Home Fertilizers Eggshells: benefits and harms: how to take them. Eggshells as fertilizer for the garden

Eggshells: benefits and harms: how to take them. Eggshells as fertilizer for the garden

Eggs are one of the must-have products on our table. What do you do with eggshells that accumulate a lot? You probably throw it away with the trash. This is not the most The best decision. It turns out that eggshells can be used as fertilizer for your garden.

How are eggshells useful for plants?

Egg shells consist of 93% calcium carbonate, which is easily digestible for plants due to its synthesis in the body of the bird. The fats contained in the shell are organic matter, magnesium carbonate, proteins and carbohydrates are an excellent feed and source useful substances.

The crystalline structure of the shell also has a beneficial effect on digestibility. In this sense, the shell is much more convenient than lime or chalk, which are traditionally used to deoxidize the soil. As is known, increased acidity soil negatively affects plant fertility. Finely crushed eggshells mixed with.

mineral fertilizers

Eggshells are a source of nutrients for soil and plants

Table: useful substances contained in raw materials

It is recommended to use eggshells from poultry as fertilizer for the garden. The elements included in its composition are of natural origin, since the diet of poultry includes natural products. Store-bought eggs are also suitable for use, but the feeding from them is much weaker, although the calcium content in the composition is higher.

Video about the benefits of eggshells

Features of collecting raw materials Start collecting material in winter. At this time, poultry begins to lay eggs after a short break. Do not forget that the shell must be clean: protein residues will rot over time and begin to emit bad smell


Start collecting shells at least from the beginning of winter

Studies have shown that the brown shell is somewhat thicker and denser than the white one. This means that its mass is higher, and therefore the content of nutrients in it is higher.

The larger the area you need to fertilize, the more eggshells you will need. Collect required quantity not difficult if you have a lot of laying hens at your disposal or if you have neighbors who collect shells only for discarding and can easily give them to you. Otherwise, collection will take a lot of time. Calculate total weight shells collected during the year, you can use the formula: 10 g * N * 12 months - 10%, where:

  • 10 grams - average weight 1 egg shell;
  • N is the number of eggs your family eats during the month;
  • 12 months - 12 months;
  • 10% - unusable shells that will have to be thrown away

Rules for grinding shells for fertilizer

To use the material, it must be crushed. The degree of grinding may vary depending on the application. You can process clean, dried shells in a coffee grinder, mortar, or meat grinder. Another way: place the shell on a hard surface, such as a table, in a thin layer, cover it with newspaper or cloth and tap it thoroughly with a hammer, then use a rolling pin as if you were rolling out dough. This way you will achieve a fairly fine grind.


To use the shell as fertilizer, it needs to be crushed

Use in the garden

To obtain good shoots and a bountiful harvest, apply the crushed material to the soil at the rate of 2 cups per 1 square meter area. When digging up the soil before winter, the shells can be added to the soil in small pieces.


The crushed shells are added to the soil when digging

You can also make an infusion from the shells, crushed into powder, to use as a liquid fertilizer. You will need 5-6 shells per 1 liter of water. Calculate how many shells you need, chop them and pour boiling water over them. Leave for 5 days, stirring regularly. This infusion is very good for watering young shoots of any vegetable crops , especially potatoes. It is also great for feeding eggplant and cauliflower seedlings, which are often deficient in microelements. Just remember that during the period of plant germination, the amount of such fertilizer should be moderate.

But for adult plants - vegetables, any garden flowers - this feeding will be ideal.

Video about using eggshells in the garden

You can grow seedlings directly in eggshells

Eggshells have long been known as an aid in growing seedlings. It has a very beneficial effect on tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and flower crops at the seedling stage. Gardeners have been using shells since before special containers and peat tablets were available.

It was done like this: the top of a whole egg was removed, the contents were poured out (a raw egg can be drunk or used to make scrambled eggs, omelettes, and baked goods). Drainage holes were made with a gypsy needle, awl or thin nail. This creates a container in which you can place 1-3 vegetable or flower seeds. The soil will be supplied with nutrients, and when it is time to plant the seedlings, it is enough to slightly squeeze the shell so that it cracks. Be careful not to injure the roots of tender seedlings.

If you sow seeds for seedlings in plastic cups, you can add a small amount of shells ground into flour (3-5 grams for each cup) to the substrate used.

Small pieces of eggshells will serve as excellent drainage in seedling containers. Simply spread the shells in a 1 cm layer along the bottom of the pot or container in which you plan to sow.

How to use the product for indoor plants?

