All gardeners and gardeners know that the soil needs constant replenishment, only then large, healthy plants will grow on it. But few of them are aware of the use of eggshells, the benefits of such a fertilizer for the garden and the ways it is used. In the article we will consider how to make an ideal fertilizer for the earth from the improvised waste of eggs and in what way it is better to make it.
Ingredients of the eggshell
The main share in the shell of chicken eggs is 95% easily digestible calcium. In quail shells, this percentage is slightly lower, to 92%.The remaining organic microelements that make up the shell are: magnesium( 0.65%), potassium( 0.11%), phosphorus( 0.13%), other elements - sulfur, aluminum, iron. The content of these or other components depends on what the chicken eats, what is its grade.
In order for eggs to contain a maximum of useful substances and easily digestible calcium carbonate, the bird must be fed only with natural products, fresh, vitamin-containing. If the chicken lives according to the conditions of the poultry farm, then with food, it receives additional vitamins for rapid growth or egg production. This method of growing birds affects the thickness of the shell and the chemical composition of nutrient macronutrients. Scientists have proved that the brown shell of eggs is thicker, it contains more calcium than white.
Collecting and preparing chicken and quail shells
- Collect all eggshells, rinse thoroughly under running water. The main thing is to remove excess protein with yolk. This item is not allowed to be carried out only if the eggshell is further dried.
- Dry the future fertilizer for the soil under the sun. Keep in mind that if the shell is washed, the water will dry for an hour, and if there are surpluses of protein or yolk on the egg shell, they can dry for about a day.
- When the shell has been cleaned, dried, it is worth starting to grind it in a coffee grinder, stupa, meat grinder or other device. To the shell of eggs turned into a powder, it is possible to decompose it on a cutting board and roll it several times over it with a shaker to roll out the dough. So it will be possible to grind very quickly, easily, so many housewives use this method.
- The degree of grinding depends on which fertilizer method was chosen. For infusions, you need to use shredded small pieces of shell, and for direct addition to the ground it is better to grind it into the sand.
- In no case is it worth boiling or steaming the egg shells, this kind of heat treatment damages the chemical bonds and the useful properties of the egg shell are lost. Use of broths is possible, but the amount of calcium in them is much less.
What is the use of the egg shell for the garden
Often, improvised materials or waste can serve as a good fertilizer for the land, this applies not only to the egg shell, but also to ash, wood shavings, sand, humus. The composition of the egg shells contains a large amount of useful calcium, and this by itself increases the fertility of the soil. If the soil is fertilized with a ground shell, the air permeability increases, which allows the plant to receive more oxygen. A positive feature is the increase in the looseness of the earth.
Fertilizer for increasing soil fertility
Soil fertility directly depends on its acidity. At high rates, the land will not have the opportunity to please a large crop. To reduce the acidity of the soil, it costs 1 to 30 square meters to bring in 30-50 crushed shells from chicken eggs. Before adding this fertilizer, it is recommended to heat it in the oven, so that calcium is absorbed by the earth more quickly.
Often the acidity of the soil is reduced by expensive mineral fertilizers, and that they are better absorbed, the egg shell is mixed with agrochemicals, the mixture is added to the soil. This method helps to avoid negative consequences from the use of chemicals and significantly improve the fertility of the soil, affecting its acidity.
When the egg shell is added to the soil, it becomes more free-flowing, so the water that enters this earth passes faster and does not leave open channels behind it. This will reduce the number of propolks to maintain the moisture content of the bed, and reduce the amount of watering. Although visually it may seem that the assimilation of the egg shell is very low due to its density, but this is absolutely not the case, for several years the shredded shell will improve the condition of the earth. Under what plants can you make eggshell
Eggshell as a fertilizer with calcium is allowed to be applied to the following plant species for their better growth, development:
- Vegetables: tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, carrots, beets, potatoes, eggplant, cabbage.
- Fruit trees: apple, pear, plum, apricot, cherry, cherry, cherry plum.
- Bushes: raspberry, gooseberry, currant, dogwood, viburnum.
- Flowers - any.
- Other plant species that have a positive calcium intake.
It is recommended in some cases to grow seedlings of some garden plants directly in half of the eggshells. In this way, the young plant will receive the necessary calcium, and when its root in the hole grows, it breaks the shell. This method not only primarily helps the plant to obtain the necessary trace elements, but also fertilizes the future soil in which growth continues. Often this method of calcium fertilization is used in the cultivation of tomatoes, peppers, and cabbage. Sometimes it can be effective in the cultivation of watermelons and melons.
How to use the shell in the garden
The egg shell can be used in different ways, depending on the goals and expected results. It is easy to add in a powdered state, in whole or slightly crushed. The main thing to remember is that even a commercially available film can be an excellent addition for improving the condition of the earth, although it hinders a little when working with a shell.
Application of dry powder
- Dry egg powder should be covered in a bottle, there are several holes for an even rash. It is easier to spread such fertilizer with your hands, but there is a chance to get a result "there is dense, but there is nothing."
- After this, it is worth well watering the soil until the egg powder is completely absorbed. If there are small places on the surface of the earth with fertilizer, it's okay, it will be absorbed later.
- The procedure should be repeated several times, so it is better to stretch this process for a couple of days so as not to walk on wet ground.
- For qualitative fertilization, it is recommended to use 80-100 shells from eggs per 1 square meter of wilted earth.
- Dry powder is allowed to dilute with water, to water them indoor plants or seeds during planting, so they will receive the desired calcium.
How to make and use the infusion for the garden
- We collect a few fresh eggshells( about 3-4 pieces) and without washing them, put them in a jar. Then pour warm water to full coverage and cover not tightly with a lid or a plate. When this mixture is infused, hydrogen sulphide will be released, which has a not very pleasant smell, so it is better to remove such a container with the shell in a dark and distant place. After 3-4 days, the infusion is ready to work, watering them is allowed indoor plants or garden, without even planting additional water. Such fertilizer should be used in winter, in the spring, when the soil needs fertilizing.
- In 1 liter of warm water, add 5 shells from eggs and their proteins, mix thoroughly, cover, put in a dark cool place. After 10-15 days, when there is a not very pleasant smell, the mixture is ready to be introduced into the soil. To do this, it must be diluted with 10-12 liters of water at room temperature and sprayed onto the ground with watering spray. If you get on the leaves of plants, this fertilizer will not burn them, so this infusion can be used for greenhouse crops, for any greenery in an open area.
- Prepare 20 chicken egg shells, crush them a little, add 3 liters of water. Bring the mixture to a boil and keep on fire for about 2-3 minutes. After cooling, dilute the mixture with 5 liters of water, apply to watering indoor plants, garden crops. This infusion is very useful for growing spring seedlings, it will allow plants to grow quickly and take the maximum amount of minerals from the soil.
- Mix 100 grams of egg shell, onion husks, walnut leaves, add 50 g of lime. Fill all this with 1 liter of boiling water, we insist 1 day. After percolation, the liquid should be diluted with 10-12 liters of water and the fertilizer is ready. It is recommended to make it in the spring, when the plants in the garden only break through. This infusion will help the green to grow healthy, great.
Video: How to prepare a fertilizer from eggshell and orange skin
For this it is necessary to prepare 5-6 eggshells, crust 1 orange. These ingredients are crushed, mixed, lowered into a 3-liter container. In the pan boil the water, pour it into the shell mixture with orange, stir. Let's brew into the future fertilizer for a few hours before cooling down completely. This infusion will be a good solution for improving the condition of indoor plants, it should be prepared 1-2 times and applied every month. As an addition, watch the video about egg shell fertilizer: