A good harvest from the garden is the result of not only hard and painstaking work, but also the use of various dressings and fertilizers that supply crops with additional nutrients or compensate for their lack in the soil. For this, it is customary to use mineral fertilizers, which are a product of the chemical industry. But every gardener has the opportunity to reduce this cost item by supplementing feeding with organic matter. Eggshells also belong to the latter, as a fertilizer that has been showing itself perfectly for many decades. Here you will learn why it is so useful, how to make fertilizer from it, and how to apply this substance to the soil.
The shell makes up from 12 to 20% of the total weight of the egg and contains a large number of macro- and microelements. It would be unreasonable to lose the opportunity to use this material in the country house and for feeding indoor plants... In the meantime, let's get acquainted with the composition eggshell and the content of various chemical substances.
Table # 1. The content of macronutrients in the eggshell.
Table 2. The content of trace elements in the eggshell.
| Item type | Element content, μg / 100 g |
|---|---|
| Iron | 2800-4200 |
| Zinc | 400-675 |
| Chromium | 130-180 |
| Fluorine | 125-150 |
| Copper | 90-150 |
| Cobalt | 70-80 |
| Manganese | 40-110 |
| Iodine | 35-50 |
| Molybdenum | 28-35 |
Eggshells are an excellent fertilizer for indoor and garden flowers.
As you can see, the shell is a complex fertilizer, which, in addition to calcium, contains great amount other macro- and microelements, which are also capable of having a beneficial effect on plants. You can read more about this in the next section of the article.
The benefits of eggshells as fertilizer
The main advantage of eggshells is that they are actually free. Unlike mineral fertilizers or manure, the shell does not need to be purchased separately, it is enough just not to throw out the one that remains after cooking in the kitchen. But there are other benefits as well.
Another advantage of the eggshell is called ecological cleanliness... If for any reason you do not trust the mineral fertilizers produced by chemical industry, then the shell can be a good alternative. Eggshells, prepared in tincture or powder form, can be an effective fertilizer for your plants.
A good harvest always means several things. All of them are important: the quality of the seeds, their proper preparation for sowing, the choice of variety, conditions and care. But there is one parameter, the impact of which is most important. it qualitative composition the soil in which the seedlings are grown. In more detail .
Preparing eggshell tincture and fertilizing indoor plants
One of the most popular uses for eggshells is to make a tincture-based liquid feed. It is mainly used for indoor plants and flowers, but it can also be suitable for those grown on the windowsill or for crops already planted in the garden.
Step 1. Collect the eggshells. It is desirable that it be as intact as possible. The shells obtained using raw eggs are preferable to those left after boiling - they contain more useful macro- and microelements that are so necessary for your plants.
Step 2. Rinse warm water the inner surface of the eggshell. This is necessary to remove protein residues, which, upon receipt of fertilizer, will begin to rot and give bad smell... A similar phenomenon in the preparation of tincture from the shell, unfortunately, is inevitable, but it is desirable to minimize this problem by washing the starting material.
Advice! In some cases, after (or before) washing, the eggshells are kept and dried for some time in a preheated oven.
Step 3. Fill a 0.75-1 L jar with eggshells. The latter can be placed there both in almost complete form (photo below), and in a crushed one (like what lies in the left bowl). If desired, turn the shell into a very fine powder using a coffee grinder or meat grinder.
Step 4. Fill the jar with warm water, tighten the lid tightly and let the liquid sit. The approximate time is 5 days for a 1 liter container. Shake the jar every day. An indirect sign of the readiness of the tincture is an unpleasant odor and turbidity of the water.
Step 5. Pour the infusion from the jar into a bucket of water in a 1: 5 ratio, and then stir everything. The resulting solution will contain a certain amount of nutrients. Water your houseplants or seedlings with it, and these macro- and microelements will get to them in the easiest way.
Step 6. Repeat the operation - pour water into the jar with the shells again and let it settle. With the same starting material, this can be done 3-4 times.
Some gardeners and experienced houseplant owners prefer to use the tincture instead of tap water snow - it is cleaner and does not contain excessive amounts of chlorine or iron.
Making eggshell powder - step by step instructions
Another common use of eggshells as fertilizer is by grinding source material to the state of a free-flowing powder, which is then poured onto the beds in certain dosages.
Step 1. Start by collecting the starting material - the eggshell. It should be accumulated in advance, even starting from autumn-winter period... The shell obtained from raw eggs manifests itself best of all as fertilizers, while the remains from boiled eggs show themselves much worse - during the cooking process, some of the useful elements leave them.
Step 2. Place the eggshells in a storage container. It could be cardboard box, a glass jar (with a loose lid) or a cloth bag. Use for these purposes plastic bags or plastic containers undesirable - the shell must "breathe".
