Grounded egg shells

[veg4681]

I have been collecting egg shells with the intention to grind them before chucking in the compost (as they don't break down well). Before I do so, am I better off saving these as plant food or mix in with soil/compost for a potted veggie? So is there any veggie that can benefit from a nice bit of calcium (is it calcium for that matter)? Thanks .

[Two_Sheds]

Yes, its calcium. They are esp.useful (baked for a while to harden up) sprinkled around hostas etc. to keep slugs and snails off.

[Glasshousevirgin]

I am not so keen on them in compost so like to let them dry after washing off sticky albumin, smash them up and scatter around plants to reduce snail attack.
Every little helps to keep these slimy horrors at bay

[Woofster]

I washed and saved my eggshells and then ground them to a powder in the blender and added them to the compost heap that way. I hope they'll do some good !

[Sue]

Hi
I had an experiment last year to see if egg shells did work as slug deterrents. I chose a large lettuce and put a good ring of crushed egg shells round it. It took 35 eggs worth of shell to make a good thick barrier. This worked well for a few weeks, then it started raining and in came the slugs and ate my experimental lettuce to a stub.
Currently I feed most of my egg shells back to the hens (cooked and crushed) as after the above trial felt it wasn't worth using them as a slug barrier and besides to protect a decent amount of stuff you'd need to eat hundreds of them.
The worms like them so they have a few and the rest get crushed and stuck in the compost heap.
Sue

[cstopallot]

I crush them up, then mix equal parts egg shell, blood fish & bone, and home made compost. Put a handful of this in the hole when planting brassicas - and watch them grow.

[Chiana]

Can't remember where I read it, but you can put some under your tomatoes to stop blossom end rot, think that's what it was for anyway I've read so much information over the past year, just hope I'm remembering it right with this scatty head of mine!

[veg4681]

Can't remember where I read it, but you can put some under your tomatoes to stop blossom end rot, think that's what it was for anyway I've read so much information over the past year, just hope I'm remembering it right with this scatty head of mine!

Yes me too, I have come across article about using egg with tomato growing in container, in fact it was using a whole egg . I can get my egg cheaply from a local egg farm (not battery caged) so can afford this experiment. Wish me luck!

[bootie]

I put egg shells in my compost, but they never seem to decompose!

[Alison]

Mine all go in the wormery to stop it from getting too acidic. Not sure how but they seem to disappear by the time I harvest the compost.

[Shortie]

I have been collecting egg shells with the intention to grind them before chucking in the compost (as they don't break down well).

Aahhhh... ... ... That would explain why my perfectly decomposed compost last year had perfectly whole (if not a tad squashed) egg shells in it. I'll be crushing them as of now

[veg4681]

Aahhhh... ... ... That would explain why my perfectly decomposed compost last year had perfectly whole (if not a tad squashed) egg shells in it. I'll be crushing them as of now

I actually use Jamie Oliver's granite pestle & motar to grind them finely so I save up a bit before doing in batch. Even crushing with hand, I don't find them fine enough.

[Sue]

Veg
Easier to put them in a plastic bag and bash them with a steak hammer or something similar.
best wishes
Sue

[Shortie]

Veg
Easier to put them in a plastic bag and bash them with a steak hammer or something similar.
best wishes
Sue

Sounds like some good stress relief in that method

[Growem]

If you are going to grind the shells with a machine, make sure the container is GLASS, not plastic. I made the mistake of crushing some egg shells in my food processor and now have permanent scratches on the sides. A blender works just as well and won't scratch.