The flowers that you grow in pots at home need mineral fertilizers. As you know, they oxidize the soil, which has already given almost all the useful elements to the plant in the pot. Therefore, it is advisable to use ground shells together with mineral fertilizers. Add it at the rate of 1/3 teaspoon per pot.

When replanting indoor plants, place crushed and calcined shells on the bottom of pots and containers in a layer of 2–3 cm. This will ensure good drainage and saturation of the substrate with useful substances.

Prepare liquid fertilizer from eggshells for your indoor flowers. Take a jar of any container, fill it to the top with shells and pour boiling water over it. Leave for a week, covered. A sign of readiness will be cloudiness of the liquid and its unpleasant odor. Before using the infusion to fertilize indoor flowers, dilute it with water in a ratio of 1:3.

If the unpleasant smell bothers you, prepare this tincture in a slightly different way. Grind the shells into powder, pour 0.5 kg of the resulting substance into a jar and fill with 3 liters of warm water. Leave for a day, then use without diluting. The powder can be added with water again to prepare the infusion again.


Use eggshells as pots for indoor flowers

Ultimately, you can use eggshells as a decorative element. Plant small plants in the shell, for example, succulents or violets; they will look very original in such improvised “pots”.

Video about eggshells as drainage

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 every square meter of surface.

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 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.

Structure of calcium bicarbonate present in large quantities in the shell, differs from the structure of the resulting 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 dissolution occur nutrients, surrounding the roots of the plant, and the absorption of these materials vital for photosynthesis and growth. 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 beneficial features 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. The prepared 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 disadvantage of this process - the smell that organic protein residues on the surface begin to emit over time. inside shells and thin films remaining inside. 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 conifers.

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.

IN Lately Indicator tapes became popular. 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 shells 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

Today, eggshells for the vegetable garden or garden are rarely used as fertilizer, but even those summer residents who have heard about the benefits of fertilizing do not always apply it to the plants correctly.

How exactly is calcium flour useful, and how can you use it to grow vegetables and fruits to your delight and to the envy of your neighbors?

There is an opinion that the shells of store-bought eggs are saturated with chemicals and contain virtually no nutrients. This is wrong, the immune system The bird carrying the egg neutralizes the shell from harmful substances so that the chick is healthy. There are no more toxins in the shells of industrially produced chickens (quails) than in poultry products. It contains many natural valuable micro and macroelements:

  • more than 90% calcium carbonate,
  • 1.5% magnesium,
  • iron,
  • fluorine,
  • manganese,
  • phosphorus,
  • sulfur,
  • copper,
  • other minerals, as well as vitamins.

All this enriches the soil, makes the soil fertile, breathable (the plant receives enough oxygen), loose and soft.

Often, inexperienced gardeners simply do not know how to use eggshells as fertilizer - they scatter the unwashed shells in large pieces on the ground, as a result, they attract flocks of birds who want to feast on what is good for their bones and muscular system product, while the land remains without fertilizing. It is necessary to pre-clean and crush the shells

What vegetables, berries, fruits “love” eggshells

For which plants is feeding with calcium grains especially useful? Approximately 2 cups of calcium shell flour are used per 1 m2 of soil. Adding it to the garden soil has a very beneficial effect to improve the growth and development of the following vegetable and melon crops:

  • tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, eggplants. And also carrots, beets, cabbage, potatoes. Melons, watermelons;
  • Shrubs and fruit trees love this feeding: raspberries, apple trees, gooseberries. Currant, pear, apricot;
  • adding eggshells increases the yield of strawberries;
  • Stone fruit crops (cherry, bird cherry, plum, and others) especially need calcium, since a lot of the mineral is spent during the formation of the stone;
  • Citrus, legumes, coniferous and green crops also need calcium fertilization.

Its pieces provide excellent drainage when growing seedlings in disposable cups. However, an excess of calcium can harm young seedlings.

Chicken shells are usually used as fertilizer. quail eggs, because from geese or turkeys it has too dense a structure, which is difficult to process into flour.

How to properly use egg shells

You need to collect shells from raw eggs, because During the cooking process, almost all the beneficial properties disappear; such fertilizer will be ineffective.

Preparation of calcium flour

First, you need to thoroughly rinse the shells and then dry them immediately (put them in the sun or heat them in the oven). The main thing is to prevent protein residues on the walls, otherwise the future fertilizer will deteriorate.

The purified product can be ground in a meat grinder, coffee grinder or other convenient method.

It is best to walk over it with a rolling pin and then grind it. Large pieces take a long time to decompose and do not affect plants as quickly as small crumbs.

There is no need to accumulate huge bags of powder; it is better to grind it little by little.

Ready calcium flour can be placed in jars, closing the lids tightly. Or store inside paper bags. It is better not to use plastic bags - moisture condenses from the air inside, which causes the product to rot.

