finely grind in a mortar or grind in a coffee grinder.
- Pour boiling water (do not boil!) at the rate of: 10 egg shells per 1 liter of water.
- Keep covered for 1-2 weeks (until it becomes cloudy and the characteristic smell of hydrogen sulfide is released), stirring daily.
- Dilute the resulting infusion with water in a ratio of 1:3.
- Water the plants 1-2 times a week.
The procedure can be simplified by throwing the shells collected over the winter into a watering container. The contents of it are constantly used and replenished with fresh water, so it does not have time to go rotten and form a specific odor.
Important! Only the shells of raw eggs are used for fertilizer. It is better to leave the heat-treated shells for mulching between rows and structuring the soil.
Tip #1: The effectiveness of shell feeding will increase significantly if you add other natural ingredients, for example, ash, nettles, onion peels ( see →), drunken tea, peels of oranges, lemons and other citrus fruits.
Application rates
When using eggshells on personal plot it is important to comply with application rates. An overdose will not give the desired effect, but on the contrary, will have a detrimental effect on the development of plants.
| Target | Application form | Consumption rate per 1 m² |
| Fertilizing the land | Fine powder | 1-2 glasses |
| Root feeding | Infusion or extract | 3 l |
| Loosening the soil | small crumbs | 1.5-2 cups |
| Drainage of planting holes when planting seedlings | small crumbs | 30-50 g |
| Neutralization of acidity | Powder | 0.5 kg |
For calculation: the average weight of one shell is 10 g, so to collect 100 g you will need the shells of 10 eggs, and for 1 kg, accordingly, you need 100 pieces. Over the course of a year, a family of 3-4 people can stock up on 10 kg of raw materials to prepare environmentally friendly fertilizer.
Suitability for use on different types of soil
Before using eggshells like any other natural material, as a fertilizer, the chemical composition and structure of the soil should be analyzed.
Agronomists note the greatest effect from the use of eggshell-based fertilizers on acidic soils middle zone Russia. It is recommended to apply the prepared powder together with mineral fertilizers, most of which acidify the soil. In this case, a double effect is achieved: the acid will accelerate the transition of microelements from the shell to the soil, and the shell, in turn, neutralizes the acidification process.
In the southern regions, on the contrary, the use of eggshells can do more harm than good. In the south of Russia, carbonate soils with a high content of calcium salts predominate. Adding egg shells to such soil can lead to leaching.
You should use shell feeding with caution if you use hard water to water your garden. Perhaps the pH reaction is already neutral or alkaline, so adding shells will only make the situation worse.
In addition, excess calcium affects plants much more detrimentally than its deficiency, since in this case the availability of iron, potassium and magnesium for plants deteriorates. An excess of calcium in the soil can cause plant chlorosis, which manifests itself in the form of pale necrotic spots on the leaves. Some plants experience increased growth of shoots that eventually die.
Methods for preparing and storing eggshells
As practice shows, to meet the needs of plants for basic nutrients, it is necessary to add at least 30 eggshells per 1 m² of garden area. Therefore, it is advisable to start collecting and preparing raw materials in advance. By the way, the egg shell white, as a rule, are thinner than brown ones, so you will need a little more of them.
It is recommended to collect eggshells from raw and boiled eggs separately and then use them for their intended purpose: the first as fertilizer, and the second for structuring or mulching the soil. It is advisable to immediately rinse the shells with running water to clean inner surface from protein, no matter raw or cooked. If this is not done, organic residues will begin to decompose, emitting a specific odor.
Before bookmarking long-term storage The shell should be thoroughly dried in a warm place on outdoors, for example, near a heating device or in a slightly open oven on minimum heat setting.
How to understand that the shell is ready for storage and packaging (click to expand)
The shell is ready for storage only after it has become completely dry and brittle, after which it can be crushed and packaged. Egg shells should not be stored in plastic or cellophane bags or other containers that promote the formation of condensation. For these purposes it is better to use paper bags, carton boxes, shingle baskets. Raw materials prepared in this way are stored without loss of useful qualities for a year or more.
