Friday, May 31, 2013

Don't Throw Those Eggshells Away



Save them for your garden!  That's right, your tomatoes will love them.  Grab a container and save them throughout the year.  I recommend drying them first and than storing them; otherwise, you could end up with a rotten egg smell.  I sit mine outside on sunny days to dry or stick them in the oven after cooking a meal to dry out.  They don't need to be in the oven long or on a high temperature.  Once cooled, crush them and put them in a plastic bag or container and store them in your freezer or the refrigerator.  You can use a rolling pin to crush them.

Once garden season arrives, crush a few aspirin or calcium tablets and sprinkle it along with the crushed eggshells in the hole when you plant your tomatoes.  I also sprinkle some around the soil once I get the tomatoes in the ground.  I actually do this throughout the growing season.  The eggshells will help give your tomatoes a calcium boost, and help fight off blossom end rot.   It's also suppose to be a deterrent for slugs, cutworms and snails.

Do you use eggshells in your garden?  How do you deter blossom end rot?

                                                                







6 comments:

  1. I have read many times about using eggshells. I did use coffee grounds on the hydrangeas and It might have helped. So perhaps I should do the same with the egg shells.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's worth a try. My grandfather used them in his garden, so I've always added them to mine.

      Delete
  2. Not a single tomato in my garden would turn out if it weren't for a handful of eggshells at planting time. They would all have blossom end rot. Our soil here is very calcium deficient. Do you have chickens? Or do you get your eggs locally? I love all the colors! Oh and the scrapbook is digital and I just have it printed. In fact, the great thing about the fishing in Alaska scrapbook is that we had 4 copies printed. What a time saver! I also make family history pages that way for Christmas and share with every family member.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I always add the eggshells at planting time too. No, I buy my eggs locally. The colors are beautiful. My grandchildren love eggs from the colored shells. I love scrapbooking. I would love to see your family history pages. I'm making a family scrapbook for my daughter's birthday gift. They may inspire me.

      Delete
  3. That's a great tip! I have used them in my composter, but didn't know about using them directly in the planting process. I've also never heard about coffee ground fertilizer. Again, I always use the leftover coffee grounds in the composter. Great tips!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm always looking for ways to reuse my kitchen scraps, newspapers, plastic bottles.

      Delete