Eggs are the most nutrient-dense food on the planet, packed with proteins, vitamins, and minerals. A person eats 100–150 eggs a year on average. Many people throw eggshells into the garbage disposal or kitchen waste bin without knowing how to use them properly. Eggshells can be produced commercially and utilized as calcium for animal feed or as fertilizer. It has calcium carbonate in it, which dissolves in a variety of acids, including cooking vinegar.
Eggshell is an outer covering of an egg. Eggshells are rich in calcium and other minerals that help the garden to thrive. Crush eggshells into tiny pieces and use them as compost. Without eggshells, plants will not grow faster. It prevents blossom end rot in plants like tomatoes and squash. It helps to build cell walls and promotes plant growth.
Eggshells are treated as organic pest control for controlling pests such as insects, mites, and weeds. They are 100% effective in curbing slugs and other pests.
Fertilizer
Eggshells can be used as fertilizer. It’s a great way to add calcium to your compost. They have high surface area to volume ratio and they decompose very quickly. Grind eggshells with mixer or grinder to settle down in the soil. It takes time to break down and be absorbed by plants roots.
Finely crushed eggshells can be mixed with organic matter to thrive new plants in the spring season. Try mixing eggshells with coffee grounds that are rich in nitrogen, helps to reduce the acidity of the soil and aerate it.
A simple procedure is to drop eggshell into a small container of apple cider vinegar. Now soak it for 2 days and apply the mixture to itchy skin. It gives complete relief to your skin burns.
Eggshells can be used to control pests. Crush eggshells and make a fine powder using grinder or mixer. To use eggshell as organic pest control sprinkle the shell powder on plant leaves. Beetles and other pests cause great damage to the plant leaves. Beetles don’t like it and start moving around. It won’t kill them immediately, but slowly after few days. For slug and snail control, sprinkle shell powder around the base of the plant.
Bird food
Birds also benefit by taking calcium supplied from eggshells in their diet. Especially the female requires more calcium, before and after laying eggs. To prepare bird food, sterilize the shells by baking them at 120°C. Crush them and mix with bird-loving seeds, suet, and mealworms.
Seed starters
Eggshells are bio-degradable. It makes excellent no waste-seed starters. For this preserve deeper half shells. Sterilize shells by boiling them for 30 minutes. With nail make a hole at the bottom of the shell for drainage. Add moist soil and seeds accordingly. When sprouts appear to plant them into bigger pots or garden for proper growth.
Repel animals
Animals often visit your garden for prey to consume leaves and fruits of plants. To protect crop plants from animals, make use of shells in your garden. Make crushed eggshells into a fine powder and apply it to the garden soil. Even deer dislike the smell of albumen in the shell powder and stay away from the garden that smells like raw eggs. Be careful using this method, the smell may attract vermin that can eat eggshells.
Precautions
- Be careful as you are spreading eggshell powder in the garden.
- Keep it away from children and pets.
- Store eggshell powder in a dry place.
- Store eggshells every time you consume eggs. As eggshells are cheap and an effective way to control pests.
source: https://homegardeners.in/eggshells-as-organic-pest-control/