Preparing the shell for application
For subsequent use, the shells are crushed in any available way:
- roll out with a rolling pin;
- knead with a potato masher or pestle in a mortar;
- passed through a meat grinder or blender;
- grind in a coffee grinder.
The latter method is preferable to the others, since it produces the finest grind with minimal physical effort.
Answers to pressing questions
Question No. 1. For which crops is fertilizing with eggshells suitable, and for which plants should it not be used?
Garden and vegetable crops that prefer an alkaline or slightly acidic soil reaction respond well to eggshell fertilizer:
- nightshades (tomatoes, eggplants);
- all types of cabbage, including cauliflower and broccoli;
- bell peppers;
- melons (zucchini, squash, pumpkin, melon)
- beet;
- green crops (onions, spinach, lettuce);
- berries (currants, gooseberries, raspberries);
- fruit trees(pears, apple trees, plums);
- potato.
This type of fertilizing is not effective for legumes (peas, beans). Violets don't like shells. In addition, this type of fertilizer is only suitable for mature plants. Watering with shell infusion can ruin seedlings of tomatoes, peppers and other young plants, inhibiting their growth and development.
Question No. 2. How to properly fertilize an apple tree with eggshells? (click to expand)
For fruit trees, fertilizing from the shell is applied in the form crushed into flour. The powder is poured into a groove along the perimeter of the crown. It is at this distance from the trunk that the suction roots are located. Then lightly dig in with earth to prevent erosion by precipitation and blowing away by the wind. To fully fertilize one mature tree, up to 100 shells may be required.
Common Mistakes
- Using untreated shells as mulch for vegetables and berries (strawberries, wild strawberries). The surface of raw eggs can be contaminated with pathogenic microbes, in particular salmonella. Direct contact with vegetables and berries of such a substrate creates a risk of developing intestinal diseases. Before use, the shell should be treated appropriately: rinsed, calcined.
- Mixing eggshells with manure is not only ineffective, but even dangerous due to the risk of salmonellosis. As a rule, the causative agent of this disease dies within a couple of days outside the host’s body. However, in the moist, warm environment of compost, Salmonella remains viable for several months. Find out →.
An impressive part of the products from our table contain elements necessary for the development of plants and are deservedly used in the form of a fertility vitamin. One of the affordable and easy-to-use products is shell. Rich and healthy the harvest is guaranteed to the gardeners who know how to use eggshells as fertilizer, feeding and protection and who know how to make a vitamin cocktail from it for the garden.
Elemental composition and benefits
The outer shell of bird eggs is a natural source of calcium carbonate, an element that is easily and quickly absorbed by plants. The calcium content in the egg shell exceeds 90%.
Enriching the soil with the listed microelements reduces its acidity and makes it loose, which leads to increased fertility. This is one of the reasons to use egg shells for the vegetable garden, garden and indoor plants.
It is recommended to collect the shells of eggs that have not been subjected to heat treatment. It contains all the elements necessary to nourish the soil. The use of chicken and quail eggs is effective; their shell is easy to process mechanically, and the beneficial elements it contains are well absorbed. The shell of the used egg must be washed to remove protein residues. If the conditions for drying the shell are optimal, then the remaining protein will not become a source of unpleasant odor.
The shells should be dried in a dry, warm place. It is better to put them in paper bags, cardboard boxes, and plastic pallets. Dried shells can be slightly crushed and stored in any containers. Storage containers should not be tightly closed. Convert collected material until it becomes a powder before use.
You can grind the shells into powder using a blender, meat grinder, or coffee grinder. It is convenient to grind small portions in a mortar. Many housewives put the shells in a tight bag and rub them with a rolling pin.
Fertilizer form and application options
As a fertilizer or top dressing, the shell is used in the form of powder and infusion. It is also used as protective agent from pests. The method of using the shell depends on the degree of its grinding.
