There’s not a lot of labor involved in adding eggshells to plants. You can simply crush eggshells. Then, mix them into the soil. Or, sprinkle the shells on top of the soil around the base of the plants. Eventually, the shells will break down and release calcium.

Is Eggshell Tea Good for Plants?

Keep in mind that broken eggshells can attract raccoons in your garden and mice in your home. For this reason, sometimes green thumbers prefer to soak crushed eggshells to make an eggshell tea. To make the tea, boil a gallon of water. Then, add 10 to 20 clean eggshells to steep overnight. Those soaked eggshells will still have their original shape (if not crunched up) and color, but the egg shell tea will look like foggy water. Once it’s soaked, the eggshell tea can be poured onto plants. On a weekly basis, pour approximately two cups of the egg shell tea directly onto the soil.

Are There Plants That Eggshells Don’t Work On?

You may have a solid routine for watering and fertilizing a bunch of your plants, and a perfect plant rack and hanging hook for a couple others. But there’s always that one plant that wants to rebel against your plant-loving norms. Plants that prefer acidic oil aren’t fond of eggshell tea or eggshells as plant food. Acidic-soil-loving plants include azaleas, blueberries, ferns and rhododendrons. Eggshells raise the soil pH, making it more alkaline and potentially killing the plants. So before you get ready to empty your compost bin, know which plants are egg-friendly and which ones should stay far away from those shells.

If you’re a first-timer and nervous about eggshells for plants, test the waters with one plant and see how it goes. If it works out, continue onward, carefully watching how each plant behaves with this new plant treatment. When it all works out, now you can sigh a little less when you’re at the grocery store checkout lane.