Important! Please note that eggshells start to give off an unpleasant odor during storage. The reason for this is protein residues on the inner surface, which begin to rot and decompose over time. Rinsing the eggshells in warm water or roasting in the oven will help you to partially solve this problem, but you will lose some of the nutrients contained in the material.
Step 3. In the spring, before the start of the summer season or already in its midst, start preparing eggshell powder. This can be done in different ways.
- Crumble the shell into medium pieces and then crush in a mortar. This method is laborious, but it does not require anything other than a mortar and pestle.
- Pack the shells in a tight cloth bag and then either roll them out with a rolling pin many times or tap them with a hammer. In this case, things go much faster, but some small particles may remain intact.
- Crush the shells by hand into medium pieces and then grind to a powder in a coffee grinder. One of the most effective ways- at the exit you get a free-flowing fertilizer, which is very convenient to work with.
- Some gardeners grind eggshells in a blender (previously diluted with water) or a meat grinder. In terms of their effectiveness, these methods are inferior to a coffee grinder, but they are quite applicable.
Important! When working with eggshells, exercise some caution - carelessness can cause injury on sharp edges.
Step 4. Pour the resulting powder into a cloth bag or jar and store the container in a dark and warm place until direct use.
Video - Eggshell as fertilizer
Applying egg shell powder fertilizer in the garden
Eggshell powder, prepared according to the method described in the previous section of the article, must be added to the soil not immediately, but gradually. The first time is when planting seeds or seedlings along with other organic and mineral fertilizers. In this case, from 30 to 50% of the total amount of shells is introduced. This process is called primary feeding.
The remaining amount of powder is divided into equal shares, introduced with other dressings. Considering that there are not many eggshells, it will be rational not only to scatter it over the garden, but to apply it directly to the holes, around the plant stems. For the whole summer season you should use 0.3 to 1 kg of powder per m 2 or per crop unit. Therefore, if you have a little egg shell fertilizer, then use it only on the most important sites beds, approach the expense rationally.
It is also worth saying that there are plants for which the use of this substance will affect the best. Conversely, there are those cultures for which it is undesirable to use eggshells. The first group includes:
- salad and other greens;
- swede;
- pumpkin and other melons and gourds;
- fruit and berry trees and bushes - apple, cherry, currant, raspberry, etc.
And do not use eggshells as fertilizer for zucchini, spinach and violets.
Important! If you combine eggshells with other organic or mineral fertilizers, then adjust their dosage applied to each plant or each square meter of the garden. Remember that excess amounts of certain chemicals are just as harmful to crops as a lack of these micro and macronutrients.
Egg shells for seedlings
V recent times peat pots for sprouting seedlings are gaining in popularity. At first they are used as small containers, where a strong and “promising” sprout is obtained from the seed on fertilized soil. Then this pot is laid in the ground, the seedling is not removed from it. The peat capacity in the soil decomposes, and the plant continues its development further. Eggshells can be used in a similar way.
Step 1. Prepare the shell. It should be from sufficiently large eggs (for purchased ones, this is the “select grade” group, also referred to as C0). The presence of severe damage on the shell is undesirable - when breaking eggs, remember that the shell for the protein and yolk will then go to the seedling pots.
Step 2. Rinse the inside of the shell with warm water. Carefully make a hole in the bottom with a pushpin or a needle - it is necessary for drainage. In the absence of a hole, in case of excessive watering, the soil in the improvised one will be excessively wet, which may not in the best way affect the health of the sprout.
Step 3. Fill the eggshells with soil halfway. Considering that it comes about germinating seedlings, it is better to use purchased garden soil that has a large amount of nutrients.
Step 4. Place the seeds in the improvised pots obtained from the eggshells, sprinkle with earth on top. Pour in a small amount of water if necessary.
Step 5. Place the shell pots on the egg tray or box you bought them in. Then place everything together on a windowsill, under sunlight. Wait until the seedlings are ready to be planted in the soil. Do not forget to monitor the condition of the plants and water them regularly.
Step 6. When the seedlings reach the desired state, plant them in open ground right in the eggshell. While doing this, lightly squeeze the latter to break it apart without damaging the sprout. Thus, the shells will decompose in the ground over time, and the seedlings of agricultural crops in the garden will receive useful substances for growth.
Eggshell Powder is a high quality free fertilizer. On condition correct application, she can be very useful in the garden or in the vegetable garden... That eggshells for plants from the garden or orchard very useful, many gardeners know. The use of peelings from store or home eggs as a mineral fertilizer for plants is very convenient. If you regularly use egg shells to feed plants in your garden or vegetable garden, small, frail plants suffering from vitamin deficiency will soon grow into real garden decorations. And all this thanks to the simplest fertilizer - egg shells.
If plants from the garden or vegetable garden do not grow well, you do not need to rush to the store for expensive fertilizers. Fertilizers industrial production are often of rather poor quality, in stores often there are fakes... Using such a top dressing means poisoning the plants and throwing money away. Eggshells as fertilizer are magic. Plants will certainly thank the gardener for their care.
