What plants love egg shells. Eggshells as fertilizer

EVEN IN OUR FAMILY, WHICH IS NOT PASSIONATE IN EGG DISHES (COMPARED TO MY FRIENDS WHO ALWAYS EAT FRAMED EGGS FOR BREAKFAST), WE ARE ABLE TO COLLECT MORE THAN A BUCKET OF EGGSHELLS IN A YEAR. IT IS COMPLETELY ENOUGH TO FERTILIZE THE BEDS DURING SPRING SOWING, TO GROW STRONG SEEDLINGS, AND I PUT THE EXCESS UNDER THE SHRUBS AND TREES GROWING IN MY GARDEN.

EGGSHELLS ENRICH THE SOIL WITH CALCIUM, HELPS IT STAY FLUFFY AND REDUCES ITS ACIDITY. ISN'T IT BETTER TO USE SUCH "WASTE" FOR GARDENING PURPOSES THAN TO SEND THEM IN THE TRASH BIN? AFTER PREPARING YOUR NEXT PORTION OF FRAME EGGS, BE SURE TO START STOCKING UP ON THIS FRAGILE BUT VALUABLE KITCHEN PRODUCT.

ON ACID AND POOR SOILS

The sandy soil on my site required increased doses of organic and mineral fertilizers, otherwise my plants would starve. Added trouble and increased acidity my garden soil: in such conditions, high doses of mineral fertilizers acidify it even more, and it turns out vicious circle: plants that would normally develop in soil with a neutral or at most slightly acidic reaction feel worse and worse. In this situation, homemade natural fertilizers become almost the only solution, and eggshells become an irreplaceable source of natural calcium and a complex of important microelements.

If you regularly add shells to the soil, the pH level of the soil gradually shifts towards neutral values: calcium “disconnects” and converts into water-soluble forms nutrients that are in acidic soil environment would turn into compounds inaccessible to the plant. With a sufficient amount of calcium in the soil, the garden and vegetable garden receive their organomineral ration in full and therefore actively develop, bloom luxuriantly and

Calcium indirectly affects the fertility of garden soil, since it stimulates the activity of beneficial soil microorganisms. The decomposition of organic matter into humic compounds accessible to plants is accelerated.

By raising soil pH levels, calcium inhibits activity pathogenic microflora, brutalizing in an acidic environment. Which means - less risk damage to vegetables and flowers by various fungal diseases.

The optimal amount of calcium in the soil prevents the development of certain physiological plant diseases - there are no longer signs of blossom end rot on the fruits of my tomatoes and peppers.

NOTE
Eggshells occupy one of the leading positions in calcium content. It contains up to 95% calcium carbonate, and in a bioavailable form. Its chemical composition also includes important amino acids and a rich complex of microelements, including silicon, phosphorus, iron, potassium and magnesium.
Shells from chicken eggs, as well as any other eggs, added to the soil, significantly increase the immunity of plants. Unlike store-bought chemicals, you cannot overdo it with this product, so it is absolutely safe for both the garden and the gardener.
Waste from eggs makes the soil more air and water permeable, which again has a beneficial effect on the development of the root system of plants.

Eggshells as fertilizer

PREPARING THE SHELL

The shell is valuable only from raw eggs! Waste from boiled eggs in boiling water they lose most of their compounds and cannot serve as a valuable supplement. But they can be added to the soil as an excellent loosening agent. And I regularly water my indoor flowers with the “broth” left over after boiling the eggs and full of useful substances; if I boil eggs at the dacha, then I pour it onto a bed with some vegetable or give this valuable delicacy to berry bushes.

You should not neglect waste from either homemade or purchased eggs. The shell of a store-bought egg is completely free of any chemicals. Even if the chicken was fed some “bad” additives, its immune system, genetically tuned to reproduce healthy offspring, completely neutralized these feeds. Therefore, there is no difference between home- and government-produced eggs.

Since it takes a long time for large pieces of eggshell to rot, it must first be crushed - and the finer the better. The shell, ground into flour, will give its nutrients plants in the same season. Having used the contents of eggs for culinary purposes, I wash the shells hot water under the tap to remove any remaining protein and film from them. Then I lay out this waste on newspaper and dry it. A few hours after it has completely dried, I grind the shells in a coffee grinder. I pour the resulting powder into a glass jar and store it under the lid for up to an hour.

