We've Moved
Egg Shells
If you took a look in my Kitchen Compost Crock, no matter what day of the week it was, you'd probably find coffee grinds (with the filters) and egg shells. In fact you could even rename my crock, the coffee grind and egg shell holder and that would be okay with me.
These are the ingredients that get me going in the morning and these are also the ingredients that get my compost pile going.
Now you've probably heard people say that you should never put meat or fats in your compost bin because they'll attract little critters and I agree with that. But I know some people who actually wash their egg shells before adding them to their compost. In my opinion, those people are crazy people.
I just toss mine in there and I'm done. Most of the time, I'll bury the crock contents under some leaves to keep the yard looking neat. But this time I wanted to get a few pictures first.
18 Comments:
This year, I started saving our shells separately and drying them (unwashed). I read several suggestions that scattering them around plants deters slugs. And I sure do have slugs (not bears, thankfully). Worst case, it does nothing and the shells break down faster.
My 11 year old daughter enjoys grinding them up with a mortar and pestle for me.
When they come out they're crushed using our mortar & pestle and placed into an old coffee can. It takes us about a year to fill up the coffee can but come spring it serves two purposes.
First, in early spring when you first notice the birds starting to become active, place some of the crushed egg shells near a bird-feeder and watch them come pick at it. The crushed shells make for great gullet-gravel and the steady supply of the enriched form of calcium helps encourage them to build their nests nearby.
The other half of the coffee can gets deposited into the new season's first compost pile to be added to the various garden beds in the yard.
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If you were just going to compost the egg shells I'm sure you could skip the steps of baking them off but it really does help them crush much more easier once they've been dried out anyways so it's up to you. Not all that much more work once you get into the routine of it.
The only problem I have now is my backyard is quickly becoming a aviary, lol.
I don't crush my shells, but I do turn my compost a lot so they wind up in small pieces anyway. I don't notice them when I spread the compost so I'm guessing they're breaking down.
R Joe,
You get the overachiever award of the day. Wow, that sounds like a lot of work to me but if that's what you're into, then go for it.
Didn't consider the salmonella part although I know that there's less risk of that with organic free range eggs. So I should be fine. Thanks for the comment
Yes, I notice the birds making off with my shells sometimes too. I don't really mind.
[Raccoon & opposum have been in my neighborhood. We are now trying to keep predators away by using coyote scent.]
If I put crushed up egg shells in my compost will it attract even more predators to my yard?
Michelle, add that coffee can and about 2-3 more coffee cans full of shredded newspapers or shredded leaves to your compost bin and you'll be off to a great start.