Shells as fertilizer for the garden
Powdered cleaners can be used to make an excellent mineral fertilizer for the most different plants... A small egg shell makes quite a lot of valuable feeding which can be used all year round... It is very useful because:
The shells are very popular with hobby gardeners because they contain a high concentration of calcium. In calcium-enriched soil, plants grow and develop intensively. If the land is poor in calcium, plants do not develop well. Lack of calcium has a negative effect on flowering, fruiting garden garden crops and also leads to various diseases.
Application in the garden
Such feeding must be used correctly. When applying a mineral fertilizer made from natural waste, you need to keep in mind the following:
The main advantage of the shell, crushed into powder, is that this powder is absorbed by the soil almost instantly, like any other mineral fertilizers in the form of powders.
Believers believe that in no case should the remains of consecrated Easter eggs be used for this purpose. This opinion is based on the assertion of the priests that Easter eggs Is a shrine that cannot be trampled underfoot.
For the manufacture of mineral fertilizers, you can take leftovers from any eggs: chicken, goose, duck or turkey. The highest concentration of calcium is found in domestic, "village" eggs. It should also be borne in mind that in cleaning chicken eggs white contains more calcium than brown chicken eggs.
Fertilizers from eggs for gardening garden plants used by many gardeners for reasons of economy. And this really has its own reason. If a gardener fertilizes the ground with shells from boiled eggs, then you no longer need to buy products containing calcium. Regular feeding of the earth in a similar way fully satisfies the need horticultural plants in this valuable substance.
One of the benefits of shells is that they certainly won't hurt. It is also very convenient to make it. To do this, you do not need to dilute the powder in water, you do not need to thoroughly wash your hands after contact, and you do not need to work with protective gloves. To fertilize the land, it is enough to go out into the garden with a bag in which there is powdered shell, and gently scatter the shells on the ground.
It is not recommended to carry out top dressing on a windy day, because the wind can disperse the powder, and then nothing will fall on the ground. It is also not recommended to carry out top dressing in the rain, because the shell that has fallen on the ground will be immediately washed off by the rain. The ideal time to apply is a fine, windless day. It is best to fertilize the garden during daylight hours, so that the gardener-gardener can see where the shell has already hit, and where it has not yet.
Experienced gardeners do not recommend using whole shells that have not been crushed into powder for fertilization. First, the powder is absorbed better and faster. Secondly, when performing gardening work (for example, weeding), the gardener runs the risk of cutting himself on the shell hidden in the ground. Such cases occur quite often.
A few more recipes
It will be nice if you mix powdered eggshells with ash. They rich in calcium, and the ash contains a high concentration of potassium and, in addition, repels dangerous pests agricultural crops. The shelf life of eggshells, like the shelf life of ash, is unlimited. You can prepare several large bags of such fertilizer for future use, and then gradually pack it up into small bags and take it out as needed.
If the soil is rich in calcium, it makes sense to use eggshells, because, in addition to calcium, this valuable product contains a large amount of trace elements that make the soil more fertile. During the application of the powder, fertilizer should be applied not only under the plants, but also nearby, as well as in the aisles. You can also apply the powder from the shell to those areas where nothing is currently planted. It is quite possible that next year some kind of culture will be planted in this place, and then Valuable fertilizer will work... The effect of adding ground eggshells to the ground can last for several years.
Eggshells, dried and ground into powder, are an indispensable product for those who are seriously interested in gardening and horticulture. The use of this fertilizer helps not only save a decent amount, but also get good harvest without spending a lot of time and effort for this. The main thing is the systematic use of eggshells. If fertilized regularly, the results will be visible within a few months. Eggshell is a top dressing that almost all garden plants readily respond to.
Having a vegetable garden, you can almost completely use food waste with benefit: for fertilizing the soil, in the fight against pests and diseases. It is quite natural that for these purposes they take the remains of vegetables and fruits that have grown on the ground. But you can use waste and animal origin. In this article, we will explain in detail how to use eggshells in the garden.
What is the use of eggshells for the garden?
In order for vegetables and fruits to develop and bear fruit, they must receive a certain set of nutrients from the soil. With an insufficient amount of one or another element, signs of the disease begin to appear on the plants: loss of color and deformation of foliage, cessation of development, etc.
Putting eggshells in the ground helps to enrich it with calcium, magnesium, copper, iron, potassium, fluorine, etc.
Egg shells for the garden
All of them enter the soil in a form that is easily digestible for plants. Thanks to this, the growth of the ground part of the plants and the germination of seeds are accelerated. In addition, the acidity of the soil decreases and its looseness increases, which has a beneficial effect on its fertility.
How to use eggshells in the garden?