Seedling growth stimulator
The shells are ground into flour and used when transplanting seedlings into open ground. Pour 1-2 teaspoons of powder into the bottom of each hole, plant a seedling, and fill the hole with soil. Egg fertilizer in powder form it quickly dissolves, releases useful substances into the soil and makes it less acidic. Egg flour can be sprinkled on the ground around the stem of the plant, this is the prevention of the “black leg” disease.
Top dressing, nutrient pots
Uncrushed shells are used to prepare nutritious infusions. The halves are used as eco-pots for seed germination. Using a needle or awl, make the bottom of the dried shell drainage hole. Fill the egg containers with soil and plant flower or vegetable seeds, no more than 2-3 per 1 shell. The soil will receive nutrients from the egg shell. When transplanting seedlings, it is enough to carefully split the pot so as not to interfere with the roots of the young plant.
Reliable drainage and protection
The shell in the form of small pieces is a good barrier for garden pests. It is sprinkled between the rows; if egg reserves allow, it can be sprinkled around each plant. The sharp edges of the shell are an obstacle for slugs and snails. shells small size used as soil drainage, they can be laid at the bottom flower pots and add it to the plant holes. Such drainage makes the soil loose and a crust with capillaries through which moisture intensively evaporates does not form on its surface. Due to its low rate of decomposition, egg drainage lasts for several years.
Natural Fertility Vitamin
You can make fertilizer in several ways, but the result of application is always the same - a healthy and disease-resistant plant.
In order for the harvest to be decent, you should know how to use eggshells as fertilizer and for what crops.
Feeding fading and diseased indoor plants with infusion brings positive results. Treatment should be carried out 1-2 times a month. A small amount of Fertilizers are applied before watering the plants. It is not recommended to use the solution for healthy flowers. The infusion is used with caution to fertilize seedlings.
- Young peppers, eggplants and tomatoes love to be watered with egg solution.
- Calcium is necessary for stone fruit crops - cherries, plums, bird cherry.
- Shrubs and trees need to be fertilized with infusion - raspberries, currants, gooseberries, apple trees, pears, apricots.
- Egg infusion increases the yield of strawberries and strawberries.
- All varieties of onions, broccoli, beets, lettuce, melon, pumpkin, watermelon. - crops for which eggshells are indispensable as fertilizer.
Many crops thrive in heavy, acidic soils and do not tolerate excess calcium. Not applicable in this case eggshells as fertilizer. For which plants should you not use egg vitamin: for seedlings of strawberries, cucumbers, spinach and beans, as well as for indoor flowers- hydrangea, gloxinia, violet, azalea, gardenia and pelargonium.
Fertilizer for the garden or flower food made from eggshells will be more effective if you add onion, garlic peels or ash to it. Good result brings the combined use of chemical and organic nutrients to soil and plants.
Attention, TODAY only!
In most cases, when we talk about eggshells we are talking about chicken eggs. The egg is surrounded by two shells at once, a hard outer shell and a soft subshell (which in turn also consists of two layers, but this is not important now).
The shell has a lumpy, granular texture with more than 17,000 pores, 95% of it consists of calcium carbonate (CaCO3).
What are the benefits of shells?
Although nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are the most important elements For healthy plant growth, calcium is also necessary for the formation of healthy "bones" - the cell walls of the plant. In addition, up to approximately 5% of the weight of the eggshell is the soft part of the egg shell, which contains organic substances rich in nitrogen, this film turns out to be very useful for plants after its decomposition.
Thus, fertilizing the soil with eggshells can be beneficial if the soil is deficient in calcium. In addition, even if we do not take into account calcium and other useful elements, the shell helps keep the soil loose, which is especially important for some types of indoor plants.
Signs of calcium deficiency
Young shoots of plants bend, curl, and leaves from the tip and edges may begin to turn yellow. The plant looks lethargic.
