Today's episode will be about eggshells. It's not worth throwing them away, but using them in the garden. How? More on that in a moment. Come on. Eggs are an element of many dishes. We practically always have them in the kitchen. However, we often forget that eggshells can also be useful to us, especially if we have a garden or houseplants. They are a natural source of many nutrients, primarily calcium in the form of calcium carbonate, as well as iron, zinc, silicon, sulfur, fluorine, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus and potassium. It's a pity not to use them. So we can prepare fertilizer from them, which we will feed selected plants. Selected, because not all species will be grateful for fertilizing with eggshells. It is worth noting at the outset that they should not be used in the case of acid-loving plants, such as rhododendrons and azaleas, heathers and other heather plants, blueberries and Kamchatka berries, or orchids or ferns grown at home. However, they will definitely be appreciated by plants that prefer alkaline soil, which include many Mediterranean plants, such as lavender, oleander and olives, most vegetables and fruit plants, especially grapes, as well as ornamental species such as hellebores, ivy, bearded irises, daylilies, cranesbills, peonies, tulips, many clematis, echinacea, geraniums, carnations, roses, chrysanthemums, dogwoods and columbines. This is because eggshells deacidify the soil. Of course, not completely, and if we have acidic soil in the garden and we want to plant plants that prefer alkaline soil, we have to use other treatments and often replace part of the substrate. But to a large extent, thanks to the fact that eggshells consist of 80% calcium, they have an impact on increasing the amount of calcium in the soil. So how do we use this ecological fertilizer, which we almost always have on hand? First of all, it is worth drying the eggshells. For this purpose, we can use both those that were previously cooked and those from raw eggs. After drying, we can use them in two ways: by crushing them slightly with our hands or grinding them, for example, with a blender into fine powder. Then we use them as needed, for example, when planting and transplanting plants. Also those in pots. For example, I always add slightly crushed shells to the substrate in which I then plant lavender or olives. They not only enrich the soil, but also improve its structure. The substrate is more porous and permeable. We can use more crushed shells in exactly the same way as mineral fertilizer, i.e. scatter them around selected plants and then gently mix them with the top layer of soil. The more crushed the shells are, the faster they will be absorbed by plants. Decomposition, and thus the release of nutrients into the substrate, of poorly crushed shells takes about 2 to 3 years, so it is not a fast-acting fertilizer. But a kind of eggshell flour will work faster, so if you are pressed for time, it is worth crushing them as much as possible. Liquid fertilizer, which can also be made from eggshells, will work even faster. To obtain it, pour boiling water over them and wait a few days or even longer. We can even use the water after boiling eggs and water selected plants with it. It is difficult to find information in publications on the amount of eggshells that should be used. It all depends on the type of soil we have in the garden or in the pots, whether it is more alkaline or acidic. It is most often recommended that in the case of home or balcony potted plants, a spoonful or two of finely powdered eggshells should be added to a medium-sized container. In the case of the garden, we usually use this type of nutrition when we happen to have eggshells at hand or when we collect a larger amount. But even if this amount is larger, it is not much for all the beds and borders, even in a small garden. So we can successfully scatter them "by eye". Of course, we can always add eggshells to the composter if we have one in the garden. Then they will become part of the compost with which we feed selected beds or flower beds. So, if we don't like to waste anything and we care about ecological fertilization of plants in the house and garden, it is worth remembering about eggshells. I encourage you to use them. And I encourage you to watch more videos on the OGRÓD NA CO DZIEŃ channel. Links : Facebook : / izabella.schick Blog : https://ogrodnacodzien.pl/ Instagram : / ogrod_na_co_dzien #shells #eggs #ecological #fertilizers #fertilization #lime #niearnuje #garden #garden #ogrod_na_co_dzień #cultivation #greengrower #gardener #gardenvegetablegarden #vegetablegarden #vegetablegrowing #vegetables #sowing #gardener #garden #garden #tips #vegetablesandfruits #allotment #flowers #plants