Egg shells as plant food

Eggshells are chiefly calcium. Dry 'em (poss toss them into the ovenafter you've pulled out supper and let them coast on the residual heat), crumble them up, then sprinkle around the base of plants which have higher calcium demands (tomatoes and cucumbers for instance).

I honestly don't go through the hassle myself - I just add them to the composter with green matter from the ktichen (but never meat/dairy), or feed them back to my chickens (who take up the calcium for producing eggshells - though their lay mix has oyster shell in it for the same purpose).

Egg shells tend to make soil more alkaline. Where I live, this is definitely not a good thing since both our soils and our water already are quite alkaline.

For calcium, I use gypsum (calcium sulfate), which tends to be neutral.

Alkaline (high pH = bacterial), with in limits, is good for a vegetable garden, and acidity (low pH = fungi) is good for perennial plants. We are basically talking about a pH of 5 to a pH of 8 for all types of gardens from perennial to annual.

As far as egg shells go, they are a real slow release. So the question is how long will you be cultivating this earth? If a long time, add eggshells. If you are leaving this residence soon, you'd probably get more bang for your buck from the gypsum.

Toss 'em in the compost and be done with it. Chief value is for calcium, which is something all plants need in moderation.

Gypsum and calcium don't "tend" to be neutral, they *are* neutral. Egg shells are neutral too. Eggshells are NOT alkaline nor do they make soil alkaline. However one would need to add an awful lot of eggshells to derive a benefit. It's far better to apply gardening lime, granular lime works best and is much easier to apply evenly. If one desires add your eggshells to your composter, but be aware that eggshells take a very long time to break down. And unless eggshells are scrupulously cleaned the proteins clinging to the interior will attract vermin. Putting eggshells in the garden does more harm than good.

Gypsum is roughly neutral yes. I don't know what you mean by 'calcium' in this case as you surely would not have metallic calcium and the degree of alkalinity would depend on the salt of calcium. For example calcium hydroxide (builder's lime) is more alkaline that calcium carbonate (garden lime).

No. Once the adhering protein is gone egg shells are mainly calcium carbonate the same as garden lime, they have some protein bound into the structure of the shell but not much. The difference is the speed that they dissolve. Lime is usually ground quite finely and it will dissolve much quicker (and therefore raise the pH quicker ) than eggshells which are in big chunks.

However one would need to add an awful lot of

True, this is the key point. Unless you have a lot of chooks and grind up the shells finely it will take an eon to do very much if anything at all.

If

I doubt it. A few ants in the compost don't matter. I put eggshells in the compost not because I want to lime my garden but to get rid of them conveniently and because they do no harm.

Thanks, everybody. Project hereby abandoned. Appreciate the wisdom.

HB

for me recycling eggshells wasn't worth the added expense. a bag of agricultural lime ran about $6.50 for 50lbs. at the rate i use it that should keep me a good

songbird

You live where the soil is acidic. I live where both the soil and water are alkaline.

At least once each year, I broadcast soil sulfur around certain plants such as camellias, roses, a liquidambar tree, an Australian tea tree, and a gardenia. On the other hand, my bearded iris, primroses, and cheddar pinks (dianthus) thrive with the alkalinity. Agricultural lime is hard to find in my area.

That's utter nonsense... agri lime is sold at every plant nursery in the US, everywhere that sells lawn maintence and farming products sells agri lime... not to mention all over the internet. Where's this secretive area you live... in your lonely drug crazed fantasy world... you're being ridiculous and dishonest.

Dolomitic lime adds calcium and magnesium, plus helps to keep pH levels stable. Eggshells have the most benefit with vermicomposting, keeps the crew healthy.

Drywall scraps are a cheap, if not free, source.

No, it was originally alkaline; good old California adobe. However, it has been modified over many decades by the previous owner and myself, so it's pretty well balanced by now.

HB

Which you then have to grind up somehow or wait for ages. Gypsum isn't expensive.

Amazing... truly amazing.

Provided your soil needs magnesium as well.

Drywall does not readily dissolve into the soil and it also contains several elements that may not be desirable, especially for food crops. I wouldn't consider any building materials safe for amending soil. The last people who lived here dumped a good sized pile of drywall in the woods and it's still there in the same condition it was when I noticed it more than ten years ago. I strongly suggest disposing of all building materials properly and buy agri lime, it's cheap... I've never seen wallboard marked Safe for Food Crops. Actually I think people who cheap-out by using inapropriate materials for gardening are definitely mentally ill... this Haskill creep is very sick. Ross and Boson aren't too well wrapped either... I'd be very wary of these kind. It's been my experience that tightwadedness is highly indicative of severe psychosis... these are the kind of males who beat their wives for buying new panties without their permission.

Fresh, regular white and gray sheetrock is gypsum, silicon, cellulose, stuff that's already present in soil. Scrap from demolition contains a witch's brew of who the hell knows what, which should be avoided, of course.

Needs to be busted up. One good soaking rain will handle the rest.

Guess what clay buster is made from.

I prefer "cheap."

If foliage is yellow, and not due to iron or nitrogen deficiency, suspect Mg shortage. Hard to overdose with dolomite.

A spoonful of epsom salts is recommended when planting tomatoes or peppers. These appreciate an extra dose of magnesium.