Eggs are useful for you and Eggshells–for the garden, you may know it already. But if you’re not convinced yet, this eggshell tea therapy for plants will convince you for sure.

Eggshell Nutrition

The eggshells you often throw away are a rich source of calcium and contain 2.2 grams of calcium in the form of calcium carbonate. This is double the amount of calcium an adult human being needs per day.

According to the document published on the Florida University extension website, eggshell also contains other vital nutrients that plant needs. More specifically, 0.3% Phosphorus, 0.3% Magnesium, and traces of sodium, potassium, zinc, manganese, iron, and copper.

Crushed Eggshells For Plants

One of the ways is to put whole eggshells directly on top of the soil, or you can lay crushed eggshells. The test report published by Charles C. Mitchell, on behalf of the Department Of Agronomy & Soils, Auburn University here suggests that very finely crushed eggshells are a more decomposable and effective source of calcium and other trace elements than the coarsely hand-crushed shells.

Why Use Eggshell Water?

A much better way to provide eggshell benefits to plants is to make eggshell water or tea. This is a quick organic approach to make nutrients available for plants after the application.

The Experiment

Jeff Gillman, the master gardener, former Associate Professor of Horticulture at the University of Minnesota, and author of The Truth About Garden Remedies, writes about his experiment, in which he boiled an eggshell in a few cups of distilled water.

After boiling, the shell remained in that water for 24 hours. He then sent the eggshell water for testing in the lab. The results were surprising, the three elements that increased in low concentrations were Sodium, Phosphorous, and Magnesium. The two other elements that increased in higher concentrations were 4 mg of both Calcium and Potassium.

You can say 4 mg is a small quantity, but it comes out of just one eggshell. Boiling 10 eggshells can definitely increase the concentration of these five elements, which can impact your plant’s growth.

How it Works

This eggshell tea can work as a nice Calcium and Potassium amendment and also helps in raising the soil pH slightly. Very useful if you’ve got acidic or neutral soil, but you can also use it if you’ve got alkaline soil as the plants’ ability to absorb calcium doesn’t depend on the pH level.

Calcium is essential in root development and cures the problem of short roots. It affects the fruit quality. Strengthens the cell wall structure (improvement in cell wall structure increases the plant’s strength). It also helps to fight against diseases and protects the plants from heat stress.

Potassium is the second most significant element that plants require, apart from Nitrogen. It’s known to increase drought tolerance, color, and flavor of fruits, photosynthesis, and stem strength. It helps in the regulation of water and improves the plant’s ability to face temperature changes.

The Recipe

You’ll need 10-20 clean and dry eggshells. The quantity of eggshells depends on how strong the solution you want to make.

Boil crushed eggshells in a gallon of water and let them sit for 24 hours.

This will give enough time to the plant nutrients available in shells to infuse in the water. After that, strain the water, and it’s ready to use!

How to Use

  • Use the eggshell tea in your garden or for your potted plants.
  • Pour this healthy Calcium-Potassium supplement directly around the base of the plant.
  • According to Gillman, 4 to 5 eggshells per garden plant is sufficient.
  • For potted plants, reduce this quantity to 2 or 3.
  • Apply this eggshell tea in either one or two weeks of interval.
  • You can also use hard-boiled eggshell water. Two cups of this water per plant is appropriate.

