How to use eggshells as fertilizer? How to make fertilizer from eggshells What plants can you apply eggshells to?

For amateur gardeners chicken eggs the shell could be a real find. And its benefits are not limited to mulch near the cherry tree. Let's look at five ways to use eggshells in the garden.

Chicken eggs contain large quantities of protein, vitamins and minerals, making this product one of the most nutritious. According to statistics, the average person around the world consumes about 150-250 eggs per year. This means that the inhabitants of the whole world eat a year great amount eggs But few people think about the use of egg shells and their benefits. And it is obvious, at least thanks to calcium: the shell of one chicken egg contains about 96% of calcium carbonate crystals, interconnected by proteins.

Most often, eggshells are used as garden fertilizer or a natural source of calcium that is added to animal feed. But most consumers usually throw eggshells in the trash along with kitchen waste. Don't rush to get rid of it - it can bring great benefit in the garden. Here, for example, are five ways to use it in the garden:

1. Fertilizers

Eggshells contain a large number of calcium, so when adding it to compost pit organic fertilizer enriched with this mineral, which improves growth and development garden crops. The shells decompose quickly in the soil, so it is not necessary to crush them. It is useful to place it at the bottom of planting holes.

You can leave egg shells in the soil for the winter - they will not deteriorate until spring planting. Calcium is an essential substance for plants. Therefore, using shells as fertilizer, you can grow excellent harvest peppers and tomatoes, which react very strongly to calcium deficiency.

2. Weapons against garden pests

If the garden is inhabited by slugs and snails, it is recommended to scatter uncrushed egg shells around the plants that the pests like to dine on. Snails and slugs are afraid of sharp edges - they will not be able to overcome the barrier of egg shells and will leave the garden to find a more convenient place to live.

3. Container for seed germination

Eggshells decompose quite quickly in the soil, so they are excellent for sowing seeds for seedlings. To do this, it is most convenient to use fresh egg shells, in which you can make a small hole, leaving the shell almost intact.

Then you need to rinse the inside of the shell with boiling water to remove the remains of the egg and pierce drainage hole on the opposite side of the shell. Then it is placed in a special box, filled with moist soil and seeds are sown in it. Sprouted seedlings can be transplanted into looser pots or soil.

4. Bird food

Egg-laying birds require calcium in large quantities, which should be added to their daily diet. First, it is advisable to sterilize the eggshells in the oven (temperature should be 120 degrees C) for at least ten minutes. You need to make sure that inner side didn't turn brown.

Then the shell is crushed and left for outdoors throughout the spring and summer period. You can mix egg shells and regular birdseed, add lard and mealworms to the feeder. Then, this aroma attracts insect pests to the feeder, damaging the plants in the garden. And the birds enjoy them with great pleasure.

5. Garden decor

Great food and aesthetic value has finely ground eggshells. If there are many people in the family who like to eat chicken eggs, you can collect the accumulated shells, boil them as sterilization and grind them. The shells can then be stored in a glass jar long time, constantly adding new shells. Having collected a sufficient amount of them, you can scatter them around the plants in the garden. Not only for fertilizer, but also for beautiful mulching.

Using eggshells you can get rid of pests and also enrich the soil with a valuable mineral - calcium. Scattered white, fine shells can look like a decorative piece in landscape design. For beauty, you can add various shells and pebbles, which will give the garden even more interesting view. This way the shell will become a beautiful and at the same time useful decor for the soil and the entire garden.

It has long been known that egg shells contain a lot of useful substances. That is why it is widely used as a fertilizer for various plants, which after adding the shells begin to grow faster and hurt less. It is also important that crushed shells decompose quite quickly in the ground. Eggshells are used to fertilize garden plants, and indoors, the main thing is to prepare and use it correctly.

Nuances when preparing “egg fertilizer”

Before fertilizing indoor flowers with eggshells, you need to wash them well and clean them of protein residues.

Experienced flower growers It is advised to use only homemade chicken eggs, which, thanks to the varied diet of chickens, contain a larger amount of vitamins.

After the shell is completely dry (this will take four days), it is crushed. Grinding methods depend on the further use of eggshells and the imagination of the grower - a mortar, a rolling pin, and a coffee grinder will do (if you need a fine powder).

Store the prepared “egg” fertilizer in a paper bag or box, or in a glass resealable container. Cellophane bags are not suitable for this - the shells in them will begin to deteriorate.

Ways to use eggshells

When growing indoor plants eggshells are used:

in the form of a tincture;
as drainage;
in the form of direct application to the soil;
for growing seedlings.

To prepare an infusion from shells, pour 1 cup of powder into 4 cups warm water and leave to infuse for 2 weeks. Shake the tincture periodically. Water the flowers with prepared liquid fertilizer once a month. Another method of preparing the tincture is used: for 1 liter of boiling water, 2 tbsp. powder. This method is faster, since the liquid is infused for only 5 days.