HOW TO IMPROVE SOIL PROPERTIES USING SHELLS

1. I’ve already found a use for shell stocks early spring when I start sowing seeds for seedlings. To 1 bucket of seedling soil mixture, which I have been preparing myself since the fall, I add 2/3 cup of ground egg waste and mix the mixture thoroughly. I don’t know if it’s a coincidence or not, but since I started adding this product to the seedling soil, the seedlings began to turn out strong, stocky, and among them I no longer find a single weakened specimen.

2. Before spring sowing or planting vegetables in the garden bed in the form of transverse lines (onions, carrots, beets, etc.), I scatter the shells in an even layer on the surface, and then dig up the plantation. I add 1.5-2 cups of crushed product per 1 m2 of bed. After this, I make furrows and sow seeds or plant seedlings in the usual way.

3. 4 - 5 weeks after the emergence of seedlings or planting seedlings in the ground, I give the vegetable crops another feeding, but this time I use the powder to prepare a nutritious infusion. I pour one glass of shell flour into a 10 liter bucket, fill it to the top with water, leave it in a warm place for 7-8 days, stirring 3-4 times daily; then I dilute the infusion clean water(1:1) and feed vegetables at the rate of 0.5 liters per hole or 1 liter per 0.5 linear meter of bed (for row planting). Before and after this procedure, I do not give the plants any nitrogen supplements for several days, since nitrogen and calcium, when simultaneously added to the soil, bind into insoluble compounds.

4. Before transplanting seedlings of tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, cabbage, etc. from cups, I add 3 tbsp to each hole in the garden bed. l. powder from the shell and mix it thoroughly with the soil.

NOTE
If you sprinkle ground eggshell powder on the surface of the soil in cups under the seedlings, this will reliably protect the seedlings from damage by blackleg.

Prick the mole cricket, block the path of the slug

Eggshells will protect garden plants from pests - slugs, snails and mole crickets. Fortunately, I don’t have them on my site, but my friend for a long time could not cope with the invasion of these nasty creatures. She solved the problem with the help of “spiky” shells: when planting seedlings in the ground, she once poured a handful of such waste into the holes (not in powder form, but in large pieces) - and the mole cricket, having stumbled upon the sharp shells, bypassed the bed with the tasty roots of young plants . After such a successful experiment, my friend zealously collects shells and annually tries to sprinkle them under all the crops.

And she fights differently with the slugs and snails that attack her plantings during the rainy seasons. In order to prevent these voracious creatures from getting to the vegetables, they “decorate” the edges of the beds with a small border of shells, crushed into small pieces. The soft, delicate body of a slug or snail is in no hurry to get scratched on this pointed fence - and pests cannot reach the vegetables! My friend also scatters shells around the circumference of the trunk circles of young trees and berry bushes so that they do not needlessly attract slugs with their succulent foliage and buds.

ECO-STYLE SHELL CONTAINERS

Take a raw egg, carefully “dismantle” only top part its shell, pour in the white and yolk - and you have a convenient pot for growing seedlings! In such egg pots I grow slow-growing seedlings, for example, seedlings of garden strawberries, celery, petunias: at the stage initial development they do not require a large volume of earthen coma.

I prepare the required number of whole shells (I thoroughly wash them with hot water and dry them), use a sharp needle to make several holes in their bottoms to drain excess liquid and fill them with loose, fertile soil. I place the pots in the cardboard tray in which the eggs were sold, and plant the seeds there. The trays with shells fit compactly on the windowsill and do the job perfectly, saving me from spending money on buying containers for seedlings.

When it’s time to plant the grown seedlings in the garden or plant them in a larger container, I take this “kinder surprise” in my hands and carefully beat the shell with a spoon so that it cracks. Then with different sides I take out a piece of the shell, making small windows in it, and plant the plant along with the remaining shell in a garden bed or in a new, real pot. The roots of the plant are found through the loopholes left and extend beyond the shell, completely destroying it as it grows. In this way, it is possible to avoid injury to the root system of the seedlings, which in addition receives nutrition from the shells, which decompose under the influence of soil microorganisms.