First of all, calcium deficiency is noticeable in tomatoes, cauliflower, apple trees; they can be called indicator plants. Most often, calcium deficiency occurs in light and acidic, peaty and saline soils.
Even if there is enough calcium in the soil for its absorption by plants, many factors influence: dry and warm weather, fluctuations in soil moisture, abundance of potassium and magnesium fertilizers.
How to make fertilizer from eggshells?
So, we learned about the benefits of eggshells for plants (and more, but more on that in the next article).
1. Collecting the shells
We no longer throw away the shells, but carefully wash them warm water(try to preserve the inner film), dry it and put it in a box.
2. Grinding the shell
Eggshell decomposes very poorly in soil; only the inner soft film, which we mentioned above, decomposes quickly. The shell can remain in the soil for up to three years or more, of course it all depends on the soil and other factors.
Eggshells after 3 years in soil Therefore, it is wrong to fertilize the beds like this! 🙂
The shell needs to be crushed to powder!
A pestle, rolling pin, coffee grinder or blender are suitable for this.
3. Fertilizer methods
- Add to holes before planting.
- Sprinkling the soil on top (or watering with a solution)
- Mixing with soil
For which plants should eggshell fertilizer be used?
You can say for anyone. It all depends on the soil. First of all, such fertilizer may be useful for: tomatoes, bell pepper, eggplant, cabbage, beets, onions and many others, including indoor plants and even flowers, such as roses.
Other uses
Eggs are a tasty, healthy and nutritious product. Most people simply throw away the shells, but they are a valuable renewable resource that has many uses.
Planting seedlings
- Break the egg around the top third and remove it.
You can simply break the egg in half, but the seed containers will be too small.
*It is better not to use painted eggs (Easter) as they contain dyes that can harm delicate seedlings. 
- Rinse with warm water and dry the shell.
- Try making a small drainage hole at the bottom of the shell.
This step is optional, but it will help prevent overwatering, which can kill the young plant.
- Fill the shell with moistened soil.
To do this without problems, roll a piece of paper into a cone and fill it with soil using this funnel or you can use a teaspoon.
- Sprinkle 2-3 seeds on top and cover them with a small layer of soil.
The shell as a container for seedlings is most suitable for small plants. If large vegetables such as beans, cucumbers, eggplants, and pumpkins are planted in this way, they will require replanting within 1 week after germination. Excellent for growing in shells: dill, parsley, basil, marigolds, etc.
- Place the seedlings on a windowsill or other warm and sunny location.
For this you will find a regular egg carton very useful.
- Water the seeds and wait for them to sprout.
Depending on what seeds you planted, you can see the first shoots within a week. It is best to water with a spray bottle (spray), young plants need care. You may have to remove the extra plants after a while if more than one seedling comes up in the shell to give maximum space to the strongest plant.
- Transplant the seedlings into the ground as soon as they are ready.
Attention! Before planting, the shell must be gently crushed in your hand or removed completely. The fact is that the shell is too small for the development of the root system of an adult plant. As we showed above, it takes too long to decompose in the soil, so it will prevent further root growth beyond the shell.
Feeding the birds
When you cook eggs for breakfast, save the shells - they are a great addition to birdseed. Many species of birds benefit from crushed shells as an excellent source of calcium, this is especially important for females in spring period when they are just about to lay eggs. It will also help seed- and insect-eating birds digest their food.
- Wash the shells and place on a baking sheet.
- Bake in the oven to sterilize for 7-10 minutes at a temperature of 180-200 degrees. Some people do it in the microwave.
- Crush the shells and place them on a flat, open surface.
Swallows, sparrows, finches and many other birds may enjoy this treat.
If you attract the right birds to your garden in this way, they can become an excellent defense against pests and create a harmonious environment in the area.
Pest Control
Many people believe that shells help get rid of snails and slugs, or at least protect many plants from them. Assuming that sharp edges irritate them and they tend to avoid the shell.
