What did you do in the garden today?

[gtaus]

Stop and consider this logically for a moment... If you put full eggshells in your garden, your plants will feed off them for the entire garden season. Yet people are claiming that if you put them (crushed or not) in your compost, that they will not be bioavailable to plant life for months or years? That's illogical.

I'm not a chemist, but I did take college chemistry. The point of those articles is that the calcium carbonate bond in eggshells is very strong and can take years to break down and become bioavailable to the plants. Soil pH makes a difference. Although you might not be able to see any eggshells in the soil at the end of a growing season, that does not mean the chemical bond has been broken to feed the plants.

When I read more about the calcium carbonate bond, I discovered that burying eggshells in the garden does not feed the plants like I expected. That's why I switched to crushing and feeding the eggshells to the chickens. The chicken's digestive process will absorb some of that calcium into their body and whatever is left in the chicken poo will break down faster due to the nature of the poo. That's still my preferred method to use all those eggshells.

But any use of eggshells in the garden, for the chickens, or in compost will have benefits given time.

In short, from what I have read, putting eggshells into the ground will provide calcium to the plants for years in a slow release process, crushing the eggshells into smaller pieces speeds up the process, grinding them to a powder even better, but soaking them in a vinegar solution to break that calcium carbonate bond will make calcium acetate, which can be diluted and used immediately as a natural liquid fertilizer. All good options, some just faster than others.

So I will agree to disagree with the opinion that eggshells must be powdered or fed to chickens to release their minerals and nutrients back to the soil. My experience has been different.

Go with what works for you. I was only passing on info that I had read on the subject. I have no personal opinion invested in the subject. I just hope more people will realize that using eggshells in the garden, compost, or feeding them back to their chickens is much better than tossing them in the garbage can and hauling them off to a landfill.

 

[gtaus]

Other ways to add calcium. And can too much be a bad thing?

Of course, too much calcium can create a problem. However, most soils have a calcium deficiency rather than excess calcium. I asked how many eggshells it would take to create an excess of calcium in my typical 4X4 foot raised bed. The short answer was that it would take hundreds of eggshells. I don't think most of us would have to worry about that.

Here is part of the longer response I read...

*************************
...(Mostly math involving volume of raised bed)...

Estimation:​

• If you crush and add eggshells to the bed, the calcium release will depend on how finely they are ground and the soil's acidity.
• To reach excessive calcium levels, you'd likely need hundreds of eggshells, especially if they are added whole or in large pieces, as they break down slowly.

Practical Advice:​

• Adding eggshells in moderation is unlikely to cause harm. If you're concerned about overloading calcium, consider testing your soil's calcium levels before adding large quantities of eggshells.

*********************

I think most of us probably have to worry about blossom end rot, which is a calcium deficiency, but that can also be caused by environmental or cultural factors that disrupt calcium uptake, like inconsistent watering. I have found that tomato plants in my hügelkultur raised beds have less blossom end rot than tomatoes planted in "regular" raised beds. I think the logs in the bottom of the hügelkultur raised beds provide a more consistent supply of water to the plants.

 

[akroberts1085]

I read that if you choose to put citrus peel or onion scraps in the compost it's a good idea to add more egg shells and banana peel. I'm not sure if it's true but that's what I read.

 

[MotherofOrpies]

I have read that fermenting them first helps with that. I dunno, I’m not really growing them for the food, more for the flowers. If we eat some then fine, if not then ok no big deal.

Yes, it helps,but the method is not perfect

 

[MotherofOrpies]

Yesterday I went to one (of two that I know of) automatic car wash in my town. There are a few self serve ones. I hadn’t been there for awhile, but car really needed it. I was shocked at the cost. They definitely increased it since last time. It was $27 for ONE wash (highest level…all the stuff), and the cheapest was $19. Their schtick is pay $27 for one wash or sign up for the monthly unlimited plan (which is $27)….i can cancel, but that’s a pain and I don’t need a weekly or daily wash. So, I went with $22 wash (bc I had $22 in cash) and figured it might be time to explore the self serve wash places to compare. One of the self serve places even has an indoor self-serve dog wash - it looks pretty modern and nice.

Here, the water is so expensive, they would go belly up if they offered a monthly unlimited within a month
It used (!) to be that the men washed their car in their driveway every Sunday, and the wives were jealous that the car was getting more attention from their husbands than they got, how the times change!

 

[cj2024]

I'm not a chemist, but I did take college chemistry. The point of those articles is that the calcium carbonate bond in eggshells is very strong and can take years to break down and become bioavailable to the plants. Soil pH makes a difference. Although you might not be able to see any eggshells in the soil at the end of a growing season, that does not mean the chemical bond has been broken to feed the plants.

When I read more about the calcium carbonate bond, I discovered that burying eggshells in the garden does not feed the plants like I expected. That's why I switched to crushing and feeding the eggshells to the chickens. The chicken's digestive process will absorb some of that calcium into their body and whatever is left in the chicken poo will break down faster due to the nature of the poo. That's still my preferred method to use all those eggshells.

But any use of eggshells in the garden, for the chickens, or in compost will have benefits given time.