In egg pots I also root shoots of cacti and succulents, cuttings of pelargonium, begonia, saintpaulia and other indoor crops. Noticing that the shoot has taken root and produced new leaves, I transplant it into a flower pot along with an eggshell.

EGGS FOR BERRIES, APPLES AND MORE

I really liked the eggshell-based fertilizer for my berry bushes – currants and gooseberries. On " egg diet“They began to get sick less and produce larger berries. To compensate for the lack of calcium, I add 2 cups of shells crushed in a coffee grinder to each bush. I carry out the procedure once a year in early spring, which has a positive effect on the development of young growth and the quality of the ovaries.

I don’t have enough shells to feed adult trees, but for young seedlings of fruit crops I try to save them, it promotes intensive new growth and development of the root system.

In the spring, I also apply 2-3 cups of powder under young trees, scattering it evenly in the circle around the trunk and embedding it into the soil to a depth of 7-8 cm with a hoe or hand ripper.

Since calcium, which regulates the processes of building tissues and the root system, is especially necessary for plants in their “infancy”, fertilizing with powdered eggshells will also come in handy when planting annual plants. ornamental plants-they will please active development and lush flowering.

EGGSHELLS AS FERTILIZER - VIDEO

Shells as fertilizer for my garden

In the spring, I go to the dacha with seedlings, my favorite cats, and always a jar of ground shells. Using it for five recent years, I realized how it really benefits the soil and plants.

In the garden, I prefer to use simple and environmentally friendly techniques, and ground eggshells are just a natural fertilizer and pest repellent. And it does not require any costs - neither material nor physical.

Preparing the product is very simple. First, I break the shell with a rolling pin until I get small pieces, and then use a coffee grinder (or mortar, or meat grinder) to grind it into flour. I store it in a tightly closed container, away from moisture.

The type of grinding depends on the purpose for which we will use the shell. For example, large pieces will not benefit the soil as they take a long time to decompose, but they can be useful for other purposes in the garden.

Why do I use eggshells, and what results have I noticed for myself?

Soil fertilizer

Horsetail always grew on our site and moss appeared - obvious lovers of acidic soil. Three years after I started adding shell powder, they disappeared.

Eggshells can neutralize excess acidity.

The soil on our site is clayey, it has always been difficult to work with it. Now it has become looser, I can directly see “voids” in the clay.

The shell improves the structure of heavy soil, making the soil loose, which promotes better air delivery to the roots. Thus, shell flour increases soil fertility. When dried, it does not form a dense crust.

Of course, I don't have a laboratory where I could test how effective this fertilizer is. But I dug through a lot of literature about shells. Yes, it does not give immediate results like manure, but when it accumulates in the soil, it fertilizes it. The shell contains all the microelements necessary for plant growth and fruiting, such as easily digestible calcium (93%), magnesium (0.55%), phosphorus (0.12%), potassium (0.08%), as well as in small quantities of sulfur and iron. The shells turned into flour decompose well in the ground, which means they are absorbed by plants.

The shell contains all the microelements necessary for plant growth and fruiting, such as easily digestible calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, as well as sulfur and iron.

Eggshells also go well with mineral fertilizers. But mineral water often increases the acidity of the soil, and shell flour reduces it. Acting in combination, the shell neutralizes the effects of chemicals, while preserving the beneficial properties of mineral fertilizers.

Remedy for pests and diseases

Slugs and snails – big problem for my favorite garden. To repel these pests, I lightly crush the shells and scatter them around the trunks of trees and shrubs. When slugs crawl on them, they get cuts from the sharp edges of the shell and die.

There are much fewer slugs and snails. It seems to me that these bastards are smart enough to somehow inform their relatives not to visit such life-threatening places, and they themselves stay away from eggshells. At the same time, I continue to use other methods of collecting them.

Previously, moles often visited my site, especially in the spring. They, bumping into sharp objects underground, go to other places.