Unfortunately, many amateur experiments in the garden myth not confirmed.
In the video below you can see that even a knife or a sharp straight razor is not much of an obstacle for a slug.
Mulch
You've probably already heard a lot about the benefits of mulching. Egg shells can be used as mulch and will add bright accents on your site.
I would like to note that for these purposes you will need a lot of shells, it is necessary to cover the soil with a fairly thick layer to prevent weeds from germinating.
Drainage
Some gardeners use shells as drainage in potted houseplants. This is hardly a good replacement for expanded clay, but why not!
How do you use the shell?
Evgeniy Sedov
When hands grow out the right place, life is more fun :)
Content
Natural homemade fertilizers are in great demand among summer residents and gardeners. There are many reasons for this: beneficial properties, lack of chemicals, efficiency, availability, the ability to adjust the composition and concentration, depending on the needs of the plant. When eating eggs, many people are unaware of how many beneficial microelements the shell of this product contains. With a little effort, you can use egg shells to make organic, environmentally friendly fertilizer for a variety of plants.
Chemical composition and trace elements
Eggshell like organic fertilizer– a suitable alternative to industrial supplements, a natural complex of microelements and organic compounds created by nature itself to nourish the embryo. This fertilizer, prepared at home, will be useful for many agricultural crops, fruit trees and shrubs, indoor and garden flowers.
Pure calcium (metal) is rare in nature. More often it can be found in compounds - bicarbonates and the salts formed from them, which make up chalk, lime, as well as the shells of any eggs. Their shell contains about 90% calcium carbonate. It is well absorbed because calcium carbonate has undergone a synthesis process in the bird’s body. In addition to calcium carbonate, the egg shell also contains other micro- and macroelements indicated in the table:
|
Minerals |
In 100 g of raw shells |
In 100 g of calcined powder |
|
Manganese |
||
|
Molybdenum |
||
|
Aluminum |
Less than 10 mg |
Useful properties of eggshells
Calcium carbonate not only activates the growth of foliage and shoots, but also plays an important role in the process of photosynthesis, metabolism and oxygen supply to the plant. The main benefit of such a product is reducing the acidity of the soil and improving the quality of the soil. Excessive acidification of the soil negatively affects fertility, plants develop poorly, get sick, and their productivity decreases.
To bring the soil acidity to normal, 500 g of eggshell fertilizer is required per 1 m2. For infertile, clayey, loamy, peat and silty soils, this amount is doubled. Egg peel powder is an excellent leavening agent that increases the breathability of the soil. As a result, plant roots receive more oxygen; during drought, a hard crust does not form on the surface of the beds, and loosening can be done less frequently.
Crumbly soil absorbs water faster, leaving no channels through which the liquid will go deeper. The moisture is distributed evenly - this allows you to reduce the amount of water consumed. In addition to improving the aeration properties of the earth, eggshells repel pests - slugs, mole crickets, and moles. For the latter, you need to use large pieces of shell that will interfere with their movement. Protection against blackleg and blossom end rot is another useful property natural fertilizer.
Application
Fertilization with eggshells is done in several ways. The first is to simply sprinkle the powder on the ground and then cover it with a rake. This procedure can be carried out before or after planting. Recommended uses:
- apply fertilizer to the holes when planting potatoes, onions, beets, watermelons, melons, and zucchini;
- sprinkle on top of the ground to protect against clutches of cabbage butterflies, cruciferous flea beetles, to reduce weed growth and mulching;
- use in infusions and decoctions when watering;
- shallowly embed into the soil around the trees so as not to harm the root system.
Eggshell powder can be scattered manually, but it is more rational to use a special homemade invention - make small holes in a plastic bottle at the same distance from each other, through which the flour will be evenly scattered onto the ground. To enable useful composition shell films, you can prepare infusions without removing them.
