Compound
What useful components does it contain? Natural fertilizer in optimal proportions contains:
- phosphorus,
- calcium,
- magnesium,
- iron,
- zinc,
- sulfur
Microelements present in lower concentrations are:
- cobalt,
- potassium,
- fluorine,
- manganese,
- iodine.
All these components are important and indispensable for the full growth of tomatoes.
The inner film lining the surface of the shell contains organic complexes - keratin and mucin. They serve as excellent feeding.
Mistakes when using fertilizer
Despite its naturalness and benefits, the use of eggshells as fertilizer has its limitations.
- Exceed the dosage. Excess calcium in the soil prevents the absorption of other useful elements - potassium, boron, manganese, copper, zinc.
- Use fresh or poorly cleaned shells. This may attract pests to the planting. In addition, egg whites, when released into the soil, become a favorable environment for the development of bacteria, causing plant diseases.
- Use large pieces. The finer the fraction of the raw material, the more microelements will be available to plants. Ideally, the shells should be ground into powder.
- Sprinkle fertilizer on top of the soil. The process of assimilation of nutrients in this case will be too long.
Dusting tomato seedlings with eggshell powder helps protect plants from root collar rot (“blackleg”).
Beneficial features
The product has a number of positive effects on tomatoes. Calcium is essential for photosynthesis. It gives a stimulating effect on small seedling bushes and ensures complete saturation of tissues with oxygen.
To reduce soil acidity, shell powder is used. To do this, it is added at the rate of 0.5 kg per 1 m2.
In addition, the shell:
- It is used as a loosening agent on heavy, loamy soils.
- Used as a means of combating slugs and mole crickets.
- Serves as a preventive measure against many diseases.
Calcium levels exceed 90%.
Calcium deficiency in cucumbers and tomatoes
A lack of calcium can lead to slow growth, weakening of the root system, damage to the tops of tomatoes and cucumbers, and damage to the tomato harvest.
Calcium deficiency in cucumbers manifests itself:
- the appearance of a yellow border along the edge of the leaf;
- light stripes on the leaf plate;
- curling of leaves with edges down, loss of turgor and necrosis;
- shredding and dark green coloring of young leaves;
- dying off of the tips of the shoots, starting from the main stem;
- fruit wrinkles.
Symptoms of calcium deficiency in tomatoes:
- yellow spots on young leaves;
- darkening of the color of old leaves;
- deformation and drying of leaves;
- death of the tops;
- accelerated fruit ripening;
- the appearance of blossom end rot on fruits.
If there are signs of calcium deficiency, it is necessary to quickly saturate the plant with the element. For cucumbers, for this case there is a recipe for an acidified tincture from the shell. To prepare it, 30-40 g of powder is poured into 0.5 liters of water with the addition of a teaspoon of vinegar. Leave in a dark place for three days, then water the cucumbers without diluting with water. This feeding is also effective in case of magnesium deficiency.
Attention! You cannot use a vinegar-egg solution to feed tomatoes. In case of calcium deficiency, it is recommended to apply foliar feeding with a solution of calcium nitrate (0.2%).
How to assemble correctly?
The shells can be collected throughout the year. In just 2 weeks - 1 month, many gardeners prepare up to 300-500 g of effective fertilizer.
The weight of the shell of 1 egg varies between 15-20 g. In a month, a standard family of 3-4 people can easily prepare 500 g of the product without throwing it away.
It is better to use raw materials from poultry, but in the absence of this, a store-bought egg will do. Dark-colored shells are preferred.
If the eggs were boiled, such husks lose more than half of their valuable elements.
Methods of application
Eggshells are often used as fertilizer for tomato seedlings by summer residents; tomatoes can be fed at different stages of growth, starting from seedlings. You can fertilize and feed in several ways:
- direct application to the soil;
- infusion of water;
- pollination of seedlings to prevent further diseases;
- planting seeds in shells;
- drainage.
Important! You can only use raw egg shells. You should stock up on shells throughout the fall and winter to ensure you have enough at the start of the season.
Preparation
Rinse under running water. It is convenient to use an unnecessary toothbrush for this. Remove the thin inner film and protein residues. If this is not done, after a while the shell will develop an unpleasant odor.
How to grind:
- grind in a meat grinder;
- grind in a coffee grinder;
- crush with a masher;
- Place in a fabric bag and tap with a hammer.
Storage
The finished shell powder can be stored in fabric or paper bags. It is convenient to pour into glass containers. But there is no need to close the lid tightly. Air must be supplied moderately, otherwise the fertilizer will deteriorate. Shelf life up to 2 years.
Do not store at high humidity above 70%, in polyethylene or plastic bags.
If as a result of storage a rotten or rancid odor appears, do not use the product.
Application
The shell is used in various ways. Infusions are prepared, the dry powder is embedded in the soil, sprinkled on the soil around the base and spilled.
Eggshells are a source of organic calcium.
Fertilizing the soil before winter
It is advisable to add crushed shells to the soil in the garden when digging it up for the winter, so that it has time to dissolve the beneficial substances. Crushed shells can act as drainage in small containers with growing seedlings.