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 best solution. 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 you know, increased acidity of the soil negatively affects plant fertility. Finely crushed eggshells mixed with mineral fertilizers help to cope with this deficiency.

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 have 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. Rinse the collected shells thoroughly and dry them afterwards.

Start collecting shells at least from the beginning of winter

Research has shown that brown shell somewhat thicker and denser than white. 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. Collecting the required amount is 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. You can calculate the total weight of shells collected during the year using the formula: 10 g * N * 12 months - 10%, where:

10 grams - the average weight of the shell of 1 egg;
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 get good shoots and 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

Benefits for seedlings

You can grow seedlings directly in eggshells

Eggshells have long been known as aid when 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 not large number shells ground into flour (3–5 grams for each cup) into 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.

Replanting indoor plants, place the 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

Many summer residents prefer to improve the productivity of their vegetable gardens with the help of organic fertilizers. In particular, eggshells are widely used as fertilizer. This natural product, which is capable of revitalizing the soil and accelerating the growth of many plant crops.

The composition of eggshells and its benefits for plants

Eggshell fertilizer has been used for quite some time. The benefits of such dressing for the garden are rightfully considered invaluable. The shell of the product under discussion contains a large amount of calcium - about 39%.

Thanks to such features, it is possible not only to accelerate the growth of the green part of the crop, but also to improve metabolism, and also influence the process of seed germination. In addition to calcium carbonate, egg shells contain copper, iron, phosphorus, zinc, selenium, potassium, fluorine and many other useful elements.

Collection of raw materials and preparation of fertilizer

It is best to start collecting raw materials for future feedings in winter time so that you can accumulate the required amount. In this case, it is very important that the shell is clean, otherwise the protein remaining on the shell will gradually begin to rot. In order to avoid this, it is recommended to thoroughly wash the eggshells and then dry them thoroughly.

According to research, the shell brown is not only thicker and denser, but also contains a larger number of useful components. Therefore, if possible, it is worth using it for feeding.

Dry powder

In order to prepare dry fertilizer, you need to thoroughly grind the shells. You can process it in a coffee grinder, meat grinder, or simply roll it with a regular rolling pin. It's very easy to do. It is enough to place the raw material on a kitchen board or table, cover it with baking paper and roll it with a rolling pin, pressing hard on it. The degree of grinding may be different, but it is better if the mass is almost powdery.

Dry fertilizer can be used immediately or stored. To prevent the product from spoiling, you should follow these tips:

use only raw eggs, not boiled ones;
rinse the shell thoroughly and then dry it;
fry the raw materials in the oven so that they are easier to grind and can be stored longer;
store in a dry and hermetically sealed container. A glass jar is best for this.

Infusion from the shell

Preparing a solution from eggshells does not take much time. This infusion is perfect for potting up home flowers, seedlings, and garden plots. We offer step-by-step instructions for preparing such fertilizer:

1. You need to collect the eggshells. It is best to use the whole shell without crushing it first. It is also important that the shell is raw and not cooked, as it will retain more nutrients.

2. The inside of the shell should be washed in warm water, removing any remaining protein. In this case, the finished infusion will not give off an unpleasant odor.

3. In a separate liter jar you need to lay out clean egg shells.

5. Close the container with a lid and leave to infuse for 4-5 days. At the same time, it is important not to forget to shake the jar of eggshells once a day.

6. When the infusion is ready, you will notice foam on the surface of the water. An unpleasant odor may also appear, but if the eggs have been washed well, it will not be very strong.

7. It remains to dilute the finished infusion in clean water, keeping the proportion 1:5, mix and you can water your indoor flowers. This fertilizer has a very good effect on the development of flowers and their growth.

If desired, you can refill the same shell with water two or even three times. Better yet, fill the jar not with tap water, but with snow. Settled rainwater is also suitable.

Eggshells as fertilizer

Due to its crystalline structure, egg shells easily release beneficial substances and organic compounds to plants. It is used not only for indoor flowers, but also in the garden to deoxidize the soil. We will describe below which plants love baiting with eggshells.

For the garden

Eggshells for the garden should be added in several stages. It is best to take crushed powdered raw materials.

