How to Use Eggshells In Your Garden
Eggshells are a valuable and often overlooked source of nutrients that can be utilized in your garden. If you toss your eggshells in the trash then you are seriously missing out on some of their key benefits. If you compost them then you’re definitely on the right track, but today I’m going to show you how to use eggshells in your garden without composting them first!
Check Out Our How-To Video on YouTube!
The Benefits of Eggshells
Eggshells are an excellent source of calcium and can therefore be used as a calcium supplement for plants to help with a variety of normal plant functions. Just like humans need calcium for strong bones and teeth, plants need calcium to build strong cell walls and maintain healthy plant structure.
If calcium is deficient, then the cell walls in the leaves and fruits of the plants will become weak and necrotic, which will eventually lead to blossom end rot, and ruin your harvest. This disease is especially common in squash and tomatoes. Eggshells can be a key commodity in the prevention and treatment of this devastating plant disease!
Watch exactly how to use eggshells in your garden HERE!
How to Use Eggshells in Your Garden
Bake Eggshells
The first thing you need to do is bake your eggshells to kill any potential bacteria including salmonella.
Preheat your oven to 400°F and bake your eggshells on a baking sheet for 10 minutes.
In addition to killing bacteria, this will also make the shells more brittle and easier to crush into small pieces.
Crush Eggshells
Once you’ve finished baking your eggshells, you need to crush them into little pieces either by hand, or by placing them in a ziploc bag and crushing them all at once.
Store them in an air-tight container such as a mason jar with a lid.
It’s important to crush them as small as possible so the calcium can be released and absorbed into the plant roots more easily.
Use Eggshells in Your Garden
Now that your eggshells are baked and crushed, they are ready to be utilized in your garden.
Dig a small trench around the base of your squash and tomato plants and sprinkle in some of your crushed eggshells.
Bury the eggshells and give your plants a good watering to allow the calcium to soak into the soil.
Repeat this process about once a month during the growing season. This should help prevent calcium deficiencies in your plants!
Conclusion
Eggshells are an excellent resource for your garden and can be used both in compost and directly around your plants as described above. So, next time you have some extra eggshells lying around, toss them in the oven and make your own calcium supplement for your plants! For any question or comments please don’t hesitate to reach out below.
Happy Gardening!
Cody
Thistle Downs Farm