You can't just scatter the eggshells over the site, like some fertilizer, for the plants you need to "prepare" it.
If you want to use the shell for fertilization, you should take it from raw eggs, wash and chop it.
It can be coarsely ground, for this it is enough just to crush it in a mortar, and fine (egg flour), you can achieve this state by grinding it in a coffee grinder.
Larger particles can be added simply during autumn or spring digging, and smaller ones - during planting directly into the holes for plants.
Under what plants can eggshells be applied?
Eggshells can be used for almost all groups of plants that can be found in the country:
To get the effect, even in a small garden it is necessary to apply a large amount of ground eggshells (to reduce the acidity, 500 g -1 kg / m & sup2, as a fertilizer - 120 - 250 g / m & sup2). Start collecting valuable product better in winter when it contains more useful elements.
Eggshells can be used not only in the garden, but also for feeding home flowers.
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All gardeners and gardeners know that the soil needs constant replenishment, 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 the article, we will consider how to make an ideal fertilizer for the earth from improvised egg waste and in what way it is better to apply it.
Eggshell composition
The main share in the composition of the shell of chicken eggs is 95% of easily assimilable calcium. For quail casings, this percentage is slightly lower, up to 92%. The rest of the organic trace elements that are part of 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, what its variety is.
In order for the eggshell to contain the maximum of nutrients and easily digestible calcium carbonate, the bird needs to be fed only natural products, fresh, vitamin-containing. If the chicken lives according to the conditions of the poultry farm, then with the feed it receives additional vitamins for rapid growth or obtaining eggs. This method of rearing birds affects the thickness of the shell and chemical composition macronutrients. Scientists have proven that the brown shell of eggs is thicker, it contains more calcium than white.
Collection and preparation of chicken and quail shells
- Collect all the shells from the eggs, rinse them thoroughly under running water. The main thing is to remove the excess protein with the yolk. This item is allowed not to be carried out only if the eggshell will be additionally dried.
- Dry future soil fertilizers under the sun. Keep in mind that if the shell is washed, the water will dry out within an hour, and if there are excess protein or yolk on the egg shell, then they can dry for about a day.
- When the shell has been cleaned, dried, it is worth starting to grind it in a coffee grinder, mortar, meat grinder or other device. In order for the shell of the eggs to turn into powder, it is possible to lay it out on a cutting board and roll it several times over it with a rocking chair to roll out the dough. So it will be possible to grind very quickly, easily, so many housewives use this method.
- The degree of grinding depends on which fertilization method has been chosen. For infusions, you need to use the shell crushed into small pieces, and for direct addition to the soil, it is better to grind it into sand.
- In no case should you boil or steam the eggshells, such heat treatment damages chemical bonds and is lost. beneficial features eggshell. 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 good fertilizer for the earth, this applies not only to eggshells, but also ash, wood chips, sand, humus. The composition of egg shells contains a large amount of useful calcium, and this by itself increases the fertility of the soil. If the soil is fertilized with ground shells, air permeability increases, which allows the plant to receive more oxygen. An increase in soil looseness is considered a positive feature.
Fertilizer to improve soil fertility
The fertility of the soil directly depends on its acidity. With high rates, the land will not be able to please with a large harvest. To reduce the acidity of the soil, it is worth adding 30-50 crushed shells from chicken eggs per 1 square meter. Before adding this fertilizer, it is recommended to bake it in the oven so that calcium is absorbed by the earth faster.
Often, the acidity of the soil is reduced with expensive mineral fertilizers, and in order for them to be better absorbed, eggshells are mixed with agrochemicals, the mixture is added to the soil. This method helps to avoid negative consequences from using chemicals and significantly increase soil fertility by affecting its acidity.
When eggshells are added 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 amount of weeding to maintain moisture in the garden and reduce the amount of watering. Although visually it may seem that the digestibility of the eggshell is very low due to its density, this is absolutely not the case, for several years the crushed shell will improve the condition of the earth.
Under what plants can eggshells be applied
Eggshells as a fertilizer with calcium are allowed to be applied under the following types of plants for their better growth and development:
- Vegetables: tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, carrots, beets, potatoes, eggplant, cabbage.
- Fruit trees: apple, pear, plum, apricot, cherry, sweet cherry, cherry plum.
- Bushes: raspberries, gooseberries, currants, dogwood, viburnum.
- Flowers - any.
- Other types of plants that take calcium positively.
It is recommended in some cases to grow seedlings of some garden plants directly in halves of 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 to obtain the necessary trace elements, but also fertilizes the future soil in which growth continues. Often this method of calcium fertilization is used when growing tomatoes, peppers, cabbage. It can sometimes be effective in the cultivation of watermelons and melons.
How to use the shell in the garden
Egg shell can be used in different ways, depending on the goals and the expected results. It can be easily added in powder form, whole or slightly crushed. The main thing to remember is that even a shell film can be an excellent addition to improve the condition of the earth, although it interferes a little when working with the shell.