Primary fertilizing is carried out immediately during the process of planting seedlings in the ground, or when sowing seeds. The product simply needs to be mixed with the rest of the mineral fertilizers or organic matter used.
The second deposit should be made later. Since there is not always a lot of such egg material, it is better to use it economically, pouring the powder directly into the tree trunk circles and holes, rather than spreading it throughout the entire bed. It is optimal to apply from 300 grams to 1 kilogram of crushed product per square meter of land throughout the season. Therefore, if there is a small amount of shells, it is better to use them only on priority beds.

The following garden plants love fertilizers made from egg shells the most:

tomatoes;
swede;
lettuce and other greens;
eggplant;
pumpkin and other melons.

When using a complex of different fertilizers, you should be careful not to add too many nutrients to the soil. Remember that too much feeding will have just as bad an effect on the plants as no feeding at all.

For seedlings

Gardeners have also learned to use eggshells for growing seedlings.

1. First you need to properly prepare the material. You should take the largest eggs. When breaking them, you must try not to damage the shell, because it will act as a pot for seedlings.

2. Then you need to gently but thoroughly rinse the inside of the shells. warm water. The bottom of the “pot” should be carefully pierced using a needle or push pin. This ensures drainage for the seedlings. If this is not done, then when watering, excess water will accumulate at the bottom of the eggshell, which is certainly not desirable.

3. Now you can pour soil into each of the shells. The “pot” should be filled approximately halfway. Since we're talking about For seedlings that are planned to be germinated, it is recommended to use soil that is sold in specialized stores, since it contains many nutritional components.

4. You need to place seeds in each of the improvised pots, then sprinkle them a small amount soil and water. This is clearly demonstrated in the following photo:

5. For convenience, the shells can be placed in an egg tray and sent to the windowsill so that the seedlings have enough sunlight. It is important not to forget about it and water regularly.

6. When the seedlings germinate, they can be transplanted into open ground. In this case, there is no need to remove it from the egg “mold”. Such pots can only be gently crushed with your hands, trying not to damage the root system of the seedlings, which is still quite weak, and placed in the soil. In this way, the plants will be provided with useful elements for some time. In addition, eggshells can protect the root system of plants from pests, which the product in question repels.

For home flowers

For indoor plants, it is better to use liquid eggshell fertilizer. Preparing such an infusion is not at all difficult and step by step instructions with a photo is in one of the previous sections of this article. It is enough to rinse the egg shell, fill it with water and let it sit for five days, then dilute the finished concentrate in water again and you can start feeding your house plants.

There is no need to fertilize indoor flowers too often. This feeding should be applied once every 3-4 weeks. This will be quite enough to short terms notice positive changes in the growth and development of flowerpots.

Which plants are prohibited from fertilizing with eggshells?

There are also plants that should not be fertilized with egg shells. They cannot tolerate excess calcium in the soil, which is why they may be susceptible to disease. Such plant crops include:

cucumbers;
strawberries;
beans;
cabbage;
spinach.

As for indoor flowers, you should not water camellia, azalea, hydrangea, violets and pelargonium with egg infusion.

Help with pest control

Egg shells will also be an excellent help in protecting plants from pests, and they can also be used in a greenhouse.

By scattering egg powder over the area where tomatoes grow, you can protect them from the “black leg”. Also, this product is not tolerated by mole crickets, butterflies and even moles. Therefore, it is not at all surprising that eggshells are used by gardeners everywhere today.

Video: eggshells as fertilizer

Conclusion

To summarize, we note that eggshell fertilizer is an excellent budget substitute for expensive mineral fertilizers. In addition, it is completely natural and organic, which allows you to grow food on the site without chemical impurities.

Natural homemade fertilizers are in great demand among summer residents and gardeners. There are many reasons for this: beneficial properties, lack of chemicals, effectiveness, 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 make organic, environmentally friendly fertilizer from egg shells. different 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 - in plastic bottle make small holes at equal distances 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 cleaning from domestic plants. chicken eggs– they have a higher concentration of nutrients, but store-bought ones can also be used. At the end of winter, in the new clutch the shells of the eggs contain maximum quantity 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 of a flower pot in several layers, with a total thickness of up to three centimeters. This layer ensures the removal of excess liquid from the roots, normal circulation of water, and prevents it from stagnating, fermenting or rotting.