In short, from what I have read, putting eggshells into the ground will provide calcium to the plants for years in a slow release process, crushing the eggshells into smaller pieces speeds up the process, grinding them to a powder even better, but soaking them in a vinegar solution to break that calcium carbonate bond will make calcium acetate, which can be diluted and used immediately as a natural liquid fertilizer. All good options, some just faster than others.



Go with what works for you. I was only passing on info that I had read on the subject. I have no personal opinion invested in the subject. I just hope more people will realize that using eggshells in the garden, compost, or feeding them back to their chickens is much better than tossing them in the garbage can and hauling them off to a landfill.

This is the best video on turning eggshells into calcium plants can use.

 

[chickengr]

Useful Info on Composting Eggshells

I did a quick AI inquiry about composting eggshells and comparing that to using chickens to first eat the eggshells and then composting the chicken poo.

I'll just copy and paste the response for anyone interested in this topic. I thought the response was interesting.

***********************
Eggshells are primarily composed of calcium carbonate, which is a stable compound that takes a long time to break down under normal conditions. Here's what you need to know:

Breakdown Time​

• In Compost: Eggshells can take years to fully decompose in compost, especially if left whole. Crushing or grinding them into smaller pieces significantly speeds up the process, as it increases the surface area for microbial activity.
• In Soil: In acidic soil, finely crushed eggshells dissolve faster, releasing calcium to plants. However, intact eggshells can remain visible for decades or even centuries.

Impact of Size​

• Smaller pieces decompose faster because they provide more surface area for microbes and chemical reactions. Crushing eggshells before adding them to compost or soil is highly recommended.

Effect of Chickens Eating Eggshells​

• When chickens eat eggshells, their digestive systems break them down into smaller particles. The calcium is absorbed by the chicken, and any remaining fragments are excreted in their manure.
• In Compost: Eggshells in chicken manure may decompose faster due to the breakdown that occurs in the chicken's digestive system and the nutrient-rich environment of the manure.

If you're composting eggshells, crushing them first or using chicken manure as part of the compost mix can help speed up the process. Let me know if you'd like tips on optimizing your composting setup!

I don't know what to think. I watched a youtube video where a guy put whole muscovy duck eggs in his raised beds. some months later there was no trace of eggs.

 

[Minanora]

Of course, too much calcium can create a problem. However, most soils have a calcium deficiency rather than excess calcium. I asked how many eggshells it would take to create an excess of calcium in my typical 4X4 foot raised bed. The short answer was that it would take hundreds of eggshells. I don't think most of us would have to worry about that.

Here is part of the longer response I read...

*************************
...(Mostly math involving volume of raised bed)...

Estimation:​

• If you crush and add eggshells to the bed, the calcium release will depend on how finely they are ground and the soil's acidity.
• To reach excessive calcium levels, you'd likely need hundreds of eggshells, especially if they are added whole or in large pieces, as they break down slowly.

Practical Advice:​

• Adding eggshells in moderation is unlikely to cause harm. If you're concerned about overloading calcium, consider testing your soil's calcium levels before adding large quantities of eggshells.

*********************

I think most of us probably have to worry about blossom end rot, which is a calcium deficiency, but that can also be caused by environmental or cultural factors that disrupt calcium uptake, like inconsistent watering. I have found that tomato plants in my hügelkultur raised beds have less blossom end rot than tomatoes planted in "regular" raised beds. I think the logs in the bottom of the hügelkultur raised beds provide a more consistent supply of water to the plants.

What about when your water is liquid rock? GH of over 300, KH around 200. Is the calcium in hard water not an available form? I've never considered the fact that it may not be bio available. I don't usually have end rot on most varieties of fruit. Sometimes though.


I am constantly adding sulphur and iron to get the pH of my soil down below 8.... It's a nightmare and a half but I have managed to keep ph near 7 with compost, sulphur and peat. I use the epsoma soil acidifier on my berries every fall.

 

[chickengr]

I am going to buy an apple and peach tree to plant. yesterday I was given 2 old heat resistant varieties of tomato seedlings and white eggplant. so I'll be busy today.

 

[gtaus]

I don't know what to think. I watched a youtube video where a guy put whole muscovy duck eggs in his raised beds. some months later there was no trace of eggs.

I had previously assumed that if I put eggshells into the ground, and a few months later could not see any visible signs of those eggshells, that the eggshells must have fully composted, and all the nutrients (calcium) had been released into the soil. According to these chemists, the calcium bond in the eggshells is very strong and it can take up to years for that bond to break in soil and become bioavailable to the plants. The calcium might not be bioavailable to the plants until long after you cannot visually detect any eggshells in the soil.

There are many ways to speed up that process of breaking that chemical bond and releasing that calcium. Since I have chickens, I prefer to crush the eggshells and feed them back to the chickens in their chicken scratch. Whatever parts of eggshells they eat, their body will absorb some of the calcium. What remaining eggshell passes through their digestive track will break down faster in the chicken poo, compared to soil or compost.

IMHO, the only incorrect way of using eggshells is to toss them into the garbage can. Reusing eggshells in the garden, in compost, or feeding them back to the chickens will all result in benefits to you. Some methods of calcium extraction are just faster than others.