To start things off I have changed my method of composting egg shells. Previously I had stopped collecting them because I hated to look at chunks of egg all over the place. I then took some inspiration from Chiot's Run last spring. She collects them, drys them out and grinds them up. So I started dry them out, then I stored them in a glass jar(shaken to break them up) and once the jar was full I blitzed them up in the food processor. With this done I added them to the compost, you could also spread these under your tomatoes to help with blossom end rot.
I have done some compost overhauling so I thought I would do an update on it. Here is a shot of the bin when I started. It was recently full to the top and has shrunk down by a third. It was mainly full of grass clippings & weeds so it was in need of some major turning.
Here is a shot of the material I have removed from the veggie garden recently. On the ground is the broccoli plants that I harvested a few weeks ago and have left laying on the back driveway. In the wheel barrow is all the peas vines, broad bean plants, veggie thinnings & weeds that came out of the garden this weekend.
When I have a lot of material to add to the compost and when it is in need of major turning I find it easiest to put all the material on the driveway, mix and then add back to the bin. It is next to impossible to properly turn these black bins.
With the material mostly mixed on the driveway I added it all back to the bin well trying to have a nice mix of half composted material and green material. I also added the ground egg shells in thin layers.
Now for the money shot, here it is all filled up and topped with kitchen scraps and coffee grounds. Some may find this beautiful, Some may find it gross. I'm in the gross category but I do enjoy the finished product and that it reduces our household waste.To ends things off Miss M has just done a post on making fertilizer out of many common plants & weeds that accumulate high amounts of nutrients. If you check out Her blog, The Informal Gardener you will find a chart that shows which plants have what nutrients and how to go about making the tea. A very informative read.
*for the next couple post I will continue updating on the crops I missed last week. I think all that is left is peppers, squash, cucumbers, root crops & onions
Compost is something I've yet to venture into. The man has drawn "the line" firmly in the ground. Makes me sad, but I have to respect it.
ReplyDeleteI bet grinding those egg shells will go a long way into helping them be the most effective.
This post reminds me of the very arduous task I have to do, turn and consolidate my bins. It is most difficult! I too save my eggshells. I sprinkle them on the top of gardens but grinding them up and drying them in the microwave is a good idea too. It would sure help combat that blossom end rot like you said. Neater too.
ReplyDeletegreat compost pics! now you have some wonderful black gold ~
ReplyDeletedo you get red wrigglers in there? they're the best for your garden soil.
Happy Gardening!!
What a great idea to dry out the eg shells and grind them up. We compost the conventional and vermicompst ways. I typically put the egg shells in the vermicompost bin the worms love the egg shells and it aids in the worms digestion. I will now try your idea of drying and grinding!!
ReplyDeleteRibbit - I'll bet that you will be composting before you know it. Just tell the man that "real men compost", ha.
ReplyDeleteTina - I need another bin. I just can't decide whether to build a wooden 3-bin system or just get another black plastic ones. Good idea to microwave the shells, I have just been letting them dry in a bowl on the counter.
Gumboot - I do get red wriggles in the bin but they seem to come and go. I think it has something to do with heat levels whether they will stick around or not.
Chef Phil and Malinda - I thought it was a good idea to grind them up too. Never tried vermicomposting but I really should one of these days.
The ground up shells would be a good slug deterent too. I just crush them before putting them in my compost pail - but I may have to give some thought to holding them out and doing the drying/blending process instead. It certainly is a more appealing looking result and probably breaks down a lot faster too.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you're getting some use out of my ideas!
ReplyDeleteI crush mine and keep them in a plastic container. I usually use them on my tomatoes, I've heard it helps keep blossom end rot away.
Be very careful microwaving egg shells. If you burn them they smell HORRIBLE and for quite a while in the house. I usually just keep mine on the back of the stovetop by the oven vent, every week or so when I have a decent sized batch and they're dry I crush them with my mortar & pestle. If I use a large amount of eggs for something, I put them in my toaster oven on love for 10 minutes to dry them out.
I'm glad you're getting some use out of my ideas!
ReplyDeleteI crush mine and keep them in a plastic container. I usually use them on my tomatoes, I've heard it helps keep blossom end rot away.
Be very careful microwaving egg shells. If you burn them they smell HORRIBLE and for quite a while in the house. I usually just keep mine on the back of the stovetop by the oven vent, every week or so when I have a decent sized batch and they're dry I crush them with my mortar & pestle. If I use a large amount of eggs for something, I put them in my toaster oven on love for 10 minutes to dry them out.
My chickens eat my egg shells! I wash and put them in the oven when I'm baking the bread. Then I grind them with the pestle and mortar - very therapeutic! The finely ground results are sprinkled into their feed to help with shell thickness and strength.
ReplyDeleteI have 3 bins like yours. They get the 'cleanings' from the chicken house and run every day and heat up a treat. I love compost!
Eggshells aren't very compatible with wormies, either. We don't have a food processor, so I do water and eggshells in a blender and pour the mess of stuff on the pile. Great post!
ReplyDeleteI always put my eggshells in the food processor too. I hate the look of eggshell bits in my garden. They just never break down. I always bake mine whenever I'm baking something else. Not for long though. You don't want them to smell. I used a cup of the crushed eggshells under my tomatoes when I planted them. They seem to love them. Blossom end rot is very problematic in my soil, but not if I use enough eggshells. If I find I still have problems I use eggshell tea (smells terrible) to water the tomatoes every week.
ReplyDeleteI don't have a three bin system. I have one of the black composters that I use occasionally. My main bins are wire bins. Just fencing wire drawn into a circle. I have several plus a huge bin to store my leaves from the fall. It works. It isn't quite as neat as a three bin system, but it is easy to move around.
Great tip for blossom end rot !
ReplyDeleteI tried the black bin once. I prefer the one I have now because it's easier to mix/turn. (I know most ppl think it's a chore, but I actually enjoy turning my compost, lol). It's just an old wooden garbage bin I converted by taking the bottom out and trellising the top for ventilation. I always make sure there's plenty of worms in there, they do a great job.
I think the black bin is more suited for heat composting where microbes/bacteria do the job. Some people cover their heap with a tarp or old carpet to achieve this. The hotter the heap the quicker it breaks down.
Is your bin in a sunny spot to help heat it up ?
This is always such a charming job.... :)
ReplyDelete