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Growing Tomatoes

How to feed egg shells through mulch?

13 years ago

I've heard that egg shells are a great way to feed tomato plants. Better during the vegetative growth period of the flowering and growing of the fruit, though?

I've saved a ton of egg shells, dried them in the oven, put them in a blender and they're now a nice fine dust.

But since I've added about 2 inches of mulch to my garden, how do I feed my tomato plants? Do I scrape back the mulch, scatter the dust on the soil, reset the mulch and water?

I'm sure that scattering the egg shell dust on the mulch and the watering will lose the effect of the egg shells.

What is an effective and recommended way to do this?

Thanks all!!

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Comments (7)

dickiefickle
13 years ago
It takes too long for egg shells to break down ,even when burried to do any good
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digdirt2
13 years ago
What you have heard is often discussed here and it simply isn't accurate, sorry. It is just another of the old wives tales associated with gardening.

It 'might' have some benefit for your plants 6 mos. to a year from now if your soil is calcium deficient (which is rare) but not this year.

But it can't hurt anything either so if you want to use them after all that work just pull the mulch back from the base of the plants by about 6 inches all around, lightly work the dust into the soil with your fingers, and then replace the mulch.

Better yet, save all your shell dust till the fall and till it into the soil after the garden is done for the year. That way it can decompose over the winter for next year.

Dave
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karendee
13 years ago
I used them around my plants to help keep slugs away. The shells cut their bodies so they do not want to crawl over them. I made a smalll ring around my plants. I think it worked.
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jean001a
13 years ago
It was said "The shells cut their bodies "
Ummm. That's what slime is for -- to protect the slug.

Years ago, I saw a researcher's image of a snail going over the edge of a single edge razor. Slugs would do the same.
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karendee
13 years ago
thanks jean001a ..oh well I guess I read another garden myth somewhere. I figured it could not hurt the plants so why not try. :)

It seemed to be keeping the pill bugs off my pepper plants.
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trudi_d
13 years ago
Why don't you just boil the pulverized egg shells in a big pot of water, turn it off and let it all sit overnight. Then strain it and pour the 'tea' wherever its benefits, if any, can be used. Maybe you'll get a low potency plant food from any protein, calcium and micronutirent leachate that could/might be extracted from the shells.
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mrmulcher
13 years ago
I save egg shells all year long and every year I continue to till in egg shells every year, If you are in need of Calcium right away just get some blossom end rot stop,I had to use it the first year, since then the egg shells have worked great year after year i continue to add them...
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