I've heard some gardeners mention that you can drop an eggshell in the soil when planting vegetables. Is there any validity to this idea? I'm about to plant some young seedlings, around 2 weeks old. Will adding eggshells to the soil assist with their growth and help produce fruit?
2 Answers
Using eggshells in your garden isn't an instant fix. They primarily contain calcium carbonate, which takes a while to break down and become useful for the plants. If you really want to put them to good use, consider soaking cleaned shells in vinegar to create a more accessible form of calcium. Just remember to dilute that solution with water before using it on your plants! Plus, the cleaned, baked shells can act as a slow-release fertilizer or even help keep certain pests at bay due to their sharp edges.
Eggshells can definitely be beneficial because they contain calcium, which is great for plants like tomatoes. However, just tossing them in the ground won’t do much unless they're ground into a fine dust. That said, if you're worried about issues like blossom end rot, remember that it's rarely just due to calcium deficiency anyway!