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This article will share with you why and how to use eggshells in the garden to improve your soil and benefit your plants!
Have you ever wondered how to use eggshells in the garden? Most homesteaders have chickens and a vegetable garden, and most homesteaders like to utilize everything they have on hand. So in this article I will explain a couple of different ways of how and why I save my eggshells to use in the garden.
During the fall and winter, I start saving eggshells in preparation for using them when I plant my tomato seedlings and pepper seedlings. But before I use them, there are a couple of steps I do in preparing eggshells for the garden.
In the spring, when you have a surplus of eggs to use up, check out my article 12 Ways to Use Eggs for some great ideas besides using the eggshells in your garden!
How to Prepare and Dry Out Eggshells for Garden
Below I will go over the steps I take to prepare the eggshells for use in the garden, including how long to bake the eggshells for the garden, how to prepare and grind up the eggshells for using on plants, and how I store them for long term use.
Baking Eggshells to Prep them for Use in the Garden
Place your egg shells on a cookie sheet in a single layer
Why bake the eggshells you might wonder? Baking eggshells helps to dry them out fully, especially the membrane inside the egg. Drying out the membrane, allows you to crush up the eggs more easily.
How Long to Bake Egg Shells for in the Oven
I bake them by placing the eggshells on a cookie sheet, and put them in the oven on low, around 250-275 degrees, for about an hour. After they have been in for an hour or so, pull them out and let them cool.
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Baking Eggshells for Compost
If you have a very large flock of poultry, you may have more eggs than you need to use as a direct additive to plants. In this case, you may want to bake them and then just add them to your compost. You can skip the baking part and add them directly, but by drying them out in the sun or in the oven, it will help them break down a little bit faster.
How to Dry Out Eggshells Without an Oven
If you don't have an oven, or don't want to use one to dry out the eggs hells, I would recommend using the sun during a few hot summer days. Lay them out in a single layer on an old screen or fine wire mesh to allow for good air flow. Depending on the temperature, one day may be good enough, just test and see if the membrane is still rubbery. If it is, put them out for another day.
Crushing Eggshells for Use in the Garden
You can throw the baked eggshells in a blender at this point and it will grind them into a fine dust super quickly. I prefer to just mash the baked egg shells with a large wide spoon. It is actually quite satisfying to do this. Something about the sound, I don't know! I just really enjoy it.
Another great thing you can do with these crushed up eggshells, is feed them back to your chickens in place of oyster shell. It increases their calcium intake to make for nice hard eggshells! Funny how that works. Circle of life I suppose. 🙂
Use a large flat serving spoon to begin crushing the eggs after they have baked in the oven
Once you have crushed them, mound them up and crush them again to get the pieces even smaller.
This is what you are aiming for, small enough to measure out in a tablespoon, but you could go even smaller if you like.
How to Use Eggshells in the Garden
Using Eggshells to Benefit Your Plants
I use the eggshells when I am planting my peppers and tomatoes into their final pots that they will live in for the summer. I will add 1 heaping TBSN of the eggshells along with 1 TBSN of Epsom salts, into the hole I have dug in the pot, or in the ground. Stir them around a bit, than plant your tomato or pepper plant.
The eggshells will add extra calcium into the soil, which can help prevent blossom end rot. Epsom salts also add extra magnesium.
Using Eggshells to Deter Pests in the Garden
I have heard mixed reviews on using eggshells to deter snails and slugs. I prefer to use Sluggo for that.
Using Eggshells in Your Compost
Another easier way to use your eggshells, is to just throw them in your compost. That way when you use the compost in the garden later, that calcium and magnesium will be added to your soil. Baking egg shells and crushing them for your compost isn't necessary, but it does help them break down faster.
Once I finish smashing the baked egg shells, I use a canning funnel to pour them into a canning jar for storage until I am ready to use them.
Make your Own Fertilizer with Eggshells
To make fertilizer with your eggshells, it is best to have them as fine as possible. Then add the crushed eggshells to warm water and let sit out in the sun for a bit. The warm water will leach out some of the calcium from the eggs.
Add some epsom salts to this solution and a little fish emulsion fertilizer, and you have a great spray on fertilizer. Use this once a month to give your plants an extra boost of goodness. Using eggshells as fertilizer, is one of the best way to use egg shells in the garden to benefit your plants!
Feeding Eggshells to Chickens
Now, this is not a use for your eggshells directly in your garden, unless you use your chicken manure in your garden! But eggshells can be crushed and fed right back to your chickens to boost their calcium intake. Just like feeding them oyster shells, but this option is free and available if you already have chickens, so why not choose it?
See my other articles on chickens:
Chicken Breeds for Colorful Eggs
What are Crushed Eggshells Good For?
I hope from reading above, that you have discovered a few good reasons to dry out your eggshells crush them up and how to use them in your garden. They are good for adding in when you are planting your plants, making fertilizer, adding to compost or for feeding your chickens. So don't let those eggshells go to waist!
See my How to Use Eggshells in the Garden Web Story!
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Amanda
Thanks for sharing! I am newer to gardening and had no idea this was a thing! I am going to try it out this spring 🙂
Tamara
Hi Amanda! Thanks for stopping by! I am always happy to answer any gardening questions should you have any! 🙂
Sheila
Another use for the prepared eggshells is to sprinkle them on the ground for birds. It sounds a little creepy, but they need the calcium for egg production.
Tamara
Hi Sheila! Yes! You are correct! I mentioned feeding them to my chickens for that reason. But I suppose wild birds would benefit too! Thanks for stopping by!