Also Read: DIY Egg Carton Uses

  • Sam Smith
  • April 2, 2018 At 11:26 am
  • Thanks for sharing this!
  • Reply
  • hazel bird
  • April 4, 2018 At 9:26 am
  • Hi There, Into a 1ltr ice-cream container 4 chopped up small pieces plus 9dried crushed egg shells which I soaked into the hot water that almost filled the container for 4 days… It was starting to bubble a little bit then I strained it into a spray bottle.. This I sprayed my plants that were not growing so well… After about 2 weeks these plants were at least twice as big as the others of the same species.
  • The left over egg shells and bananas I laid around the base of my roses. All I can say is, all looking good.. It’s sure worth a go. Normally I only use worm tea on all my garden and green is a true grass Green.. Thanks for giving me the inspiration to do my garden I’m 76 and loving it life. hazel
  • Reply
  • Linda
  • April 4, 2018 At 4:55 pm
  • Is it worth it to also grind up the shells and sprinkle them in soil after they have been boiled?
  • Reply
  • Hannah
  • April 18, 2018 At 1:39 am
  • I collect all the shells in a breathable container, like a tough paper bag. A few times a year I grind them to a powder in an old blender from the thrift store, dedicated for the purpose. I sprinkle the powdered shells on the garden, with dirt, compost etc. I barely have time for that, let alone boiling the darn things!
  • Reply
  • Giovanni Conterio
  • May 22, 2022 At 11:38 am
  • I do the same and when i have a nice amount I pop them in a blender and sprinkle it around the base of my veggies. It definitely cures the bottom rot for tomatoes.
  • Reply
  • Nafis
  • February 14, 2019 At 6:51 pm
  • Hi,
  • Is it okay to use this egg shell tea supplement for rejuvenating almost dying flower plant?
  • Reply
  • Cable
  • November 2, 2019 At 10:04 pm
  • Why not add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to the gallon of water to more actively release the nutrients? It creates a chemical reaction that makes the nutrients, most especially calcium, more bioavailable. It also helps neutralize the basic nature of the eggshells.
  • Either this, or a slightly more time-intensive but also more potent way is to add the powdered eggshells to your your worm feed and then when you get the castings at the end, make a fortified worm tea, and it will have all these mentioned nutrients in the tea, not to mention billions of beneficial microbes as well.
  • Reply
  • Debbie
  • May 18, 2021 At 6:57 pm
  • I used egg shell tea on my boston fern and aloe vera in March. They just about doubled in size and are so very healthy.
  • Reply

Thanks for sharing this!

Hi There, Into a 1ltr ice-cream container 4 chopped up small pieces plus 9dried crushed egg shells which I soaked into the hot water that almost filled the container for 4 days… It was starting to bubble a little bit then I strained it into a spray bottle.. This I sprayed my plants that were not growing so well… After about 2 weeks these plants were at least twice as big as the others of the same species. The left over egg shells and bananas I laid around the base of my roses. All I can say is, all looking good.. It’s sure worth a go. Normally I only use worm tea on all my garden and green is a true grass Green.. Thanks for giving me the inspiration to do my garden I’m 76 and loving it life. hazel

Is it worth it to also grind up the shells and sprinkle them in soil after they have been boiled?

  • Giovanni Conterio
  • May 22, 2022 At 11:38 am
  • I do the same and when i have a nice amount I pop them in a blender and sprinkle it around the base of my veggies. It definitely cures the bottom rot for tomatoes.
  • Reply

I collect all the shells in a breathable container, like a tough paper bag. A few times a year I grind them to a powder in an old blender from the thrift store, dedicated for the purpose. I sprinkle the powdered shells on the garden, with dirt, compost etc. I barely have time for that, let alone boiling the darn things!

I do the same and when i have a nice amount I pop them in a blender and sprinkle it around the base of my veggies. It definitely cures the bottom rot for tomatoes.

Hi, Is it okay to use this egg shell tea supplement for rejuvenating almost dying flower plant?

Why not add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to the gallon of water to more actively release the nutrients? It creates a chemical reaction that makes the nutrients, most especially calcium, more bioavailable. It also helps neutralize the basic nature of the eggshells. Either this, or a slightly more time-intensive but also more potent way is to add the powdered eggshells to your your worm feed and then when you get the castings at the end, make a fortified worm tea, and it will have all these mentioned nutrients in the tea, not to mention billions of beneficial microbes as well.

I used egg shell tea on my boston fern and aloe vera in March. They just about doubled in size and are so very healthy.

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