While crunching into eggshells is a disgusting shock when you’re enjoying your breakfast, your plants will find them quite the delicacy! Save and then crush yourself or buy them in bulk, add them to your garden and then reap the benefits!
Your garden will love crushed eggshells as a Natural fertilizer
Gardening 101 teaches us that nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are the three pillars for strong, healthy plants. Calcium, as it turns out, is a pretty important component, too, and eggshells are loaded with calcium.
Till crushed eggshells into your soil or add them to new planting holes to help your plants thrive! As a bonus, eggshells will help aerate and reduce acidity in the soil.
Make eggshell tea for a quick plant boost
Eggshells, even as a powder, are slow absorbing in soil. If you want to give your plants a quick refresh, steep your eggshell powder (making a tea bag out of cheesecloth or an old shirt/sock) for a few days and then give your plants a tasty sip! This works particularly well on plants that haven’t been repotted for a while.
Eggshells double as pest control
Eggshells will help keep pesky bugs and critters away from your garden. In fact, there’s a theory that slugs and snails hate eggshells, so if you’re particularly thwarted by them, you might see great benefits from mixing crushed eggshells into your soil. This hasn’t been proven to be true, but some gardeners swear by it!
Other surprising uses for crushed eggshells
Not just plants benefit from the amazing calcium carbonate in eggshells. If you are making or buying your crushed eggshells in bulk and have leftovers after tackling your garden, check out these other ways!
- Better coffee. Eggshells mixed with coffee grounds will help reduce acidity in your coffee for a smoother brew!
- Healthier you. You can mix crushed eggshells in with your food or drink for a great boost of calcium.
- Bird seed. Birds need calcium, too! Mix your powder with bird seed and help your feathered friends out, especially nesting mothers!
It’s important to note if you plan on consuming eggshell powder or brewing your coffee with it, that the eggshells have been sterilized first. You can do this by boiling the eggshells or placing them in a cooling oven (after you’ve cooked or baked) or at 200 degrees for 30 minutes. The ones we sell at the market have been sterilized, but we sell them with the intent to be used for gardening.
Please only use our eggshells in the garden and not for consumption!
How to Make Your Own Eggshell Powder
Buying eggshell powder is the easiest route to go! It takes a lot of time, effort, and eggshells to make it, but if you’re inclined, it’s pretty simple, if not laborious.
Simply rinse and let your eggshells dry. Once you have enough, crush them with a spoon. For a fine powder, put in a blender or food processor. Again, if you’re planning on consuming the eggs, sterilize them first by boiling or in a cooling oven.
It takes about 50 eggs to make 4 ounces of powder.
Where to buy eggshell powder
We sell eggshell powder at the farmers market. Learn more here.
You can also buy eggshell powder on Amazon!
Learn More about Natural fertilizers and compost
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