Soil deoxidation
To deoxidize the soil, you can add crushed eggshells in the amount of 1.5 cups of powder per 1 m2 of land. If there is not enough powder, then it should be added directly to the holes immediately before planting the plants.
Procurement for future use
If you store shells in reserve, do not forget to wash them thoroughly. Otherwise, you will get more than an unpleasant smell. Use only raw eggs for preparation.
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Nettle fertilizer for your garden
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Category: Growing eggplants, Growing greens, Growing cabbage, Growing cucumbers, Growing peppers, Growing tomatoes (tomatoes), Vegetables, Soil preparation As you know, the best way to get good seedlings or healthy indoor plants is to choose the right soil. But not everyone has time to mix components in different proportions, freeze or calcine the soil mixture.
Often the policy is this: we’ll buy it, plant it, and then feed it, if necessary... Feed it – it’s easy! Moreover, you can prepare several options for organic fertilizers, as they say, without leaving the cash register. A summer resident is able to feed even their kitchen waste.
Eggshells, potato peelings, sugar, banana skins, coffee grounds - everything is used. In our description we will move from the most popular and effective to the most controversial. Go…
Feeding with infusion of bird droppings
This option is used by almost every gardener as soon as he notices problems with his seedlings. The infusion is prepared as follows: manure and water are taken in a 2:1 ratio and left to ferment for 2-3 days in a sealed container. Immediately before fertilizing, the infusion is diluted 10 times. The main thing is to know and always remember that fertilizer from manure is mostly nitrogen, which means it stimulates the growth of green mass.
This feeding is good as the very first. It will undoubtedly help seedlings or indoor flowers begin to grow.
Subsequently, if you do not see signs of nitrogen starvation in plants (stunted, pale or yellowish leaves, soft stems), there is no need to fertilize with nitrogen. Fertilizing with bird droppings can be useful: for all vegetable crops as a first fertilizing, ficus, palm trees, citrus fruits , dieffenbachiam, monstera.
Ash fertilizer
Another popular type of feeding among supporters of natural farming. Wood or straw ash in organic farming is considered one of the best sources of potassium and phosphorus; accordingly, feeding seedlings or flowers with ash infusion is an excellent assistant in stimulating flowering and fruiting. The infusion recipe is simple: 1 tablespoon of ash per 2 liters of hot water.
The fertilizing is infused for 24 hours, then filtered. Fertilization with ash can be useful for: all vegetable crops and indoor plants.
Banana peels as fertilizer
Banana peels (as well as bananas themselves) contain large amounts of potassium. Therefore, many summer residents are in no hurry to throw away the skins, but use them as homemade fertilizer. Someone dries banana peels near the radiator, then grinds them into powder, adds them to the soil when planting and forgets about potash fertilizers. Someone infuses banana skins in water ( peel from 2-3 bananas per three-liter jar of water, leave for three days, then strain), and then water the plants with the resulting infusion.
Banana peel fertilizer can be useful for: tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, roses, ferns, cyclamen, begonias, violets and other house flowers. The latter are usually fed at the bud stage to ensure vigorous and long-lasting flowering.
Egg shell infusion as fertilizer
Eggshells are a storehouse of microelements. Most gardeners carefully collect shells all winter to put them in compost or scatter them around the garden before the start of the season. But the shell can also help at the stage of growing seedlings.
If you soak it in water, during the decomposition process, hydrogen sulfide begins to be released, which scares us away with a disgusting smell, but at the same time perfectly stimulates plants to grow and develop. An infusion of eggshells is prepared as follows: crushed shells from 3-4 eggs are taken into three liters of warm water and infused under a loosely closed lid in a dark place for three days. Signs that the fertilizer is ready are cloudiness of the infusion and the appearance of a specific odor. Fertilizer from eggshells can be useful for: eggplants, tomatoes, peppers, palm trees, lemons, bay leaves, cypress trees, petunias, zamioculcas, dieffenbachia.
Coffee grounds as fertilizer
Coffee lovers who are not too lazy to dry the used coffee grounds mix them with soil before sowing seeds for seedlings or replanting indoor plants. Coffee loosens the soil well, improves its water permeability and brings with it macro- and micronutrients, especially nitrogen. It is highly recommended to add coffee grounds to the soil for tomato and eggplant seedlings. Some gardeners are afraid to use coffee because they are sure that coffee deoxidizes the soil.
However, this is a myth. Unprocessed coffee can increase the acidity of the soil, while roasted and already used for its intended purpose has a reaction close to neutral. Fertilizing coffee grounds can be useful for: tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, roses, azaleas, camellias, hydrangeas, ferns, rhododendrons.
Fertilizing with onion peels
Gardeners are very fond of onion peels for their “two-in-one” effect. Watering or spraying with an infusion of onion peels is not only a complete feed for seedlings and flowers, but also a measure to combat unwanted microorganisms. Onion feed is prepared from 20 grams of peels per five liters of warm water, which is infused for 4 days and then filtered. Top dressing infusion of onion peel can be beneficial for all vegetable crops, especially tomatoes.