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 are plants that respond well to the application of calcined fertilizer:

Garden - stone fruit trees (cherry, plum), pome trees (pear, apple, quince), currants, blackberries, raspberries, gooseberries.
Garden - tomatoes, sweet pepper, eggplants, cabbage, lettuce, radishes, onions, pumpkin, parsley, celery, watermelons, melons, legumes (beans, peas).
Indoor flowers - everything except azalea, camellia, violet, gardenia, pelargonium, fern, pansy and hydrangea, 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 the tree trunk with egg shell 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. It is recommended to water annual flowers (asters, chrysanthemums) and perennial shrubs (barberry, peony, lavender, tulips, roses) with an 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 types 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.

You can use this natural fertilizer for indoor plants 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, you know that the most main drawback this process - an unpleasant odor 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 - saved useful microelements from the shell and films, the downside is that during drying an unpleasant odor may emanate, 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 in one of the following ways:

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:

Rinse raw egg shells in running water to remove 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 so that all the liquid is drained.
Then put the shells in cardboard or wooden boxes and leave to dry for another 3-5 days, preferably for 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 must be stored in a cool, dry place, in linen bags or wooden boxes, but in an open state, otherwise the product will “suffocate.”
Before use, the required amount of 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 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 the 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 the 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.

Complex product made from egg flour, onion peels, nettles and ash

To prepare a complex organic fertilizer, called “Delicacy” among gardeners, you will need:

shell powder – 200 g;
onion peel – 200 g;
nettle leaves or walnut– 200 g;
wood ash– 100 g.

Cooking method:

Mix all ingredients in a container with a lid.
Pour 2 liters of boiling water, stir thoroughly.
Close the lid and leave for 24 hours.
Before use, the fertilizer must be filtered and diluted with 20 liters of water.

Video

I have long noticed that after watering with an infusion of eggshells, indoor plants develop more actively and bloom better. I want to try feeding some vegetable crops this way. Tell me, how can I use eggshells to fertilize cucumbers and tomatoes?

It has long been used as a top dressing when growing garden crops, including tomatoes and cucumbers. It contains a complex of microelements necessary for plants:

calcium carbonate;
phosphorus;
magnesium phosphate;
iron, sulfur and others.

All nutrients included in the shell are well and quickly absorbed by plants, which has a positive effect on their development.

Experienced gardeners practice the following methods of using eggshells as fertilizers for cucumbers and tomatoes:

preparing a liquid infusion;
direct application to the soil;
dusting of plantings to prevent diseases;
as a drainage or container when growing plant seedlings.

Liquid infusion for root feeding

A solution based on crushed eggshells is an excellent way to feed both seedlings and adult tomatoes and cucumbers growing in open ground or in a greenhouse. To do this, the egg shells should first be ground to form a fine powder. Pour it into a jar and add boiling water (1 l). Leave the solution for 5 days, stirring occasionally. Use for root watering.

Before use, egg shells must be washed thoroughly, removing any remaining protein, and dried.

Direct application to the soil and dusting of plants

Due to its composition, egg powder has a beneficial effect on the soil, neutralizing its acidity. Only 2 tbsp. crushed shells per 1 sq. m. will allow you to prepare a site for planting seedlings of tomatoes and cucumbers. You can also add powder to the soil immediately before planting crops, adding it to each hole.

Eggshells serve as a protective measure in the fight against such as blackleg. It is recommended to dust the plants leaf by leaf with fine powder.

Using shells when growing tomato and cucumber seedlings

If the egg shells are simply crushed a little into small pieces (without making a powder), they can be used as a drainage layer for pots in which seedlings grow. Such drainage will simultaneously retain moisture and also saturate the soil with nutrients.

Whole egg halves will serve as an excellent alternative to containers for sowing seeds. They also nourish the soil; in addition, such seedlings can be easily transplanted into open ground without damaging the root system. You can simply crush the shell slightly in your hands without removing the plant, and plant it together in the garden bed.