Gardening > CompostingAugust 16, 2007

Uses for eggshells from the ThriftyFun community.

Pest Control

I use finely crushed eggshells around seedlings that I transplant into my garden each spring. The shells keep snails, slugs and cut worms away. Apparently, the shells are abrasive to these critters and they won't crawl over them to eat the young plants.

By Readingiggits

Add Calcium To The Soil

I've heard that tomatoes love them, something about the added calcium in the soil. So when I planted mine this year, I crushed up a bunch of eggshells and mixed them in around the plants.

By Beth - MA

Seed Starter

You can also use them to start seedlings in. Then when you transplant, just crack the shell and plant the whole thing. Of course this only works for small seedlings.

By Diwitch

Eggshell Seed-Starting Pots

To make eggshell seed-starting pots: Crack the tips off several eggshells, reserving the eggs for cooking. Fill shells with a light soil mixture and one or two seeds (nasturtiums were used in the book), and prick drainage holes in the bottom of each shell with a pin. Keep moist and warm. When seedlings have reached a suitable size, plant them directly in the ground, crushing the shell so the roots can emerge.

By Mythi

Deer Deterrent

If you have deer eating any of your garden plants, throw the eggshells out there because deer HATE eggs! Otherwise, they are good for your plants, anyway. Just crush and use in your potting soil or mulch.

By Margie

Compost And Mix With Birdseed

I crush them up very fine, and put them in my compost tumbler. On occasion, I dump them on the ground in the area where I feed the birds. The birds need grit in their gizzard to help digest food, so they eat the shells.

By Harlean from Arkansas

Make Sidewalk Chalk

Sidewalk chalk! Here's a great link to making the chalk, however after I washed the shells and let them dry, I ground them up in the blender rather than on a rock - much easier!

• http://www.make-stuff.com/kids/eggshell_chalk.html

By Vinnyswoman

Bedtime Tea

Bedtime tea, you wash them, then bake them until brown. Crush and boil as you would tea. Stain and make tea as you normally would. Enjoy a cup before you go to bed, as told me by my grandmother.

By Susanv

Snail Food

Egg shells make good food for pet snails. They need calcium in their diet to maintain their shells.

By Sylvia

Answer this Question

Read answers for this post below.

• Egg Shells for Cutworms
• Keeping Your Beans Safe From CutWorms
• Coffee Grounds and Egg Shells

• Egg Shell Slug Deterrent
• Save Egg Shells in Cartons for Planting Next Spring
• Save Egg Shells for the Garden