Jason
This works so well! I had 85% plus tomato and pepper success rate last summer in preventing B.E.R. I start collecting shells art Christmas. Put in garage they are dry and brittle after a few weeks.
Tamara
Hi Jason! Glad to hear that it works well for someone else! Thanks for stopping by!
Tommy
It seems a bit like a waste of energy to put them in the oven. I use grinded eggshells in the garden too, but the process works fine without the oven.
Tamara
Hi Tommy, Yes, the oven is an extra step. If you don't mind waiting for the egg shells to dry out naturally, or, if you don't mind larger pieces of shell in the garden, than there is no need to use the oven. I find that if the egg shells aren't dried out thoroughly, and you want to grind them into small bits, that tough membrane can be rubbery and inhibit breaking them into tiny pieces. Placing them in the oven for a bit just helps to dry them out quickly, but it is totally optional!
Jayne Southwick
I use eggshells in my garden and like you, I like to crush them myself. I have a mortar and pestle and use it for crushing eggshells. And yes, it is very satisfying. Relaxing. And my teenage grandson started crushing them when he comes over and actually said it’s therapeutic! I suggest people try it. You’ll be surprised how good it makes you feel!
Laurie
Well...that was a simple idea, but I've been throwing them in the compost!
Will consider crushing and baking them, because we have had a problem with blossom end rot in the past.
Thank you!
Blessings, Laurie
Tamara
Hi Laurie! Glad I could help!
Dee Mallett
Wonderful way to use the eggshells! I keep a gallon bag that I continually add to. This year for the first time I added finely crushed eggshells in with planting my tomatoes. Had read somewhere that the extra calcium would be good. We'll see when they start producing if it makes a difference!
I am going to make up your recipe, I just bought Epsom Salts and pretty sure I still have some Fish Emulsion.. thank you for your wonderful sharing!
Tamara
Hi Dee! You are welcome! I love repurposing things like this! Glad you found this article useful! 🙂
Rafael
Hi,is this good for houseplants too,.?
Tamara
Hi Rafael, I suppose it could also work with houseplants, but it is best to test your soil first and see if it is lacking in calcium. If you have a dog or cat in your home, they may also be attracted to the smell of the eggshells, so be wary of that. 🙂
Gia
Hi Tamara! What would be the ratio of epsom salts to eggshells and water to make the liquid fertilizer? Thanks for this information!
Tamara
Hi Gia! My usual spray on mix I add 1 TBSN each of epsom salt and fish fertilizer per gallon of water. If you want to soak a tablespoon or two of eggshells in that water for 24 hrs or longer first, that is a great way to add extra calcium. I hope that helps!
Curtis
What abt using coffee grounds w/egg shells?
Tamara
Yes! Spent coffee grounds are also great to add to your garden! Fresh coffee grounds can make the soil more acidic, so only add fresh coffee to acid loving plants. But spend ones add nitrogen when added to compost only, or they can be used as mulch or pest deterrents.
Don Kerr
Putting the eggshells in a brown paper bag while crushing keeps them all together. Can even use your hands to crush rather than a spoon. The bag can also be added to the soil or compost. I also agree with the above comment. Only need to speed up the drying if using immediately. They will dry out naturally while being stored.
Marcel mailloux
The best way to crush your eggshell is to use your rolling pin or a four inch piece of plastic pipe. Works good.
Virginia Guiang-Santoro
What other plants can you use your eggshells other than tomatoes and peppers?
Tamara
Hi Virginia,
Any vegetable that is prone to blossom end rot, which is mostly tomatoes and peppers but also melons, summer squash and eggplants. Or do a soil test to see where you might be lacking in calcium and distribute them in that area. 🙂
Annette James
An easier way to crush your eggshells. Put them in a paper bag as you accumulate them. When you have quite a few, close up the bag and step on it gently until all the eggshells are crushed, then put them in the jar for saving. They dry out nicely in the paper bag without too much work!
Isabel
Thank for all the great ideas, I am new to organic gardening and this will save me money and get better harvest.
Tamara
Hi Isabel, Glad to be of help! Good luck with your gardening efforts! 🙂
Lanita
As with so many people, I’m new to gardening as well. When collecting egg shells until I have cumulated a few, do I rinse the shells and can I store them in a zip lock bag in the fridge?
Tamara
Hi Lanita, yes that would work, however, I just throw them in a bowl I leave on my counter until it is full and then follow the steps I have outlined here. 🙂
Therese Burch
Don't the egg shells smell bad after saving them a while? Especially if they're covered?
Tamara
Hi Therese,
I have not noticed a smell from mine. If they are thoroughly dried out before storing, they should not have a smell to them.
Pam Fuller
I also save eggshells i throw them into an old ice cream container in the garage no lid, they do not smell at all and they don’t take long to dry. Then into the liquidiser or food processor (have tried with rolling pin but it takes too long, patience is not one of my virtues) till size you want (don’t put head over top of machine after grinding there is quite a lot of powder which I think might be protein, just let it settle) and store them in a big jar with lid until ready to use, they are excellent scattered in a line about 1- 2 feet away around runner beans, I had no slugs at all
Mary Frances
Hi! I can't wait to try this in the spring. BTW my maiden name was Reid!!
Wanda
I have used the baking egg method also to prepare the egg shells for my garden. I read about boiling egg shells to get rid of bad organisms so egg shells are safe to use. What is your opinion about the boiling method?
Tamara
Hi Wanda, I don't think you need to boil egg shells to get rid of bad organisms. I don't think there is anything bad on them that will harm your plants. However, I have heard of boiling egg shells to leach some of the calcium out of them and make a base liquid fertilizer with the water. Hope that helps!