Mixing eggshells with 1 ingredient makes them ‘great for gardens’

Next time you cook eggs, make sure you don’t throw away their shells – that’s the advice of a gardening enthusiast, who instead has a creative use for them.

Mixing them with one ingredient produces a “powerful organic fertiliser”, according to TikTok user @agriculture5639. “If you crush eggshells in a mortar until they become a very fine powder and then mix them with lemon juice, they immediately start reacting and forming bubbles,” they explained.

This reaction is cause by the combination of the alkaline and the acidic juice – with the latter releasing calcium trapped within the eggshells. “If you let the mixture sit for 24 hours, most of the eggshell will dissolve into the juice,” they continued.

Next, dilute the solution into a litre of water to create a liquid fertiliser, which due to being rich in calcium, should be applied to the base of plants and to their foliage. “This home made method allows plants to absorb calcium faster, strengthening roots, stems, leaves and fruits,” the TikTok user continued.

Not only that, the process boosts plants against diseases, nutrient deficiencies and harsh weather conditions. They closed: “With this method, you recycle kitchen waste, save money and increase your garden’s productivity – naturally, ecologically and effectively. The best part is it’s simple, affordable and anyone can do it at home.”

The clip has subsequently gone viral, amassing a staggering 6.4 million times in just over a week. One of those viewers shared a similar note: “I chucked my eggshells in the blender and mixed it with some dried coffee grounds – mixed in with the soil, my tomatoes love it.”

A second person added: “You can also use eggshells to keep slugs and snails off your plants, put a ring of crushed eggshells around them and the slugs and snails won’t go over it because they don’t like the feeling.”

A third advised: “Also, eggshell is really good for drawing a line around plants you want to protect from snails and slugs. They don’t like the feel of the sharp edges on their underside, so they won’t cross it.”

Whilst a fourth TikTok user said: “I crush eggshells finely, bury it next to plants along with a bit coffee grounds and used tea leaves.”

Backing up the TikTok user’s advice, Gardener’s World states: “Eggshells contain high levels of calcium (lime) as well as other nutrients, so are beneficial to most plants. Eggshells are principally made up of calcium, in the form of calcium carbonate, which is better known to gardeners as lime.

“A typical eggshell contains just over 2g of calcium, which makes up 95 per cent of the shell. Other beneficial nutrients and minerals contained in small quantities are phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, zinc, iron, and manganese. Certain crop plants have a high calcium requirement and are more likely to benefit from the application of eggshells, particularly as this may help avoid certain problems.

The web site also shares a warning: “What must be borne in mind is that it is more commonly a lack of water that causes these disorders, rather than a shortage of calcium in the soil, as plants can only take up nutrients when dissolved in water. Before adding lots of eggshells to the soil, it is advisable to carry out a soil pH test to determine its level of acidity or alkalinity.”