How to make liquid calcium solution

For infusions, you can use small pieces of shell and powder.

Place in glass jars, fill with water and, tightly sealing the lid, place in a cool place without light.

After one and a half to two weeks, when the tincture becomes cloudy and smells unpleasant, it’s time to pour it vegetable plants and fruit trees. The liquid is first diluted with plain water (proportion 1:3).

This feeding will help you grow an excellent harvest.

Tiny cups for seedlings made from shells

You can use egg halves to force the plant from the seed - it immediately receives the calcium and other trace elements it needs.

You can plant such seedlings together with egg “cups”, at the same time fertilizing the soil.

Most often, this method is used when growing cabbage, peppers, tomatoes and melons.

Some simply burn shell particles with ash, obtaining fertilizer rich in microelements without washing, drying or grinding. Eggshells, as a fertilizer, have an excellent effect when used in any form.

Shell protective abilities

You can use it in the garden to repel pests.

How to do it:

  • Pieces placed in the holes will help against moles;
  • Fine powder scattered next to the crop protects against slugs and mole crickets.

In addition, grinding not only natural calcium fertilizer, it is used to protect (alkalize) acidifying soil with clay or swampy structures.

To reduce acidity and increase the fertility of the site, 1 square meter is enough. m. pour crushed flour from 30 chicken to 50 quail eggs. If we consider that on average a family consumes from 30 to 100 eggs per month, 5-10 kg of unique, useful calcium fertilizer is thrown into the trash every year.

Determining acidity is as easy as pie: using a special device or by pouring vinegar over a lump of earth - if foam or bubbles appear, it means there is enough alkali in it. If there is no reaction, the soil will turn sour, it’s time to lime it with calcium fertilizer. There is no difference when to fertilize the soil with eggshells - in spring or autumn.

The use of eggshells in the garden increases the yield by 2 times greater than before. Its origin does not matter at all: the material was taken from a home chicken coop or a local poultry house.

It’s nice to evaluate the result of your efforts, realizing that such a high yield was achieved without the use of chemical pesticides and nitrates.

When deciding to grow organic vegetables, every gardener thinks about how to feed the plantings without the use of chemical fertilizers. Exists big list products that can be used as fertilizer. A special place in this list is occupied by eggshells, as a universal natural fertilizer. It contains phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, easily digestible calcium, sulfur, aluminum, and iron.

It is better to use the shells of poultry eggs to feed plants - they have a more comprehensive list of elements included in its composition, but the shells of store-bought eggs are not much different in composition.

At the end of winter, with the beginning of a new laying season, the shells of laid eggs contain greatest number calcium and other plant nutrients. Shell brown eggs contains more micro- and macroelements than white egg shells.

For the purpose of creating a fertilizer mixture from the shell, it should not be exposed to high temperatures. Make powder from the shell from boiled eggs it is possible, but the content of useful substances in it will be less than in the shell of raw eggs - some of the elements will go into the water during cooking.

How to make fertilizer from eggshells

To use the shell for feeding, it must first be prepared. Shells of any origin must first be dried. To do this, collect the egg shells in a container with good ventilation - a cardboard box, paper bag or a bag of sugar. The shells collected in this way dry naturally and do not create an odor. It will take no more than 5 days for it to dry completely. It is not necessary to remove the inner film - it is no less useful for fertilizing purposes, but if not dried correctly it creates an unpleasant odor.

You can make the manufacturing process easier if you do not accumulate a lot of raw materials. Having collected no more than a kilogram of shells, you need to grind them. It is more convenient to do this by spreading a cloth or oilcloth on the table, scattering the dried shells on it, covering it with another part of the cloth and crushing the raw materials using a rolling pin. You need to grind it as finely as possible. Finish grinding with a coffee grinder or meat grinder. The resulting flour is stored in a tightly closed container to prevent moisture from entering.

For which plants and how to use the shells

Before using the resulting powder from the shell, you need to clearly understand which plants will positively respond to such feeding, and for which it is better not to use it. Plants that prefer an alkaline soil reaction will like this fertilizer. Such an additive to the soil will be positively appreciated bell peppers, eggplants, tomatoes, any type of cabbage will like the addition of shell powder, they will thank good harvest for adding crushed shells of currants, broccoli, honeydew melon, onions, lettuce, beets, spinach.

And for which ones is it not necessary?

You won’t like this addition to the soil when planting beans, peas, kale, cucumbers, spinach, zucchini, and strawberries.

Fertilizing the soil with eggshells

In the garden, eggshell powder is used to reduce soil acidity. For economical consumption, a handful of powder is poured into the planting hole. This application reduces the risk of clubroot disease in cabbage.