Feeding with a decoction of potatoes or potato peelings
It is not for nothing that plants accumulate starch in their seeds, bulbs and tubers. Starch is a kind of “storehouse of nutrients in reserve.” It is this law of nature that summer residents use by feeding the seedlings with the decoction in which the potatoes were boiled.
Or peelings are boiled specifically for these purposes. Potato fertilizer can be useful for all crops and indoor plants.
Sugar feeding
Sugar is energy in its pure form not only for humans. Plants also have a “sweet tooth” and once a week you can pamper them with something sweet. To do this, scatter a teaspoon of sugar directly on the surface of the ground in a pot, and then simply water the plant.
Or water it with sweet water (2 teaspoons of sugar per glass of water). Since plants need mainly glucose from sugar, someone uses glucose tablets directly as fertilizer, which are sold in pharmacies. To prepare the fertilizer, one tablet is diluted in a glass of water.
Fertilizing with glucose is carried out once a month, not more often. Fertilizing with sugar can be useful for all indoor plants, especially cacti. How else do amateur gardeners feed their mini-garden on the windowsill? Eg:
- aloe juice diluted in water (aloe juice works perfectly as a stimulant for seed germination, and therefore will not fail as a top dressing); water left over from soaking peas, lentils, beans, other legumes and even cereals (the principle here is most likely the same , as with fertilizing with potato decoction - when soaked, part of the starch is washed out of legumes, which can serve as a nutritious “soup” for plants); decoction or infusion of dried mushrooms (again, a natural stimulant is chosen for the role of fertilizing, often used for soaking seeds before planting); citrus peels (good because they add nitrogen to the soil and repel pests with their smell; the peels are dried, crushed into powder and added to the soil); fresh or dry yeast (we wrote in detail about yeast feeding in a previous article); toothpaste (at the rate of 1/3 tube per liter of warm water, a very original way of feeding, suitable for plants that do not like acidic soils).
How effective are organic fertilizers made from “survival materials”? Gardeners do not have a clear opinion on this topic, and probably the debate over the advisability of home-made organic fertilizers for seedlings and indoor flowers will never subside. Ardent supporters of folk recipes will continue to insist on eggshells and potato peelings, and their irreconcilable opponents will once again go to the store for a bag of ready-made industrial fertilizer. Everyone is free to choose the most convenient and suitable option for themselves. We wish you success and great harvests!
Eggshells for garden and vegetable plants
Hello, dear friends! Eggshells are a waste material in many families, sent to a landfill along with other household waste. Meanwhile, by collecting several kilograms of shells per year, you can improve the soil in your garden plot, increase the yield of vegetables and make your flower beds bloom with riotous colors.
What are the benefits of eggshells for plants?
Having undergone synthesis in the bird’s body, calcium carbonate, which makes up 93% of the shell, becomes easily digestible for plants. This feature fundamentally distinguishes the shell from lime and chalk, which, as is known, are also calcium carbonate and are used to deoxidize the soil in garden plots and vegetable gardens. The remaining 7% is a “cocktail” of 27 microelements that are beneficial for plants, including silicon, sulfur and phosphorus.
How to collect shells
This matter has its own wisdom. If you collect unwashed egg shells, or shells with pieces of protein stuck to them, they will soon begin to emit a foul odor. The collected material will have to be thrown away.
To prevent this from happening, shells from raw eggs must be washed with water or dried well. From boiled eggs, take only well-set shells that are clean inside. The weight of the shells that can be collected in a year is calculated by the formula: 10 g (average weight of the shell of one egg) x the number of eggs eaten by the family per month x 12 months - 10% of the discarded shells.
How to use eggshells to benefit plants
1. Protection from moles. Potatoes will not suffer from a mole invasion if pieces of shell are added to the hole when planting the root crop - the rodent does not like its sharp edges.2. Plant protection from blackleg.
For preventive purposes, ground shell powder is sprinkled on the surface of the ground on which seedlings of asters, tomatoes, etc. are planted. For medicinal purposes, the soil is treated with powder after removing the plant affected by the blackleg from it.3. Soil deoxidation.
For large stocks of shells, it is added at the rate of 0.5 kg to 1 kg per square meter of land, depending on the degree of soil acidification. When there are few shells, flour from them is poured directly into the hole when planting the plant.4. Fertilizing plants.
Plants are enriched with microelements by adding shell powder to the soil. However, you can prepare a useful infusion on the shell according to the principle of five: pour five (200 ml) glasses of boiling water over the shells of five eggs and leave for five days.
If the infusion has acquired an unpleasant odor, do not rush to throw it away, it is simply ready for use. You can feed absolutely any plants with this drink.
How to make powder (flour) from shells
The dried shells are ground in a meat grinder, mortar or coffee grinder. A fairly fine grind can be achieved by placing a thin layer of shells on a hard surface and tapping it with a hammer.
