Friday, June 24, 2011

Using egg shells in the garden


We have 3 chickens. We also have 6 people who live in our collective household, so we tend to go through a fair amount of eggs every week. Whole or cracked egg shells generally do not compost well. When we harvest our worm bin we often notice a few things like egg shells, seeds/pits, & avocado skins still in tact. We've tried to start seeds in egg shells but the plants always seem to get root bound way too quickly so I don't recommend doing it. Always looking for diy hacks, Dan & I did a little research and found some great ways to use up those egg shells and actually get some benefit from it as well. 



Here are a few tricks for using egg shells to help improve your garden: 


-Deter slugs, snails, and cutworms. Loosely crush up egg shells in to small pieces (like in the img to the right). Sprinkle these pieces in a thick ring around the base of young tender plants to deter harmful pests like slugs, snails, & cutworms. These guys don't like crawling their tender bodies over the sharp shells. 


-Add ground shells to the bottom of planting holes for tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. This gives the plans a nice dose of calcium which helps stop the blossom end rot that can commonly affect these crops.


-Give your chickens the extra calcium they need to make their own strong egg shells. Add a small amount of ground up egg shells to your chickens food about once a week to help them produce stronger shells on their eggs. This is especially helpful during the summer months when chickens are laying at their peak. 


- Put lightly broken egg shells (roughly half pieces) in the bottom of plant pots instead of rocks for drainage. The egg shells are lighter than rocks and allow for more air flow in the soil. They will also very slowly break down and give your plant some nutrients over time.


-Add finely crushed sells directly in your compost bin. Make sure you crush them up very well or grind them in to a powder. This will help add calcium in to the soil you will use in your garden next year. 




* To grind up my eggs I use an old coffee grinder I got at a thrift store. This grinder is dedicated specifically to grinding spices, oats, nuts, etc. When I grind the egg shells in it I always make sure to clean it out very well, though a little egg shell powder won't hurt you.

24 comments:

  1. so jealous of your chickens! i want to have some but we don't have a yard really :( i have seen eggs used before and think it is such a clever way to reuse them!!

    xo,
    cb

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  2. My Mum always says she would like to have chickens, only a few, to run freely in the garden. the trouble is that our cottage with garden is 80km away...

    Great thing, grinding eggshells - we use so many eggs in the place where I live - and I keep land snails as pets - I might as well start giving them some eggshell powder and save some money on buying cuttlefish bones (and save some cuttlefish lives as well!!!)

    Oh - and actually - from my own experience - snails and slugs actually do not mind going over sharp bits, but if those bits are loose, it takes them much longer time, because the pieces stick to them. Much more than sharp, they mind dry things - Ive heard a ring of ashes or wooden chips to be out around the plants - the trouble with this is that when it rains, they get over it quite quickly too. Clever little things :))

    I love your blog :)

    V

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  3. I've heard that you have to remove the membrane (and any stuck on egg whites) before you can use the egg shell in the garden. Do you do that?

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    1. I've been saving my egg shells for about 15 years and I don't remove anything. I take the entire shell and all of its stuck-on mess and put them in a large Ziplock-type bag in my freezer. We end up with about three gallons sized bags during the winter months. They crush very nicely once frozen. And then come planting time, I place a little scoop in each hole. In the warmer months, the whole thing goes straight to the compost bin.

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    2. What a good idea to put them in the freezer. I will start doing this. I just started to save my shells and not real sure just what to do with them.

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    3. microwave egg shell for 1 minute on high. Kills salmonella

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  4. Great tips! I've also heard to use ground egg shells if you make your own dog food.

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  5. This is Great! I don't use eggs often as my eldest is allergic, but I do like to have them occasionally. I'm starting up a worm bin this summer, so I'll definitely be grinding some egg shells!

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  6. I have read it's best to wash them to remove any lingering bacteria. Then I let them dry and grind them in my coffee grinder.

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  7. I love these ideas. I have put egg shells in my compost pile but noticed they weren't breaking down, now I know how to use them. Thanks.

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  8. To prevent any bacteria spread, place them on a baking sheet in the oven when it is still very hot when you are done baking or making dinner. Leave them there until the oven cools or they dry completely. They crush up more easily and you don't have to worry about the inside membranes or anything. I crush them before storing them over the winter, they take up less space that way...

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  9. Great tips! Except I wouldn't encourage anyone to give to chickens...this can cause the chickens to start eating their own eggs.

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    1. A crushed egg shell won't be recognizable as an egg to a chicken. I don't have any problem with my chickens eating their own eggs, and I give them crushed egg shells frequently, mixed in with their scraps/leftovers.

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  10. I don't recommend washing them... Just crush them and place around the perimeter of your garden. rotten egg is actually what they use in deer deterrent. ironically I haven't had problems with the deer where the eggs are.

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  11. I have always placed a paper plate with a slit to the center, to surround my newly planted plants. It really works every time to prevent cutworm, etc.

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  12. Save a few for when you make your own doggie treats or biscuits - crush finely and put into their biscuits when mixing the dough. Good source of calcium.

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  13. I use a pestle & mortar to crush my eggshells, and also add dry tea leaves to them.

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  14. Cool....I grind mine up and use the ground fine powder to scrub pots and pans and really cleans your sinks very well. I also grind them so fine I use a teaspoon in a jars of face lotion and use it as a micro derma-brasion cleansing. I works amazingly. Thank you for your tips I will try them.

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  15. Glad to see your advice. I've been saving eggshells all winter but then I heard they had to be washed and baked. Sorry, I don't love the idea that much! I'll be trying them crushed, as is and hope for great results!

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  16. Do you wash the shells? If not, do you have issues with ants being attracted to the shells in the garden?

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  17. Excellent tips! Thanks for everyone's input!

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  18. I nuke my eggshells in the microwave every morning before I crush them.

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