Content of the article:
It has long been known that the shell of eggs contains a lot of useful substances. That is why it is widely used as a fertilizer for various plants, which, after application of the shell, begin to grow faster and hurt less. It is also important that the ground shells decompose quite quickly in the ground. Egg shells fertilize both garden plants and indoor plants, the main thing is to properly prepare and use it.
Nuances in the preparation of "egg fertilizer"
Before fertilizing indoor flowers with eggshell, it must be thoroughly washed and cleaned of protein residues.
Experienced growers are advised to use only homemade chicken eggs, which, due to the diverse nutrition of chickens, contain a greater amount of vitamin.
Next, the washed shells must be well dried. To do this, fold it into a cardboard box and put in a warm place.
After the shell has dried completely( it will take four days), it is crushed. Grinding methods depend on the further use of eggshell and grower fantasy - a mortar, a rolling pin, and a coffee grinder will do( if you need fine powder).
Store prepared “egg” fertilizer in a paper bag or box, or in a glass resealable container. Cellophane bags do not fit for this - in them the shell starts to deteriorate.
Ways to use eggshell
When growing indoor plants, egg shells are used:
- in the form of tincture;
- as a drain;
- in the form of direct incorporation into the soil;
- for growing seedlings.
To make a shell infusion, pour 1 cup of powder with 4 cups of warm water and leave to infuse for 2 weeks. Shake tincture from time to time. Prepare liquid fertilizer to water the flowers once a month. Use another way to prepare the tincture: 1 liter of boiling water 2 tbsp.powder. This method is faster as the infusion of the liquid takes only 5 days.
You can not fertilize with eggshell azalea, camellia, gardenia, pelargonium, hydrangea, pansies and ferns, because they like acidic soil, and the shell reduces the acidity of the soil.
When using the shell as drainage, it is enough to crumble it manually, without bringing it to a state of powder. When planting plants on the bottom of the pot lay out a layer of shell with a thickness of 2 cm. This will help protect the flowers from rotting due to an excess of moisture.
To use egg powder in its pure form, the pot with the plant must be removed the top layer of soil and mix it in a separate container with 1 tbsp.powder. Then pour the soil with the shell back into the pot. Similarly, prepare the ground when planting plants.
Application of the shell for growing seedlings of flowers will make seedlings more robust. It is more convenient to take whole shells from which the tip has been removed - so the plants will have more space. At the bottom of the egg you need to make 2-3 holes to drain excess water. When transplanted to a permanent place, the sprout can be transplanted along with the shell, but in order to make it easier for the roots to grow, it is gently kneaded with hands beforehand.
