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Egg Shell Planting-Perfect for Starting Plants

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Egg Shell Planting www.lauraslittlehousetips.com

Egg Shell Planting-Perfect for Starting Plants

Many of us including myself plant all year long. My favorite way to start just about any seed including for Sprouts is in Egg Shells.

Now you may thinking to yourself that is a cool idea and I always have plenty of eggs. But what are the benefits. That list is long and wonderful. For starters. You can transfer your eggshell with seedlings right into where your potting. No Transplanting needed. Now lets understand a little about the egg shells.

What is an eggshell made of?

According to The Human Touch of Chemisty “Eggshells are made out of a protein matrix with a lining of calcium carbonate crystals or other mineral crystals. Calcium carbonate is the stuff you find in chalk. Eggs are formed within the reproductive system of birds, forming a protective layer, taking almost 20 hours to form! When a hen lays an egg, there is a small pocket of air formed inside the egg. Just after the egg is laid it cools causing the content of the egg to contract.

This pocket of air is formed at the larger end of the egg, between a thin inner membrane and outer membrane. If you look closely at the shell you may notice that there are a number of tiny pores. Through these pores carbon dioxide and moisture trapped within the egg escapes over time. As a result, air enters the egg to fill up the space of the carbon dioxide and moisture.” Fascinating ? It makes eggs the perfect plant starter.

Why are Eggs so great and what can I use them for?

  1. Fertilizing ~ Eggshells fertilize your garden.  They are a great source of calcium and other minerals, so they are a great compost for your garden.
  2. Pest Control ~ Did you know that Snails, slugs and even deer hate eggshells?  This is a great way to protect your garden from unwanted creatures.
  3. Create the best tomato plants with the help of eggshells ~ Tomatoes plants can get blossom end rot which is a lack of calcium and can destroy your tomato plant.  Simply put some crushed eggshells in the bottom of the hole that you dig for your tomato plant and then transplant the tomato plant right into the garden.
  4. Food for indoor plants ~ Eggshells can be food for indoor plants.  Simply add your clean crushed eggshells to some filtered water and leave in a cool dark place for several days.  You now have some homemade plant food for your indoor plants. Make sure you mark the container. I use mason jars for so many things its easy to get confused 🙂 When my girls were little I added a few drops of Blue food coloring to remind myself it was for plants. (Blue for Miracle Grow) but my own Miracle Grow 🙂

Who knew that egg shells had so many uses!  Of course we have one more use to talk about, starting seeds in eggshells.  Lets dig into this! ( Pun intended)

How To Start Seeds In Eggshells

Get yourself some seeds and seed starting soil and lets get started.  I chose to seed three of my favorite annual flowers…Johnny Jump Ups and Marigolds and Tomatoes.  You could also choose to add your favorite cool weather seeds. This is going to be your garden so you decide.

Starting seeds in eggshells is a super easy process.

  1. Save your eggshells from breakfast.  ( I save all my egg shells ) Rinse them out so they won’t become sticky or smelly.
  2. Add soil to the eggshells.  Note:  You want to be sure to use seed starting soil.  This is a lighter soil that allows the root system to grow freely through the plant, this in turn will create a strong and healthy plant.
  3. Add the seeds to the soil and slightly push down just until the seeds are fully covered.  Make sure you don’t pat them down to deep.  If they are in the soil to deep or too packed, it will take longer for you seedlings to germinate.
  4. Water your seeds.  I like to use a spritzer bottle, especially for very small seeds, so that it doesn’t push the seeds to deeply into the soil.  Keep the soil moist, but not soaked.
  5. If you really want to give your seeds a jump start, use a plastic egg carton and put the lid on. Or you can cut the bottom of a plastic water bottle- Both of these will act as a mini greenhouse.  Once your seeds sprout, remove the lid so that mold does not develop. ( I learned this the hard way)
  6. Put them in a sunny window and enjoy watching them grow.

It made my heart happy to finally see little sprouts shooting up.  The next step is sometimes the hardest…having the patience to wait until the weather is ready to plant outside.

If the weather does not cooperate, and your seedlings are ready to go into the soil, just transplant them into a pot until the weather permits. Directions below:

1. Simply add some potting soil (it doesn’t have to be seed starting soil anymore) to a pot, add your eggshell and plant right into the soil, and cover with some more potting soil.  Water and continue to grow your plants in a sunny window until the weather permits you to plant outside.

If your weather is ready for planting, then simply put the eggshell plant right into the soil, eggshell and all!

As you can see, I am going to have to follow the first step, because this is what is going on where I live…The weather is up and down but definitely too cold at night for outdoors. :)

What are you going to plant? These tips can also be used for teaching your kids to plant but to be honest my girls are grown and I still do it haha 🙂

You can also find this post on Hometalk.com

 

Comments

  1. Robin Rue (@massholemommy) says

    Never in a million years would I have ever thought to do this, but it makes perfect sense now that you say it. I love this idea.

    • LauraH says

      Thank you Michele. It definitely is an all one. I just love planting this way it’s low maintenance and just a fun and Earth friendly way of doing it. Thank you for checking us out 🙂

    • LauraH says

      That makes me a little happy Kelly. While I have been doing it forever I love when we can highlight something from our daily lives that sparks creative possibilities. Thank you so much for checking us out 🙂 ~Laura

    • LauraH says

      I agree Chelley. This is also a great way to get them to eat omelets haha. I love planting this way and they are such a conversation starter in my home too. It’s a win win.

  12. Shauna says

    Oh my goodness, who would have thought of that. Such a great idea. I know I have heard of crushing egg shells into fertilizer, this is very cool. Thanks for sharing.

  16. Jennifer Williams says

    I am on my third round of seedlings. I try it every single year and end up buying plants because my seedlings die. Maybe the eggshells would work for me. They certainly look better than what I have.

    • LauraH says

      I did have trouble too before I started doing it this way Jennifer. I find it holds the water better and lets the roots take hold. So many ways dry out to fast. Please let me know if you find this way better.

    • LauraH says

      Thank you Amy. It’s funny isn’t it. We never really thought of our parents of being creative when they taught us these things. I am so glad I never outgrew what I learned. Thank you for stopping by.

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