Recently, people who have summer cottages or kitchen gardens have begun to think about how to feed their crops, so that they are environmentally friendly and beneficial when they are eaten. If you set a goal, you can make a large list of such fertilizers.
Not the last place in this list will be given to egg shells as fertilizer for the garden, which can improve the state of humus by neutralizing excess acidity. The composition of the egg shell includes all trace elements necessary for plant growth and fruiting, such as easily digestible calcium (93%), magnesium (0.55%), phosphorus (0.12%), potassium (0.08%), as well as small amounts of sulfur and iron.
Which shell is suitable for fertilizer
It is generally recommended to take the eggshell of domestic chickens to obtain fertilizer. Village Corydalis feed on natural fodder, and the list of elements in the shell of their eggs is more substantial than in the shell of incubator eggs. But you should not create a problem, you can use the shell and store, which is also rich in easily digestible calcium. It is best to start picking shells in the winter.
During this period, it is much denser, which means that the calcium content in it is much higher. Poultry farmers noticed that the shell of brown eggs is thicker than the shell of white, that is, it has a higher calcium content. To get high-quality fertilizer from eggshell for the garden, it is taken from raw eggs. When cooking, beneficial substances are destroyed under the influence of high temperature.
How to make shell fertilizer
There are certain rules for the preparation of material for its further processing into fertilizer. The eggshell must be washed from the egg white and dried thoroughly. To do this, it is laid out on paper in a well-ventilated place or in a paper bag. It takes five days to dry.
Then it is kneaded with a rolling pin until small pieces are obtained, and then using a coffee grinder, mortar or meat grinder, they are crushed into flour. Of course, in a coffee grinder this can be done faster, and it copes well with grinding egg shells into powder. But the type of grinding method depends on where and for what purpose the egg shell will be used. If you leave large pieces, it will not benefit the soil, as it will decompose for a long time and slowly. Store flour from the shell in a tightly closed container, without access to moisture.
The use of eggshell in the garden
Egg shells are used to alkalize the soil. In addition, it improves the structure of heavy soil, making the earth loose, which contributes to a better delivery of air to the roots. Thus, shell flour increases soil fertility.
Why is this top dressing good? The shell turned into flour is perfectly decomposed in the ground, which means that it is completely absorbed by plants. Such soil does not form a dense crust when dried. Introduced as a baking powder, crushed eggshell maintains the state of the soil in this form for several years.
The use of eggshells in the garden is that it goes well with mineral fertilizers. Flour from it reduces the acidity of the soil, and many mineral fertilizers increase it. Acting in a complex, the shell neutralizes the effects of chemicals, while maintaining the beneficial properties of mineral fertilizers.
Protective agent against pests and diseases
There is another option, how to use eggshell in the garden. It is used in the fight against garden pests, such as the Colorado potato beetle or bear, which adore potatoes. In this case, the crushed eggshell is mixed with sunflower oil for odor and instilled into the aisles. Medvedka, having tasted this "treat", perishes.
Beetles and their larvae are sprinkled with prepared ground egg shell powder. They do not die immediately, but the action of the powder gradually negates the presence of these insects in the beds.
There is another lover of plant roots - the mole. It is known that they, bumping into sharp objects underground, go to other places. Therefore, gardeners introduce crushed eggshell into the soil, which discourages the mole from hunting to come to these places.
Fighting slugs and snails
Slugs and snails can be a real problem for gardeners and gardeners. The use of eggshells in a vegetable garden or orchard is the optimal solution for combating these land gastropods.
Living in the garden, slugs eat huge holes in the cabbage leaves, sometimes reaching the head of cabbage. Under favorable weather conditions, snails do not disdain young tender leaves of fruit trees and shrubs, which damage the garden.
Experienced gardeners use eggshells to deter these pests. It is lightly crushed and scattered around the trunks of trees and shrubs. Crushed egg shells have sharp edges, and if slugs crawl along them, they get cuts on their stomachs and die. But they are smart enough to somehow inform relatives not to visit these places, and they themselves stay away from the eggshell.
For which plants should eggshell be used
Egg shell powder is not a panacea among a large number of non-chemical fertilizers. Therefore, it will be correct to get acquainted with the preferences of garden crops growing on the land. Having an idea of the needs of plants for certain fertilizers, you can decide whether an egg shell is needed for the garden. For which plants is it necessary and will respond well to this top dressing, and for which it is not needed and it is better not to use it?
Of the crops planted on the site, fertilizer from eggshells will appreciate cabbage. Peppers, tomatoes and eggplant will feel good on alkaline soil. All types of onions, lettuce, broccoli, beets and melons will also give a good crop, growing on land fertilized with egg shells. For a garden where beans, peas, cucumbers, zucchini and strawberries will grow, this fertilizer is not suitable.
Acceleration of seed germination
Egg shell 9/10 of its weight consists of calcium carbonate. Therefore, gardeners often use it to improve seed germination. Thanks to calcium, the proteins contained in the seeds are activated, and the sprouts of such seeds appear faster. They are stronger than those that appear during normal germination.
How is this process going? Seeds are sprinkled with a substrate and powder crushed eggshell on top. Such top dressing quickly penetrates the seeds, accelerating their germination.
Egg Shell Use
Egg shells are a godsend for the garden. Many gardeners, gardeners began to use it as forms for the germination of seedlings. The idea is just original. After breaking the egg in half, a hole for drainage is made in the lower part of the half and filled with a small amount of earth. The seed of the crop is sown in this container. For at least a month growing seedlings, it has the ability to be fed with micro-doses of the hydrogen sulfide minerals in the shell. Over time, the grown seedlings require transplanting. Gardeners use two options for planting in the ground. You can just chop the container out of the shell and transplant the seedlings.
Some people prefer to transplant young seedlings to a place in the bed right in the eggshell. For the garden, this option is good because the roots themselves will destroy the shell, and while in the ground it will continue to nourish the plant.
If tomatoes were germinated, and they are planted in the ground without shells, you can pour a teaspoon of egg shell flour into the hole before planting seedlings. This will help the planted plant develop its resistance to a disease such as rot, which occurs due to an imbalance of calcium in the soil. But one cannot overdo it here either. Everything is good in moderation!
Indoor Flowers and Egg Shells
Not only in the garden and in the garden, the use of eggshells benefits vegetable crops, shrubs and trees. She found application in growing indoor flowers. It is used by florists as drainage, laid on the bottom of the pot with a layer of at least 2-3 cm. Thanks to it, ventilation of the roots is improved, stagnation of water in the tank is prevented, and as watering, nutrients from the shell pass into the soil from which the plant receives them.
An infusion is prepared from it for fertilizing flowers. There are no difficulties in its manufacture. On a three-liter jar of warm water, it is enough to use a shell of 4-5 eggs. The can is covered loosely, you can use a saucer or a lid. Keep this jar in the shade.
3-4 days are enough for the infusion to start smelling and cloudy. At this time, part of the substances necessary for the plant from the shells passed into the water infusion. Its readiness is evidenced by the smell of hydrogen sulfide, which is formed during the decay process. It is hydrogen sulfide useful infusion. Its concentration is insignificant to cause harm, but there is a benefit, it accelerates the growth of plants.
When using such an infusion, chemical fertilizers will be much less needed. There is no smell after watering the plants. Water them as necessary, adding shells and adding water. Such plant nutrition is incomparable. All flowers grow by leaps and bounds. Especially like this watering Zamioculcas and Dieffenbachia.
Florists use flour from eggshells to control aphids, sprinkling insects on it.