Hi all,
I just wanted to ask a question? is it safe to put unwashed eggshells in the garden and in the compost bin? I read in one of my gardening books that you have to wash the eggshells in order to use them in the garden due to salmalena, I also make a eggshell tea for my plants it is good for the plants because of the calcium, my aunt use to make this for her plants when I was young. you just take a milk gallon put all of your used eggshells and fill it with water. let it sit for a few weeks and open the gallon if it smells bad then it's ready.Iam just really worried now I don't want to make anyone sick. this doesn't make sense to me because I also use fish fertilizer on my plants? well thanks in advance for all of your help.
God Bless you all
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- Gary350
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I have been throwing used egg shells in my compost un washed for 31 years, I don't have a problem with it.
Last edited by Gary350 on Fri Jun 12, 2009 12:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- rainbowgardener
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I never have. I certainly don't think it would be a problem if your eggshells are going into compost pile and probably not with the eggshell tea (I never heard that one before!). Some people put eggshells directly in the ground near their tomatos and broccoli, which both like calcium. If there would be any time to worry about washing them, it might be then, but even so, I don't think most people do and I haven't heard of ill results.
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When I plan to pulverize eggshells for use as a calcium supplement for my dogs, I put them in the oven for 10 minutes at 300 deg. F, per the recommendations in a respected book on natural dog and cat health.
But when I plan to pulverize them for my compost bin--and let us remember that our compost bins can deal with the toxins in rhubarb leaves and other generally inedible stuff--I just let them dry in their own good time. When they've dried, and the leftover white is solid, I put them into the blender and just pulverize them.
I place them in the compost wherever I might have seen ants. If no ants, then and I distribute the (former) eggshells generally over the surface of the (very slowly, in my bin) composting ingredients.
Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
But when I plan to pulverize them for my compost bin--and let us remember that our compost bins can deal with the toxins in rhubarb leaves and other generally inedible stuff--I just let them dry in their own good time. When they've dried, and the leftover white is solid, I put them into the blender and just pulverize them.
I place them in the compost wherever I might have seen ants. If no ants, then and I distribute the (former) eggshells generally over the surface of the (very slowly, in my bin) composting ingredients.
Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
Cynthia, does this work to repel ants around the house? I have been seeing ants inside my house & this sounds like something I could do that would not harm my dogs the way a poison would. I could scatter the ground shells around the perimiter of the foundation. Have you tried this before?cynthia_h wrote:I place them in the compost wherever I might have seen ants. If no ants, then and I distribute the (former) eggshells generally over the surface of the (very slowly, in my bin) composting ingredients.
Thanks!
I haven't used it in the house because it's pretty messy. Given that my dogs are Bernese Mtn. Dogs, they leave TONS of "dust bunnies" of hair around anyway. I'd rather not have them track eggshell powder around, too. But if you have a way of putting the powder down, maybe where the ants are coming in? it would be a great experiment.
Somewhere else I wrote down my entire in-the-house vs. in-the-garden attack strategies vs. ants, but my most common one in the house is the cleaning spray Fantastik. It's one of the very few commercial cleaning products I can use, and it kills ants on contact. Eventually they stop, esp. when I keep spraying the little entry holes.
Ants come into the house, at least hereabouts, looking for water / sugar / dry conditions / warm conditions. So, in the winter around here, I *know* I'll have ant invasions because the rain will flood their nests and they'll try to move to higher ground. My house, in other words.
When it has been dry for months, August comes to mind, they come into the house looking for water. This year I may try leaving ground-level water out occasionally, but I must keep in mind the mosquito-borne disease West Nile Virus, too.
Fantastik. Probably 409 would work, too, but I just haven't tried it.
Cynthia
Somewhere else I wrote down my entire in-the-house vs. in-the-garden attack strategies vs. ants, but my most common one in the house is the cleaning spray Fantastik. It's one of the very few commercial cleaning products I can use, and it kills ants on contact. Eventually they stop, esp. when I keep spraying the little entry holes.
Ants come into the house, at least hereabouts, looking for water / sugar / dry conditions / warm conditions. So, in the winter around here, I *know* I'll have ant invasions because the rain will flood their nests and they'll try to move to higher ground. My house, in other words.
When it has been dry for months, August comes to mind, they come into the house looking for water. This year I may try leaving ground-level water out occasionally, but I must keep in mind the mosquito-borne disease West Nile Virus, too.
Fantastik. Probably 409 would work, too, but I just haven't tried it.
Cynthia
Thanks for the quik response! I think I might try the eggshells outside, along the foundation, under where I have seen them come in to the house.
My dogs are too "mouthy" for me to risk using any kind of traps.
I have never heard that about Fantastic, I think I might have to change what I use for a cleaning product.
Thanks for the info
My dogs are too "mouthy" for me to risk using any kind of traps.
I have never heard that about Fantastic, I think I might have to change what I use for a cleaning product.
Thanks for the info
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- jal_ut
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I don't think it is a problem to put unwashed eggshells in your compost.
In any case, washing your hands, and general good kitchen cleanliness, disenfecting cutting boards after raw meat or poultry have been on them, along with proper cooking for poultry products is your best protection from salmonella.
Here the soil is loaded with calcite, so the eggshells just go in the trash.
In any case, washing your hands, and general good kitchen cleanliness, disenfecting cutting boards after raw meat or poultry have been on them, along with proper cooking for poultry products is your best protection from salmonella.
Here the soil is loaded with calcite, so the eggshells just go in the trash.