Before you throw eggshells into the organic waste bin or compost, think about your plants. They contain valuable nutrients that your house and garden plants will enjoy. Find out why and how to fertilize your plants with eggshells here.
How do I use eggshells for my potting soil?
To make the nutrients in the eggshells more quickly available to the plants, you shouldpulverize them. Use a mixer or simple mortar. Dissolve the powderin water for a few hours and water your plants with it.
Why are eggshells good for potting soil?
The shells of eggs consist largely of calcium carbonate, commonly known as lime. Limeincreases the pH value in the soil Most plants prefer a neutral or slightly acidic soil. Intensive farming and acid rain make soils too acidic for plants. You can use lime to bring the pH back to an ideal level for the plants. To find out how acidic your garden soil is, you can dissolve a sample of soil in a little distilled water and test it with a pH test strip.
What nutrients do eggshells contain for potting soil?
Eggshells consist of almost 90% calcium. It also contains valuablemicronutrients such as fluorine, copper, iron, manganese, sulfur, zinc and silicon. It also contains small amounts of phosphorus, potassium and magnesium.
Which plants benefit from eggshells in potting soil?
Low and medium consuming vegetables are lime-loving and are happy about the lime supply, as this allows them to better absorb valuable minerals from the soil. For example:
- Beetroot
- Carrots
- Beans
- Peas
- various types of cabbage
- Leek
- Herbs
In addition, various tree species do not like acidic soil and therefore benefit from eggshell fertilizer:
- Fruit trees
- Ahron
- Linde
- Boxwood
- Hawthorn
- ornamental cherry
Which plants should you not fertilize with eggshells?
Some plants are sensitive to lime. These include vegetables such as:
- Cucumbers
- Tomatoes
- Spinach
- Pumpkin
But also some ornamental plants do not tolerate additional lime, for example:
- hydrangeas
- Rhododendrons
- Lilies
- Lupins
- Magnolias
- Lily of the valley
- Pansies
- Peonies
You should also water these with rainwater. Depending on the source, tap water can also contain a lot of lime and can be harmful to plants when used for irrigation.
What else can you use eggshells for in the garden?
If you don't pulverize the eggshells but simply break them with your fingers, you can use them assnail repellent. Snails don't like the sharp edges of the fragments and avoid crawling over them. If you distribute the fragments of the shells in a circle around your garden plants (e.g. salads), you can protect them from the voracious crawlers.
Tip
Boil the eggshells before using
Before pulverizing eggshells to dissolve them in the watering can, the shells should be boiled. Pathogens such as salmonella can be found on the shells. Salmonella is only reliably killed at a temperature of at least 70 degrees Celsius for ten minutes.