You cannot fertilize azalea, camellia, gardenia, hydrangea with eggshells, pansies and ferns, because they love acidic soil, and the shells reduce the acidity of the soil.

When using the shell as drainage, it is enough to simply crumble it by hand without reducing it to a powder state. When planting indoor plants, place a 2 cm thick layer of shells on the bottom of the pot. This will help protect the flowers from rotting due to excess moisture.

To use egg powder in its pure form from a pot with a plant, you must remove upper layer soil and mix it in a separate container with 1 tbsp. powder. Then pour the soil with the shell back into the pot. The ground is prepared in the same way when planting plants.

Using shells for growing flower seedlings will make the seedlings stronger. It is more convenient to take whole shells with the top removed - this will give the plants more space. At the bottom of the egg you need to make 2-3 holes to drain excess water. When transferring to permanent place The sprout can be transplanted along with the shell, but to make it easier for the roots to grow, it must first be gently kneaded with your hands.

Video about preparing liquid fertilizer from eggshells

A thrifty owner uses a lot of waste. And our summer resident finds a use for every trinket. Not many eggshells are thrown away in a year, but many people collect and hoard them to use in the garden. Is there any economic sense, everyone decides for themselves.

What is the value of eggshells as fertilizer?

It cannot be said that eggshells are a complete fertilizer, but they contain many useful components. Approximately 90% of it consists of calcium carbonate - this is the same substance as natural chalk or limestone. Therefore, the use of shells in crop production makes sense, especially on acidic soils. The remaining 10% accounts for an impressive list of elements, including those that are very necessary for plants.

So, 100 g of raw shell contains 80 mg of potassium, 400 mg of magnesium, 150 mg of phosphorus, as well as copper, molybdenum, zinc, cobalt, etc. Is this a lot or a little? If it were possible to accumulate several kilograms of shells, it would be a complete replacement for purchased mineral fertilizers. In real life, it is a useful addition to them. But if there is an opportunity, why not take advantage of it?

The composition of the shell depends slightly on its color and origin, but the approximate figures are the same

The main purpose of using shells is to reduce acidity and improve mechanical characteristics soil. To improve acidity in unsuitable soils, you need to use the shells of at least fifty chicken eggs per 1 m2. Of course, it’s easier to add lime, but... Normally ground shells are also a soil loosening agent, facilitating the supply of oxygen to the roots, and don’t forget about microelements!

The shell is also used as protection against many pests: if you grind it not very finely, then the sharp edges of the shell scratch the delicate skin of slugs and injure the insides of the mole cricket. The shell also prevents the spread of certain plant diseases developing in the soil.

How to use the shell

It is almost impossible to harm plants with eggshells (except for those that love acidic soil!). Nevertheless, the fertilizer must be prepared and used correctly so that the work does not go down the drain.

Shell preparation

The maximum benefit will be when using shells from raw eggs: after all, during cooking, many trace elements will pass into the water. In a shell boiled eggs, in fact, only calcium will be left among the useful components, and it’s hardly worth spending time on preparing it. The shells of raw eggs are handled as follows.

Options for use in the garden, garden and indoor plants

If eggshells are used as fertilizer, they are added to the soil when digging or the plants are fed with infusion (powder is poured hot water, after a day, filter and water the beds). For example, when planting cabbage or melons in a hole, add a teaspoon of powder. Under berry bushes in the spring, a handful of crushed shells are buried shallowly in the soil. Annual flowers, onions, beets, and legumes are watered with shell infusion 2 times a month.

You should not use shells when growing plants that grow on slightly acidic soils: hydrangea, petunias, ferns, basil, sorrel, etc.

IN indoor floriculture you also need to be careful. Many flowers prefer acidic soils, so shells are not used for them at all. These are, for example, gloxinias, pelargoniums and all types of violets.

For other indoor flowers, a lot of shells are not required. So, when planting in a standard pot, mix with soil and take no more than half a teaspoon of powder. Once a week, flowers are watered with diluted infusion. For this, 2 tbsp. spoons of powder are poured into 1 liter of boiling water and left for 5 days, then filtered.

In addition to being used as a fertilizer and soil deoxidizer, eggshells are used for the following purposes:

Eggshells are a valuable source of microelements and a good soil deoxidizer. If used correctly, it saves money and improves the structure and fertility of the soil both in the garden and in pots for indoor plants.

Many people have heard that eggshells are a rather valuable product, used for a variety of purposes, but not everyone knows for which ones. And as a result, they simply throw it in the trash, believing that there is too much fuss with it for dubious benefit. But is this really so?

How and where you can use dry eggshells directly at your dacha - this is what this article is about.

