9 wonderful uses of eggshells in gardening: promote blooming and prevent pests

Eggshells are a very cheap and valuable thing, but most gardening enthusiasts only know that they can be used as fertilizer to supplement calcium, but they have other great uses too, did you know?

Fun facts:

Eggshells contain more than 95% minerals, mainly calcium carbonate (83~85%) and protein (15~17%), and this changes with age. Eggshells also contain some magnesium, potassium, iron and phosphorus, as well as trace amounts of manganese, and there are so many things they can be used for.

1. Compost

Eggshells discarded in daily life can be washed clean, dried in the sun and then crushed (the finer the better), and then put into the compost bin. They are excellent composting material and can increase the calcium in the soil. Just be careful not to mix them with alkaline soil.

2. Stop annoying little crawling pests

But they can be dried in the sun and crushed, then placed where snails and slugs appear. Eggshells can drive away snails and slugs, the principle being that they do not like the jagged texture of eggshells, and the fragments are the most effective. (This also works for most other small mollusks.)

3. Mini seed-starting containers

Eggshells also make very good seed-starting pots, very mini, though of course you need to carefully shape them into a container, and the bottom must be pierced to drain water. Without holes, the seedlings are very hard to keep alive.

When the seedlings have grown big enough to transplant (after growing 3~4 true leaves), you can transplant them into the soil together with the eggshell, or you can peel off the shell.

4. Benefits for tomatoes

When planting tomatoes, you can add a small amount of crushed eggshells (dried in the sun and then crushed) at the bottom. This will provide the tomatoes with large amounts of minerals and trace elements. The effect on tomatoes is relatively slow, but very effective.

It helps tomatoes grow healthily and increases the plant's disease resistance. The rotting of tomato flower buds in many gardening enthusiasts' plants is caused by calcium deficiency!

5. Natural fertilizer

Eggshells can also be used as mineral fertilizer. First wash the eggshells clean, dry them in the sun and crush them, grinding them as fine as possible, as this will work better. They mainly work best on ornamental plants (crushed about like in the picture above is about right). Just sprinkle them directly into the soil, and the effect will show before long!

Which plants is eggshell fertilizer effective on? Mainly: olive, oleander, zucchini and tomato, etc.

6. Benefits for chives

Using eggshells in the care of chives is also highly recommended. Following the method described above, put crushed eggshells at the roots of the chives. They will gradually decompose and provide calcium to the chives.

7. Decorative effect of eggshells

Using dried and crushed eggshells as plant decoration, this is something gardening enthusiasts would never have expected, right? They can not only keep slugs and snails away, but are also excellent decorative fragments!

From a distance it looks like it is covered with pebbles, and it is also suitable for use in potted plants. (Note that the eggshells must be washed clean, dried in the sun for three days and crushed before use.)

8. Mini potted plants

Eggshells can also become very artistic containers, and can also be used for some small succulents, such as Sedum rubrotinctum, Sedum pachyphyllum, Sempervivum tectorum, Haworthia, Graptopetalum mendozae, etc.

9. Eggshell art

Eggshells can also become works of art. Of course, you need to have very good painting skills and craftsmanship. These cute "painted eggs" will be the best decorations and gifts.