The crushed shells used when planting cauliflower act as a top dressing; other fertilizers do not need to be applied.

The lack of calcium on tomatoes and peppers is expressed in the appearance blossom end rot on the fruits. You can compensate for the lack of this nutrient with the help of powdered eggshells. The powder is sprinkled on the soil around the diseased plants.

Pest Control

You can use the shells in the garden to control pests. Coarsely ground egg shells mixed with ash are sprinkled between the rows. This becomes an insurmountable barrier for slugs.



Crushed shells mixed with vegetable oil and the drug Regent will protect the roots of seedlings from mole crickets.

Egg shell powder will provide significant benefits when added to compost.

Fertilizer for flowers from eggshells

Egg shells have also found use in growing indoor flowers. It is used as drainage, an infusion is prepared from it to fertilize flowers, and used in powder form.

Crushed egg shells are used to loosen the soil.

From crushed to large pieces The shell provides good drainage. It is placed on the bottom of flower pots in a layer of at least two centimeters and covered with earth on top. Next, the plant is planted as usual. Suitable for all plants. This drainage improves root ventilation.

Another way to use shells for houseplants is to prepare an infusion from it, which is used as fertilizer. In this case, the shells of ten eggs are crushed and poured with 1 liter of boiling water. The vessel with the resulting mixture is left in a dark place for at least a week. During this time most of the necessary substances from the shell pass into water. The readiness of the infusion can be determined by the appearance of the smell of hydrogen sulfide. This is the most main drawback. When using the infusion, the smell persists for some time.

This is such a useful eggshell. Use it when growing plants and you will need noticeably less chemicals.

Best regards, Sofya Guseva.

Other useful articles.

All gardeners and gardeners know that the soil needs constant feeding, only then will large, healthy plants grow on it. But few of them are aware of the use of eggshells, the benefits of such fertilizer for the garden and how to use it. In this article we will look at how to make an ideal fertilizer for the soil from scrap egg waste and what is the best way to apply it.

Egg shell composition

The main share in the shell of chicken eggs is 95% of easily digestible calcium. In quail shells this percentage is slightly lower, up to 92%. The remaining organic trace elements that make up the shell are: magnesium (0.65%), potassium (0.11%), phosphorus (0.13%), other elements - sulfur, aluminum, iron. The content of certain components depends on what the chicken eats and what its variety is.

In order for the egg shell to contain a maximum of useful substances and easily digestible calcium carbonate, the bird must be fed only natural products, fresh, containing vitamins. If a chicken lives under the conditions of a poultry farm, then with the feed it receives additional vitamins for rapid growth or getting eggs. This method of raising birds affects the thickness of the shell and chemical composition macronutrients. Scientists have proven that the brown shell of eggs is thicker and contains more calcium than the white shell.

Collection and preparation of chicken and quail shells

  • Collect all egg shells and rinse them thoroughly under running water. The main thing is to remove excess protein and yolk. This step is allowed to be omitted only if the eggshells are further dried.
  • Dry future soil fertilizers under the sun. Keep in mind that if the shell is washed, the water will dry within an hour, and if there is excess white or yolk left on the shell of the eggs, they can dry for about a day.
  • When the shell has been cleaned and dried, you should start grinding it in a coffee grinder, mortar, meat grinder or other device. To turn the egg shell into powder, you can lay it out on a cutting board and roll it over it several times with a dough roller. This way it can be crushed very quickly and easily, which is why many housewives use this method.
  • The degree of grinding depends on which fertilizing method was chosen. For infusions, you need to use shells crushed into small pieces, and for direct addition to the soil, it is better to grind them into sand.
  • Under no circumstances should you boil or steam eggshells; such heat treatment will damage them. chemical bonds and the beneficial properties of eggshells are lost. It is possible to use decoctions, but the amount of calcium in them is significantly less.

What are the benefits of eggshells for the garden?

Often, scrap materials or waste can serve as a good fertilizer for the earth, this applies not only to eggshells, but also to ash, wood shavings, sand, and humus. The composition of egg shells contains a large amount of useful calcium, and this naturally increases soil fertility. If the soil is fertilized with ground shells, air permeability increases, which allows the plant to receive more oxygen. Positive feature is considered to be an increase in soil looseness.

Fertilizer to improve soil fertility

Soil fertility directly depends on its acidity. At high rates, the land will not be able to produce a large harvest. To reduce the acidity of the soil, it is worth adding 30-50 crushed chicken egg shells per 1 sq.m. Before adding this fertilizer, it is recommended to calcine it in the oven so that calcium is absorbed by the earth faster.