Scope of application

Eggshells are suitable for:

control of various pests in summer cottages;
feeding of many garden crops;
laying on the bottom of the container as a drainage layer when propagating seedlings.

It is a very valuable organic material that can significantly improve the productivity of your garden.

Knowledgeable summer residents use shells constantly, collecting them throughout the cold season. Its breadth of application is due, first of all, to its very diverse composition. It contains:

calcium carbonate;

magnesium;

fluorine;

iron;

phosphorus;

manganese;

sulfur;

copper.

90 percent of the shell is pure calcium, which is so necessary for almost all plants for full development. This composition makes it an ideal complex fertilizer created by nature itself. Its undoubted advantage is complete safety for humans and high environmental friendliness. Neither one nor the other are standard mineral fertilizers, usually used in the garden or vegetable garden, do not have.

Eggshells - ideal feeding

Many gardeners believe that eggs sold in stores have shells that are unsuitable for use in the country. They are sure that it contains a lot harmful substances and no nutrients. In reality, this opinion is wrong. The chicken’s body produces everything that is necessary for the development of the chick in a special way, which means that, by definition, there cannot be any dangerous chemicals in it. This is in particular confirmed by scientists: chickens raised in commercial production have the same shell composition as poultry living in a village farmstead and eating natural products.

Meanwhile, regular addition of crushed shells to the soil allows you to:

enrich its composition;

improve air access to plant roots;

loosen and soften the soil.

It is also worth noting that the effectiveness is greatly influenced by the correct use of the shell. Many gardeners do not know how to fertilize the soil with it. They throw it around without even grinding it. As a result, birds peck away valuable material, while the soil is left without much-needed feeding.

Before adding to the soil, the shells are thoroughly washed and thoroughly crushed (you can use a meat grinder or a regular coffee grinder). This powder is stored for a very long time and does not lose its properties. beneficial properties.

How to improve soil quality

The high calcium content allows the shell to regulate the acidity of the soil. It is well known that in many Russian regions, especially in those located in middle lane, the land is usually not very fertile precisely because of acidity. In most cases it is reduced by using lime or dolomite flour. Agronomists advise applying the first one only in the fall, since in other cases it harms the planted crops. Egg shells can be used at any time of the year. The calcium it contains, being an alkali, reacts with acids and neutralizes them. It is soils prepared in this way that are ideal for both most fruit and vegetable crops. For achievement desired effect on square meter earth take shells from 40 or 50 chicken eggs. It is pre-crushed and heated in the oven.

Pest Control

The mole cricket is considered the most dangerous enemy for young plants and seedlings. Wherever it appears, seedlings begin to die. If no measures are taken, the entire harvest may be lost. But using shells mixed with vegetable oil, you can get rid of the pest. This composition scares away the mole cricket and forces it to leave the area. If you crush it and add it to the ash, and then sprinkle this powder around the perimeter of the bed with early cabbage, then slugs will not dare to stick their noses in there. One such pest can literally eat a young head of cabbage overnight.

Whole shells, mixed with soil when digging, prevent field mice and moles from digging holes in the beds, which means it will protect root crops from damage.

For which crops are shells an ideal fertilizer?

The list of plants that urgently need the substances contained in the shell is quite large. It contains in particular:

both sweet and bitter peppers;

tomatoes;

potato;

beets (table, sugar and fodder);

carrot;

all types of cruciferous vegetables;

eggplant;

currants (white, red and black);

raspberries;

watermelons;

gooseberry;

many fruit trees.

As previously noted, shells in powder form help reduce soil acidity. But it is not suitable for fertilizer in dry form. It is better to use a tincture here. It is prepared in this way:

per liter moderately hot water take 5 shells (along with films);

all this is placed in glass jar and place it in a dark, warm place;

stand for up to 4 days;

You can use it when the product has an unpleasant odor.

Eggs are a product whose benefits cannot be debated. Eggshells are an excellent fertilizer for gardening, but not everyone knows about it. This storehouse of useful ingredients will help you grow fruit and vegetable products that will be the envy of all your neighbors. How? Let's try to figure it out.

Calcium "pure" in natural conditions you don't see it often. But the components containing it, represented by bicarbonates and the salts formed from them, are a reason for pride for many products. Limestone and chalk are rich in such components. The shell of eggs is a unique component, consisting of 95% calcium carbonate, which forms its hard shell.

This product contains another 27 elements from the periodic table. Eggshells are rich in magnesium carbonate, magnesium phosphate, potassium, iron, sulfur, and aluminum. If converted into percentages, it will become noticeable that they account for a small share, but they will also play their role in the process of improving soil quality.

The films contained inside the eggshell are rich in organic matter. Mucin and keratin are its brightest representatives.

What are the benefits of shells for plants?

