Food scraps are for the garbage. Afterall, what reason could there possibly be for hanging on to old food scraps? Well, there are actually a few reasons.
Eggshells, which we usually toss in the trash, are full of nutrients and other things that can do our garden good. So, you might want to hang on to them after you read this.
Here are 9 uses for eggshells in the garden:
1) Mulch With It
Use eggshells as you would mulch. It gives your garden a pretty appearance and can be used to deter weeds if your layer is thick enough.
2) Feed Birds
Birds are great at controlling the insect population, so you’ll want to keep lots of bird around your home and garden. Sprinkle some eggshells around your yard or with birdseed to give birds a calcium boost.
3) Get Rid of Slugs
Slugs are icky looking and also like to eat sprouting leaves in your garden. You can get rid of them by sprinkling coarse ground eggshells around your garden. It will scratch up the bellies of slugs who will want to avoid them. Re-apply every time it rains.
4) Heal Splinters and Cuts
Eggs have a membrane inside of their shell which possesses great healing abilities. Use this moist membrane on your splinters and cuts to heal faster.
5) Deter Deer
Deer do not like the pungent smell of eggs. Try spreading eggshells to keep them at bay.
6) Compost Tea
Boil a gallon of water and add 10 to 20 dry eggshells to it. Let it steep overnight and strain the liquid. Use this potassium and calcium filled concoction as a liquid fertilizer.
7) Vibrant Tomatoes
Plants like tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants can sometimes get blossom-end rot because of an imbalance in calcium. To prevent this, crush four dried eggshells and sprinkle it in the soil around your vegetable when you plant it.
8) Deter Cats
If your cat likes to use your garden as a bathroom, place some eggshells in the area. Cats don’t like stepping on them and will avoid the area.
9) Mineral-Filled Soil
Mix eggshells in with your soil to give your soil a calcium and magnesium boost.
10) Improve Drainage in Planters
Put a bunch of broken eggshells at the bottom of your planter to allow drainage instead of using rocks. It will improve air circulation and make your planter lighter. This should be replaced every season or two.
11) Bring Down the pH
Use eggshells in acidic soil to bring down the pH of your soil over time.
12) Seed Starter
Put some soil and seeds inside of the bottom of a hardboiled eggshell and use it as a seed starter. When it starts to grow, crack the shell and plant in the ground.
13) Compost Additive
Eggshells make a wonderful addition to your compost. Just clean, dry, and crush them first.
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