Dry powder application
- Dry egg powder should be poured into a bottle, there to make several holes for even pouring. It is easier to scatter such fertilizer by hand, but there is a chance to get the result "there is a lot, and there it is empty."
- After that, it is worth watering the soil well until the egg powder is completely absorbed. If on the surface of the earth remain small places with fertilizer, it's okay, it will be absorbed later.
- The procedure must be repeated several times, so it is better to stretch this process for a couple of days so as not to walk on wet ground.
- For high-quality fertilization, it is recommended to use 80-100 egg shells per 1 square meter of withered land.
- Dry powder is allowed to be diluted with water, water it with indoor plants or seeds during planting, so they will receive the necessary calcium.
How to make and use the infusion for the garden
- We collect several fresh shells from eggs (about 3-4 pcs.) And without rinsing them, put them in a jar. Next, fill it with warm water until it is completely covered and cover it loosely with a lid or plate. When this mixture is infused, hydrogen sulfide will be released, which does not have a very pleasant smell, so it is better to remove such a container with shells in a dark and distant place.
After 3-4 days, the infusion is ready to work, it is allowed to water it with indoor plants or garden plants, even without adding additional water. This fertilizer must be used in winter, spring, when the soil needs feeding.
- In 1 L warm water add 5 egg shells and their whites, mix thoroughly, cover, put 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 at room temperature and sprayed onto the ground with a sprinkler. If it gets on the leaves of plants, this fertilizer will not burn them, therefore, such an infusion can be used for greenhouse crops, for any greenery in an open area.
- Prepare 20 chicken eggshells, crush them a little, add 3 liters of water. Bring the mixture to a boil and keep on fire for about 2-3 minutes. After cooling, dilute the mixture with 5 liters of water, 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 the maximum amount of minerals from the soil.
- We mix in 100 pieces of eggshell, onion peel, leaves walnut, add 50 g of lime.
Eggshell fertilizer for the vegetable garden
Pour all this with 1 liter of boiling water, insist for 1 day. After straining, 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 breaking through. This infusion will help the greens grow healthy, large.
Video: How to make fertilizer from egg shells and orange peel
To do this, it is worth preparing 5-6 eggshells, 1 orange peel. Grind these ingredients, mix, put them in a 3-liter container. Boil water in a saucepan, pour it into the mixture of the shell and orange, stir. Let the future fertilizer brew for several hours until it cools completely. Such an infusion will be good decision to improve the soil condition of indoor plants, it should be cooked 1-2 times and applied every month. In addition, watch the video with this recipe:
What summer resident does not dream of a rich harvest? It is this cherished dream that makes homeowners devote so much attention to each crop planted. Removing weeds, loosening, watering, pest and disease control - all this is part of the busy life of every farmer.
And of course, so that the recoil with land plot was maximum, you cannot do without fertilizers. They can be purchased in specialized stores, but most summer residents prefer cooking on their own. Eggshell as fertilizer is used quite often and there is a reasonable explanation for this.
Why plants are happy with eggshells
Eggshells are no substitute for a complex fertilizer that provides plants with absolutely everything they need. But nevertheless, it is a rich source of some substances necessary for the development of many cultures.
We use eggshells as fertilizer in the garden
If you decompose the egg shell into its components, then among them you will find:
- calcium carbonate (95%),
- phosphorus,
- potassium,
- magnesium,
- protein.
Egg shells reduce the acidity of the earth
The addition of eggshells to the soil also helps to loosen it and reduce its acidity. Most garden crops and flowers like to grow in such conditions.
Today, eggshells for a vegetable garden or garden are rarely used as a fertilizer, but even those summer residents who have heard about the benefits of fertilizing do not always bring it under the plants correctly.
What exactly is calcium flour useful for, and how to grow vegetables and fruits with its help to your delight, and to the envy of your neighbors?
There is an opinion that the shells of store eggs are saturated with chemicals, and practically do not contain nutrients. This is not the case, the immune system of a bird carrying an egg neutralizes the shell from harmful substances to keep the chick healthy. In the shell of chickens (quails) of industrial production, there are no more toxins than in products from poultry. It contains many natural valuable micro and macro elements:
- 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 unwashed shells in large pieces on the ground, as a result, it attracts flocks of birds who want to feast on a product that is useful for their skeletal and muscular system, while the ground remains without feeding. It is imperative that the shells be pre-cleaned and crushed.
What vegetables, berries, fruits "love" eggshells
For which plants are calcium grit supplements especially useful? For 1m2 of soil, about 2 cups of calcium shell meal is used. Its introduction into the soil of the garden is very beneficial 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 adore such feeding and fruit trees: raspberries, apple trees, gooseberries. Currant, pear, apricot;
- the addition of eggshells increases the yield of strawberries, strawberries;
- calcium is especially needed for stone fruit crops (cherry, bird cherry, plum, and others), since a lot of mineral is spent in the formation of a stone;
- citrus, legumes, conifers and greens also need calcium fertilization.