Our distant ancestors affirmed the undeniable benefits of egg shells, no matter in what form they are used, ground or liquid.

A unique product deoxidizes the soil. The generally accepted acidity level for fertile soil cover is 5.5 - 7. Only thanks to such conditions is it possible to ensure absorption nutritional components root system of plants, which is important for processes such as growth and photosynthesis.
A level 5 indicator warns of excessive soil acidity and toxicity. This is destructive for a number of flora representatives. It is necessary to reduce the acidity index to about 6.
The soil composition is enriched with minerals.
The soil becomes looser. Areas occupied by vegetable gardens are usually located on clayey and structurally heavy areas. This factor has a negative effect on plants, because it is not easy for air to reach the roots. The result is stagnation of water in the soil, and if the weather changes, the soil cracks and the roots break off. The use of shells improves the aeration properties of the soil.
Crop pests such as mole crickets, slugs, and moles try to stay as far away from eggshells as possible. To combat slugs and snails, it is recommended to take this product, pre-ground. But shrews, mole crickets and moles are more afraid of such a product, scattered in pieces.
The unique product is endowed with protective properties against a number of ailments (fights blossom end rot, blackleg). Especially suitable for tomato seedlings.

What plants are suitable for this fertilizer?

Not all plants can use egg shells as a basis to fertilize the soil layer.

Among vegetable and melon products it is worth paying attention to:

on peppers, eggplants, tomatoes, carrots, beets, cabbage, potatoes, watermelons, melons;
Such fertilizing has a particularly beneficial effect on the development of raspberries, apple trees, gooseberries, pears, apricots and viburnum;
Strawberries and wild strawberries will be enjoyed if the soil under these plants is flavored with ground egg shells;
plants with stone fruits (we are talking about cherries, plums, etc.) can be classified as particularly needy crops for calcium;
Legumes, citrus fruits, conifers and green flora are not averse to getting extra calcium.

Egg pieces do an excellent job as drainage for placing seedlings in disposable cups.

Important! The main thing is not to overdo it with the component, because calcium in excess amounts can harm plants.

To prepare fertilizers, it is better to take shells from eggs from chickens or chickens. Turkey or goose egg product can also be used, but it may be difficult to grind.

We collect and store shells correctly

Shells are a capricious product in terms of storage. If it is not stored correctly, an unpleasant odor will appear after some time. To avoid this, you need to adhere to certain rules when collecting and storing the product.

For washing collected shells, it is better to use running water. This way you will be able to get rid of organic particles and the films themselves.
It is allowed to calcinate the shells in the oven.

If the eggshell is thoroughly dried, it will be stored for a long time without changing its smell and appearance. Washing has significant drawback – most of the beneficial properties of the shell are lost.

Making fertilizer

You can prepare valuable fertilizer using the following technology:

Wash the shell and dry it thoroughly, for which it is laid out on paper or dried in the oven.
You can grind the product in a coffee grinder, meat grinder or using a regular mortar. Important! The larger the pieces of eggshell, the longer it will take to decompose, and, therefore, its beneficial qualities will not reach the soil so quickly.
It is optimal to store the resulting powder in a glass jar.

As strange as it may sound, egg shells are used to make liquid fertilizer in the form of a tincture.

To obtain it you need:

Grind the thoroughly washed and dried shells;
the product brought to a powdery consistency is poured into glass containers. Water is poured there. Cover the container with the product with a lid and leave it in a cool, dark place for 15 days;
Before using the solution in the garden, it is diluted with plain water according to the scheme: 1 part solution, 3 parts water.

This type of fertilizer is often used to fertilize cabbage, onions, peppers, beets, etc.

How to use eggshells to benefit a plant

There are no specific recommendations regarding how to use eggshells. Some people simply pour the prepared mixture onto the surface of the soil and cover it with a rake. It is allowed to fertilize the soil with such fertilizer both before and after planting.

Particular benefits can be felt if you add the component to the holes with potatoes and onions.
As a composition that protects against pests (cruciferous flea beetles and clutches of cabbage butterflies), as well as minimizing the growth of weeds, a healing composition can be sprinkled on top of the soil.
You can use an infusion or decoction made from powder to water crops.
Finely crushed shells can simply be scattered, but it is much wiser to cook special design: V plastic bottle make uniform holes of small diameter. Through these holes the powder will be poured onto the beds.

An excess of calcium, especially for indoor plants, can end in disaster. Violets, azaleas, gloxinias, hydrangeas, camellias, and pelargoniums are under attack. The explanation for this phenomenon is simple: for these representatives of the flora, a comfortable environment is associated with acidic soil.

Using egg shells as fertilizer for cultivated plants- a justified step. Despite the wide range of beneficial qualities, the product should be used carefully so as not to harm the plants.