Often, soil acidity is reduced with expensive mineral fertilizers, and in order for them to be better absorbed, eggshells are mixed with agrochemicals and the mixture is added to the soil. This method helps to avoid negative consequences from use chemicals and significantly increase soil fertility by affecting its acidity.

When you add eggshells to the soil, it becomes more free-flowing, so the water that falls on such soil passes faster and does not leave open channels behind. This will reduce the number of weedings to maintain the moisture of the bed, and reduce the amount of watering. Although visually it may seem that the digestibility of eggshells is very low due to its density, this is absolutely not the case; over the course of several years, the crushed shell will improve the condition of the earth.

What plants can you apply eggshells to?

Egg shells as a calcium fertilizer can be applied under the following types plants for their better growth and development:

  • Vegetables: tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, carrots, beets, potatoes, eggplant, cabbage.
  • Fruit trees: apple trees, pears, plums, apricots, cherries, sweet cherries, cherry plums.
  • Bushes: raspberries, gooseberries, currants, dogwoods, viburnum.
  • Flowers - any.
  • Other types of plants that positively take up calcium.

In some cases, it is recommended to grow seedlings of some garden plants directly in half eggshells. In this way, the young plant will receive the necessary calcium, and when its root grows in the hole, it will break the shell. This method not only primarily helps the plant obtain the necessary microelements, but also fertilizes the future soil in which growth continues. Often this method of calcium fertilization is used when growing tomatoes, peppers, and cabbage. Sometimes it can be effective when growing watermelons and melons.

How to use shells in the garden

Egg casing can be used in different ways, depending on the purpose and expected results. It is easy to add in powder form, whole or slightly crushed. The main thing to remember is that even shell film can be an excellent addition to improve the condition of the soil, although it gets in the way a little when working with the shell.

Application of dry powder

  • Dry egg powder should be poured into a bottle, and several holes should be made there to pour out evenly. It is easier to scatter such fertilizer with your hands, but there is a possibility of getting the result “thick there, but empty there.”
  • After this, you should water the soil well until the egg powder is completely absorbed. If there are small places with fertilizer left on the surface of the earth, it’s okay, it will be absorbed later.
  • The procedure must be repeated several times, so it is better to stretch this process over a couple of days so as not to walk on wet ground.
  • For high-quality fertilizer, it is recommended to use 80-100 egg shells per 1 sq.m of wilted soil.
  • Dry powder can be diluted with water, watered with indoor plants or seeds during planting, so they will receive the necessary calcium.

How to make and use an infusion for the garden

  1. We collect several fresh egg shells (about 3-4 pieces) and, without washing them, put them in a jar. Next we fill warm water until completely covered and cover loosely with a lid or plate. When this mixture is infused, hydrogen sulfide will be released, which has a not very pleasant odor, so it is better to put such a container with shells in a dark and distant place. After 3-4 days, the infusion is ready for use; it can be used to water indoor or garden plants, without even diluting it with additional water. This fertilizer must be used in winter and spring, when the soil needs feeding.
  2. In 1 l warm water add 5 egg shells and their whites, mix thoroughly, cover with a lid, and place in a cool, dark place. After 10-15 days, when a not very pleasant smell appears, the mixture is ready to be applied to the soil. To do this, it must be diluted with 10-12 liters of water. room temperature and use a watering can to spray onto the soil. If it gets on the leaves of plants, this fertilizer will not burn them, so this infusion can be used for greenhouse crops, for any greenery in an open area.
  3. Prepare 20 chicken eggshells, crush them a little, add 3 liters of water. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for about 2-3 minutes. After cooling, dilute the mixture with 5 liters of water and use for watering indoor plants, garden crops. This infusion is very useful for growing spring seedlings; it will allow plants to grow quickly and take from the soil maximum amount minerals.
  4. Mix 100 eggshells, onion peel, walnut leaves, add 50 g of lime. Fill it all with 1 liter of boiling water and leave for 1 day. After filtering, the liquid should be diluted with 10-12 liters of water and the fertilizer is ready. It is recommended to apply it in the spring, when the plants in the garden are just emerging. This infusion will help the greenery grow healthy and large.

Video: How to prepare fertilizer from egg shells and orange peels

To do this, you should prepare 5-6 egg shells and the peel of 1 orange. Grind these ingredients, mix, and place in a 3-liter container. Boil water in a saucepan, pour it into the mixture of shells and oranges, stir. Let the future fertilizer brew for several hours until it cools completely. This infusion will be a good solution for improving the condition of the soil of indoor plants; it should be prepared 1-2 times and used every month. As an addition, watch the video with this recipe:

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