From its pieces, excellent drainage is obtained when growing seedlings in disposable cups. However, an excess of calcium can harm young seedlings.
As a fertilizer, chicken shells are usually used or quail eggs, because from geese or turkeys it has a too dense structure that is difficult to process into flour.
How to use egg shells correctly
You need to collect the shells from raw eggs, because during the cooking process, almost all the beneficial properties disappear, such fertilization will be ineffective.
Calcium flour preparation
First, you need to thoroughly rinse the shell, and then immediately dry it (put it in the sun or warm it up in the oven). The main thing is to prevent protein residues on the walls, otherwise the future fertilizer will deteriorate.
The refined product can be grinded in a meat grinder, coffee grinder or other convenient method.
It is best to walk on 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 pieces.
It is not worth saving up huge bags of powder, it is better to grind a little.
Ready-made calcium flour can be laid out in jars, tightly closing the lids. Or store inside paper bags... It is better not to use plastic bags - moisture condenses from the air inside, which causes rotting of the product.
How to make a liquid calcium solution
For infusions, you can use small pieces of shell and powder.
They are laid out in glass jars, filled with water and, having tightly sealed the lid, put in a cool place without light.
After one and a half to two weeks, when the tincture becomes cloudy, it will smell unpleasant, it is time to spill vegetable plants and fruit trees on it. The liquid is preliminarily diluted with plain water (proportion 1: 3).
Such a top dressing will help to grow an excellent harvest.
Tiny Shell Seedling Cups
You can use the halves of the egg to distill the plant from the seed - it immediately receives the calcium and other trace elements it needs.
Such seedlings can be planted together with egg cups, at the same time fertilizing the soil.
Most often, this method is used in the cultivation of cabbage, peppers, tomatoes and melons.
Some simply burn the shell particles with ash, producing a micronutrient-rich fertilizer without rinsing, drying or grinding. Eggshells, as a fertilizer, have an excellent effect when used in any form.
Protective abilities of the shell
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 from slugs and bears.
In addition, milled not only a natural calcium fertilizer, it is used to protect (alkalize) sour soil in clay or swampy structures.
To reduce acidity and increase the fertility of the site, it is enough for 1 sq. m. pour the crushed flour from 30 chicken to 50 quail eggs. Considering that a family consumes from 30 to 100 eggs per month on average, 5-10 kg of unique useful calcium fertilizer is thrown into the trash heap per year.
Determining acidity is as easy as shelling pears: special device or by pouring vinegar on a lump of earth - if foam or bubbles appear, then there is enough alkali in it. In the absence of a reaction, the soil turns sour, it's time to lime it with calcium dressing. When to fertilize the soil with eggshells - in spring or autumn, there is no difference.
The use of eggshells in the garden increases the yield 2 times more than it was before. It does not matter at all its origin: material was taken from a home chicken coop or from a local poultry house.
It's nice to evaluate the result of your efforts, understanding what it is high harvest managed to be achieved without the use of chemical pesticides and nitrates.
EVEN IN OUR FAMILY, WHICH IS NOT PASSIONED WITH EGG DISHES (COMPARED TO MY FAMILIARDS WHO ALWAYS EAT EGGS FOR BREAKFAST), MORE BUCKET OF EGGS MAY BE COLLECTED IN A YEAR. IT IS FULLY ENOUGH TO FERTILIZE THE BEDS DURING THE SPRING SOWING, TO GROW STRONG SEEDLINGS, AND I SPREAD THE EXCESS UNDER THE SHRUBS AND TREES GROWING IN MY GARDEN.
EGGSHELL ENRICHES SOIL WITH CALCIUM, HELPS IT TO STAY LOOSE AND REDUCES ITS ACIDITY. IS IT NOT TRUE, IT IS BETTER TO USE LIKE "WASTE" FOR GARDENING PURPOSES THAN TO SEND THEM INTO THE WASTE BIN? AFTER PREPARING ANOTHER SERVING OF EGGS, BE SURE TO START STORING THIS FRAGILE BUT VALUABLE COOKING 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 hassle and increased acidity to 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 on soil with a neutral or maximum slightly acidic reaction feel worse and worse. In this situation, homemade natural fertilizers become almost the only way out, and eggshells are an irreplaceable source of natural calcium and a complex of important microelements.
If the shells are regularly applied to the soil, the soil pH level gradually shifts towards neutral indicators: calcium "separates" and converts nutrients into water-soluble forms, which in an acidic soil environment would turn into compounds inaccessible to plants. With a sufficient amount of calcium in the soil, the garden and vegetable garden receive their organic ration in full and therefore actively develop, bloom magnificently 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 available for plants is accelerated.
