Eggshells Can Help Your Plants and Garden Grow Amazingly!

Before you consider throwing away the shells from the eggs you used to make those delicious sunny side up beauties, you should know that your plants and garden will thank you if you feed them those eggshells! Yes, eggshells are a great source of calcium for your garden soil and plants as it helps them grow stronger and healthier. Along with many other items in your kitchen, eggshells are an organic form of moderating soil acidity, while providing nutrients for your plants.

According to Christopher Enroth, Horticulture Extension Educator for the University of Illinois, Each eggshell adds four milligrams of calcium. Two cups of the solution per plant should be adequate. Apply about every two weeks. (Gillman, 2008). However, there is a key step many people fail to follow when breaking down egg shells for their garden.

The key is to break down your egg shells into the smallest particle possible- almost powder like.

The smaller the particle, the better. In fact, a study from Alabama Cooperative Extension revealed that finely ground eggshells performed just as well as pure calcium. The reason is that egg shells can take up to a year to breakdown, therefore grinding up egg shells into a powder like substance can help speed up the process and provide the most benefits to your garden soil. Once broken down, simply spread it around your garden soil!

Therefore, next time you consider disposing of your egg shells, you can instead place them into a jar or bag and crush them up for your plants and garden. Don't worry, they wont stink up or smell. Simply rinse them and let them dry. States such as California are now requiring food items to be recycled and composted. The new law SB 1383 requires homes and businesses to place their food waste into their yard waste trash bin in efforts of reducing organic waste disposal. After this article, You too will be able to contribute by using your egg shells to create a healthy garden and environment.