Eggshells as fertilizer for the garden
To feed garden plants, it is better to use peeled eggs from domestic chickens - they have a higher concentration of nutrients, but store-bought eggs can also be used. At the end of winter, in the new clutch, the shells of the eggs contain the maximum amount of calcium and other nutritional components. Brown eggs are healthier to peel than white eggs. For high-quality fertilizer of one sq.m. soil in the garden you need to use powder from 100 shells. This method is not rational, so fertilizing or nutritional infusions are prepared from egg shells.
Plants that are grown at home on the windowsill require additional feeding, but many gardeners neglect this factor. The limited apartment environment is unfavorable for succulents and flowers, especially in winter - they do not have enough light, oxygen and humidity. It is not necessary to feed plants with industrial fertilizers. An egg shell is perfect for indoor flowers, from which a nutritious infusion is prepared:
- You need to grind the blanks with a blender and add water.
- Leave for 2-3 days, stirring occasionally.
- During this period, nutrients will pass into the water.
Another way to use egg waste is to create drainage. To do this, the dried and calcined shell is broken into large pieces and placed on the bottom. flower pot several layers, with a total thickness of up to three centimeters. This layer provides removal excess liquid from the roots, normal circulation of water, does not allow it to stagnate, ferment or rot.
To find out what kind of soil is on the site, you can take the soil to a laboratory, where they will issue a conclusion with the data. If you are using indicator tape, wet it with wet soil and you will know the result immediately. There is another way: take a few spoons of earth into a bottle and fill it with a glass of water. Use a rubber nipple instead of a lid. Shake the bottle vigorously for several minutes until foam appears. If the rubber on the nipple stretches a little, then the soil is alkaline, strong gas formation is an indicator of acidified soil.
For which crops is egg shell suitable as fertilizer?
Each plant has its own preferences - some like acidic soil, others like alkaline soil, some grow well in the sun, some crops like shade. If one plant likes feeding from eggshells, it may harm another. All plant crops are conditionally divided into three groups, among which plants that respond well to the application of calcined fertilizer are identified:
- Garden - stone fruit trees (cherry, plum), pome trees (pear, apple, quince), currants, blackberries, raspberries, gooseberries.
- Garden - tomatoes, Bell pepper, eggplants, cabbage, lettuce, radishes, onions, pumpkin, parsley, celery, watermelons, melons, legumes (beans, peas).
- Indoor flowers- everything except azalea, camellia, violet, gardenia, pelargonium, fern, pansies and hydrangeas, because these plants love acidic soil.
Horticultural crops
An infusion of eggshells is useful for almost everyone garden plant. Experienced specialists use this product in a comprehensive manner - together with industrial mineral fertilizers, which increase the level of soil acidity, and egg shells help reduce it. This way the pH level will remain the same, but the plant will receive the maximum amount of nutrients. The use of shell powder prevents the development of diseases such as blossom end rot and blackleg on flowers.
White, red, pink and especially black currants will respond well to this fertilizer. Every spring, when the soil has completely thawed, and in the fall, before the first frost, it is recommended to sprinkle trunk circle plants with eggshell powder and then loosen the soil. In a similar way, you can fertilize raspberries, gooseberries, and blackberries. When planting strawberries, add ground shells and sifted wood ash mixed 50 to 50 into the holes.
All fruit trees respond well to calcium fertilizing. In autumn, the circle around the trunk is sprinkled with powder and the soil is loosened. The norm is approximately 0.5–0.75 kg of substance per 1 m². For pome fruits, the recommended dose is reduced by 30%. Stone fruit trees love slightly alkaline soil. Annual flowers (asters, chrysanthemums) and perennial shrubs(barberry, peony, lavender, tulips, roses) it is recommended to water with infusion of egg peels every 2-3 weeks.
Vegetable garden
Eggshells for the garden are used for germinating seedlings of various crops and for adult plants. Too much nutrients can be worse than not enough, so fertilizing too often can harm your plants. Crushed shells are added to the holes when planting onions, carrots, potatoes, and beets. This feeding not only saturates the plant with microelements, but also protects it from underground pests. Sprinkling the powder on top of your garden beds will help prevent slugs.