By increasing the pH of the soil, calcium suppresses the activity of pathogenic microflora, which is brutal in an acidic environment. This means that there is less risk of damage to vegetables and flowers by various fungal diseases.
The optimal amount of calcium in the soil prevents the development of some physiological plant diseases - there are no more signs of top rot on the fruits of my tomatoes and peppers.
ON A NOTE
Eggshell takes one of the leading positions in calcium content. It contains up to 95% calcium carbonate, and in a bioavailable form. Also, its chemical composition includes important amino acids and a rich complex of trace elements, among which silicon, phosphorus, iron, potassium and magnesium stand out.
The shells from chicken, as well as any other eggs, introduced into the soil, significantly increases the immunity of plants. In contrast to the purchased "chemistry" with this product can not be overdone, so it is absolutely safe for the garden and for 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.
Eggshell as fertilizer WE PREPARE THE SHELL
The shell is valuable only from raw eggs! Waste from boiled eggs in boiling water loses most of its compounds and cannot serve as a valuable supplement. But they can be applied to the soil as an excellent baking powder. And with the "broth" left after boiling eggs and abundant in useful substances, I regularly water indoor flowers; if I boil eggs in the country, then I pour it into the garden with some vegetable or give this valuable delicacy berry bushes.
Do not neglect waste from either homemade or purchased eggs. The shell of the purchased egg is completely free of any chemicals. Even if the chicken was fed with some "bad" additives, its immune system, genetically tuned to reproduce healthy offspring, completely neutralized these feeds. Therefore, there is no difference between home-made and government-made eggs.
Because large pieces of eggshells take a long time to decompose, you need to crush them first - and the smaller the better. The shell, ground into flour, will give its nutrients plants in the same season. After using the contents of the eggs for culinary purposes, I rinse the shells hot water under the tap to remove protein residues and film from them. Then I put this waste on the newspaper and dry land. A few hours after complete drying, I grind the shell in a coffee grinder. I pour the resulting powder into glass jar and store it under the lid for up to an hour.
HOW TO IMPROVE SOIL PROPERTIES BY APPLYING A SHELL
1. I find application for shell stocks in early spring, when I start sowing seeds for seedlings. For 1 bucket of seedling soil mixture, which I harvest myself since autumn, 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 to be strong, stocky and among them I no longer find a single weakened specimen.
2. Before spring sowing or planting vegetables in the garden in the form of transverse lines (onions, carrots, beets, etc.), I sprinkle the shell in an even layer on the surface, and then dig up the plantation. For 1 m2 of the garden I put in 1.5-2 cups of crushed product. After that, I make furrows and sow the seeds or plant the seed in the usual way.
3. After 4 - 5 weeks after the emergence of seedlings or planting seedlings in the ground, I give vegetable crops one more top dressing, but this time I use the powder to prepare a nutritious infusion. I pour one glass of flour from the shell into a bucket with a volume of 10 liters, fill it with water to the top, keep it in a warm place for 7-8 days, stirring 3-4 times daily; then I dilute the infusion clean water(1: 1) and I feed vegetables at the rate of 0.5 liters per 1 hole or 1 liter per 0.5 running meter beds (with line planting). Before and after such a procedure, I do not give any plants any nitrogen fertilization, since nitrogen and calcium, when applied simultaneously to the soil, bind to insoluble compounds.
4. Before transplanting seedlings of tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, cabbage, etc. from cups, I add 3 tbsp. To each hole in the garden. l. powder from the shell and mix it thoroughly with the soil.
ON A NOTE
If you sprinkle the surface of the soil in cups under the seedlings with powder from ground eggshell, this will reliably protect the seedlings from damage by the black leg.
To prick a bear, block the path of a slug
The eggshell will protect garden plants from pests - slugs, snails and bears. Fortunately, I don't have them on my site, but my friend long time could not cope with the invasion of these dirty tricks. She solved the problem with the help of "prickly" shells: when planting seedlings in the ground, she once poured handfuls of such waste into the holes (not in the form of a powder, but in large pieces) - and the bear, having stumbled upon sharp shells, bypassed the garden bed with delicious roots of young plants ... After such a successful experiment, my friend zealously collects shells and every year tries to add it to all crops.
And with slugs and snails attacking her plantings in rainy seasons, she fights in a different way. In order not to give this voracious living creature the opportunity to get to the vegetables, "decorates" the edges of the beds with a small side of the shell, crushed into small pieces. The soft, delicate body of a slug or snail is in no hurry to scratch itself against this pointed fence - and the pests cannot reach the vegetables! Also, my friend scatters the shell around the circumference of the trunk circles of young trees and berry bushes so that they do not needlessly attract slugs with their juicy foliage and buds.
