Which plants shouldn't you try this with? Don't add eggshell fertilizer to plants that prefer acidic soil, like blueberries. Ericaceous plants such as mountain laurel, pieris and azaleas also fall into that category. In extreme cases, low acidity for plants could impact their overall health and/or the resulting crop.
Decorative plants (i.e., your collection of succulents) don't need as much calcium as food-growing plants, but all plants will benefit from the minerals in eggshell tea. “It's kind of like an all-purpose fertilizer, and the plant will pull up what it can use, what it's in need of,” Savio said.
Verdict: Eggshells do not prevent blossom end rot. The good news is that they won't harm your soil or plants and they add organic material for soil organisms, but you may as well just put them in the compost.
Do eggshells in compost attract rats? Any food scraps can attract local pests, including eggshells. But shells do not give off a strong scent, so there's little risk of these bringing in rodents on their own.
Therefore, one great way to deter garden snakes is to add a top layer of a rough, sharp mulch to your garden beds that they'll find uninviting. Use natural materials, such as pine cones, sharp rocks, eggshells, or holly leaves, and lay out a surface that no snake would choose to slither across.
It's important to note that too many eggshells for too long might attract smaller rodents, such as raccoons and mice.
In most cases, the grounds are too acidic to be used directly on soil, even for acid-loving plants like blueberries, azaleas and hollies. Coffee grounds inhibit the growth of some plants, including geranium, asparagus fern, Chinese mustard and Italian ryegrass.
If you don't want to make the water mixture because that seems like too much work or you simply don't have the time, you could always collect your eggshells, clean them, and crush them directly onto the soil in your garden or into a fine powder to get similar results.
Combine the two together, crush the eggshells by hand even more (which should be easier now that they're fully dry), and sprinkle the mixture across the soil bed. Repeat the process every several months or at the start of a fresh growing season. The important thing is to not overdo it.
Slugs, snails, and cutworms can do severe damage to your garden. Protect your plants from these pests by spreading coarsely crushed eggshells around your garden. The jagged edges work much like Diatomaceous earth by cutting and then dehydrating these common garden pests.
Just like in the garden, finely crushed eggshells provide an organic source of nutrition for houseplants, patio pots and hanging planters. Sprinkle the pulverized shells on the soil surface and they will break down over time whether you are using eggshells for houseplants or outdoor containers.
Because it takes several months for eggshells to break down and be absorbed by a plant's roots, it is recommended that they be tilled into the soil in fall. More shells can be mixed into your soil in the spring.
Start saving your egg shells from breakfast. Halve them and make sure you rinse them out thoroughly. Using a small needle, make a small hole in the base of each egg shell for drainage. Using a teaspoon, add seed compost to the egg shell.
Since coffee grounds have such a pungent and intense smell, mosquitoes do not like to come near it. Mosquitoes are repulsed by all types of coffee, whether it is fresh, used, or burnt. The most effective way to use coffee grounds for mosquito control is by burning them, as it creates a stronger aroma.
Banana peels can be placed directly onto pot plant soil, or around the base of your garden as mulch. As they decompose, they will release nutrients into the soil to feed plants. If using banana peels in your garden, place a single layer straight on top of the soil, being sure not to let them touch the plant stem.
Epsom salt can improve the blooms of flowering and green shrubs, especially evergreens, azaleas and rhododendrons. Work in one tablespoon of Ultra Epsom Salt per nine square feet of bush into the soil, over the root zone, which allows the shrubs to absorb the nutritional benefits.
Egg residue can attract rodents to the garden. You may want to crush and recycle the shells in your compost pile and sprinkle the more attractive coffee grounds on the soil of vegetables, flowers and other plantings.
Black Pepper and Cayenne Pepper
Due to their powerful, spicy scents, cayenne and black pepper are successful home remedies for repelling raccoons.
More importantly, rats are attracted to eggshells. Eggshells contain egg residue on them, especially if they haven't been cleaned, which dries and might smell. The smell of eggs is a certain method to attract rats to your compost bin, almost as if you were holding a party just for them.