For any type of cabbage, it is recommended to add ground shells when planting seedlings, then regularly feed them along with chemical fertilizers. For melon crops, fertilizer is applied under the roots during planting or when digging up the ground at the site where the seedlings are placed. Nightshades need to be watered with infusion once a month. Zucchini, cucumbers, greens, spinach, and any type of onion respond well to this fertilizer. You should not get carried away with feeding young immature seedlings, because... Plants need nitrogen to grow green mass.
Use this natural fertilizer for indoor plants it can be in the form of infusion or drainage. It is recommended to feed flowers with egg shells before watering, in contrast to the use of other types of organic fertilizers. It is better to use them no more than 2-3 times a month. The egg shell is used for drainage of potted plants. It is also mixed with the substrate, but in limited quantities - 0.3 teaspoon per flower.
If you have tried collecting egg shells, then you know that the main disadvantage of this process is bad smell emanating from stale organic waste. There are two ways to collect and store shells without an unpleasant odor:
- Rinsing under running water to get rid of remaining organic matter and films. The disadvantage of this method is that the fertilizer will not retain the nutrients contained in the films. But subsequent calcination will take place without problems associated with odor.
- Calcination in the oven. Plus - useful microelements from the shell and films are preserved, minus - during drying, an unpleasant odor may be emitted, which will disappear over time.
You can store already dried shells for a long time, but not in cellophane, but in paper, rag bags or loosely closed glass jars. Before use, prepared shells must be ground into powder using one of the following methods:
- scroll through a meat grinder;
- grind using a coffee grinder or blender;
- crush in a mortar;
- wrap in a linen bag and crush with a hammer.
How to make fertilizer from eggshells
It is recommended to prepare organic fertilizer from shells only from the shells of raw eggs. During heat treatment, a significant part of the beneficial substances is washed out of the shell, and the amino acids contained in the inner film are destroyed by 100%. Boiled egg shells are also used in gardening - as a soil loosener or drainage for flowers.
Making fertilizer in powder form
To prepare egg peel powder, it is important to follow certain rules. The following instructions will help you:
- Wash raw egg shells in running water to get rid of any remaining yolk and white. The thin film inside does not need to be removed. On the contrary, the film is removed from the boiled shell.
- Place the washed raw materials on a cloth or paper towels to drain all the liquid.
- Then put the shells in cardboard or wooden boxes and leave to dry for another 3-5 days, preferably in the fresh air.
- Grind dry shells in a convenient way to a powder state. The finer the flour, the higher the quality of the fertilizer.
- The powder should be stored in a cool, dry place, in linen bags or wooden boxes, but in the open state, otherwise the product will “suffocate”.
- Before use required amount The powder must be calcined in the oven for half an hour at a temperature of 100 C.
- Prepared shells can be stored more than a year without loss of beneficial properties.
This powder is used not only as fertilizer. This food supplement is given to pets, especially birds (chickens, ducks) to strengthen bone tissue. For some diseases, people also use flour, because calcium in this form is absorbed by the body almost 100% and does not lead to the formation of pathological sand and kidney stones. All this makes the product very useful in household, so it can be used for a variety of purposes.
To prepare an infusion from egg shells, you need:
- Pour 100 g of prepared powder into 2 liters of boiling water.
- Close the container tightly and place in a dark, warm place for 10-14 days.
- Shake the container with future fertilizer daily.
- When the contents become cloudy and a characteristic foul odor appears, the infusion is ready.
To quickly make an infusion, follow these instructions:
- Pour 250 g of flour into 3 liters of water, boil, cook for a few minutes, remove from the stove.
- Pour the resulting solution into a large container with 5 liters cold water, stir thoroughly.
- When the liquid has cooled to room temperature, the product will be ready.
Eggshells Best Fertilizer 