ECO-STYLE SHELL CONTAINERS
Take a raw egg, carefully "dismantle" only upper part its shells, pour the protein 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 of initial development, they do not require a large volume of earthen coma.
I procure the right amount whole shells (I wash them thoroughly with hot water and dry them), make several holes in their bottoms with a sharp needle for the drain of excess liquid and fill them with loose fertile soil. I put the pots in the cardboard tray in which the eggs were sold, and plant the seeds there. Pads with shells are compactly placed on the windowsill and do an excellent job of the task, saving me from spending on buying containers for seedlings.
When the time comes to plant the grown seedlings on the garden bed or dive them into a larger container, I take such a "kinder surprise" in my hands and gently upholstery the shell with a spoon so that it cracks. Then I take out a piece of the shell from different sides, making small windows in it, and plant the plant along with the remaining shell on the garden bed or in a new, already real pot. The roots of the plant are found through the left holes of the loopholes and go beyond the shell, as it grows, completely destroying it. Thus, it is possible to avoid injury to the root system of seedlings, which, in addition, receives top dressing from the shell, which decomposes under the action 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 released new leaves, I transplant it into flower pot along with eggshells.
EGGS FOR BERRIES, APPLES AND MORE
Eggshell-based feeding was also very popular with my berry bushes - currants and gooseberries. On the "egg diet", they become less sick and give more large berries... To make up for the lack of calcium, I put 2 cups of shells crushed in a coffee grinder under each bush. The procedure is carried out once a year in early spring, which has a positive effect on the development of young growth and the quality of the ovaries.
I do not have enough shells for feeding adult trees, but for young seedlings of fruit crops I try to save it by all means, it contributes to an intensive new growth and development of the root system.
I also put 2-3 glasses of powder under young trees in the spring, sprinkling it in an even layer into trunk circle and burying into the soil to a depth of 7-8 cm with a hoe or a hand ripper.
Since calcium, which regulates the processes of building tissues and the root system, turns out to be especially necessary for plants in their "infancy" age, feeding with powdered eggshells will come in handy when planting annuals ornamental plants-they will please with active development and lush bloom.
EGG SHELL AS FERTILIZER - VIDEO
Shells as fertilizer for my garden
In the spring I go to the dacha with seedlings, my favorite cats and always with a jar of ground shells. Using it for five recent years, I realized how it is really useful for soil and plants.
In the garden, I prefer to use simple and sustainable methods, and ground eggshells are just a natural fertilizer and a pest control. And it does not require any costs - neither material nor physical.
It is very simple to prepare the product. First, I break the shell with a rolling pin until small pieces are obtained, and then use a coffee grinder (or a mortar, or a meat grinder) to grind it into flour. I store it in a tightly closed container, without 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 can be useful for other purposes in the garden.
What do I use eggshells for, and what results I have noted for myself.
Fertilizer for soil
Horsetail always grew on our site, moss appeared - obvious lovers of acidic soil. After three years, as I began to add powder from the shell, they disappeared.
Eggshells are able to 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 the "voids" in the clay.
The shell improves the structure of the heavy soil, making the soil friable, which facilitates better air delivery to the roots. Thus, the shell flour increases the fertility of the soil. When dry, it does not form a dense crust.
Of course, I do not have a laboratory where I could test how effective this fertilizer is. But I shoveled a lot of literature about the shell. Yes, it does not give a momentary result, like manure, but accumulating in the soil, fertilizes it. The shell contains all trace elements necessary for the growth and fruiting of the plant, 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 shell turned into flour decomposes perfectly in the ground, which means it is absorbed by plants.
The shell contains all trace elements necessary for plant growth and fruiting, such as easily assimilable 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 a complex, the shell neutralizes the effect of chemicals, while maintaining the beneficial properties of mineral fertilizers.
Remedy for pests and diseases
Slugs and snails are a big problem for my favorite garden. To repel these pests, I slightly grind the shells and scatter them around the trunks of trees and shrubs. When slugs crawl over them, they get cuts from the sharp edges of the shell and die.
Slugs and snails have become much smaller. 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 the eggshell. At the same time, I continue to use other methods of collecting them.
In the past, moles have often come to my site, especially in the spring. They, bumping into sharp objects underground, go to other places.
I put crushed eggshells into the soil, which discourages moles from coming to visit me.
An interesting way of dealing with the Colorado potato beetle and the bear, which is used by my neighbor. She mixes the ground eggshell with sunflower oil for smell and drips into the aisles with potatoes.
The bear, having tasted this "treat", dies. Beetles and their larvae are sprinkled with prepared crushed eggshell powder. They do not die immediately, but the action of the powder gradually nullifies the presence of these insects in the beds.
Of course for the soil shells are healthier from eggs of domestic chickens, but store ones are also not so bad. To obtain high-quality fertilizer, you need to take shells from raw eggs. It is believed that when cooking, beneficial substances under the influence high temperature collapse.
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