Hi folks!
So sorry its taken a bit for this post. My husband got a new job and we are moving 500 miles away!!!! So needless to say we've been packing and getting life ready for this move.
But I do have a post for you! I have started a few seedlings that I have cultivated into about 2 inch plants. Since we don't get a lot of sunlight where we currently reside we had to buy a grow lamp. There are plenty of types of grow lamps that can be used for a wide variety of growing types. The one we purchased was for simple seed starting and house plants. I had noticed my tomato seedlings looking a little drab so I went looking for the best source of calcium for them. I found a few organic sources but ultimately came up with my own.
Eggshells.
Here's a tidbit taken from google:
"One whole medium sized eggshell makes about one teaspoon of powder, which yields about 750 – 800 mgs of elemental calcium plus other microelements, i.e. magnesium, boron, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, sulphur, silicon, zinc, etc. There are 27 elements in total."
So why not harness that vitamin power pack for your tomatoes!
So here's what I did......
I took the shells from my organic eggs and lined them on a baking sheet and cooked them at 400°F for 10 mins. Long enough to dry them and kill any bacteria that could have been on them.
Once they were cool to the touch I put them in my pestle and mortar to grind them into dust. Of course a coffee grinder (used only for eggshells or spices- because who wants eggy coffee- eww) can be used if you have that available.
Keep grating or grinding until your eggshells are throughly crushed. It could take a few minutes.....
Not done yet....... just keep grinding ,grinding grinding , just keep grinding, grinding.... lol Sorry, I couldn't resist.
Ok ,finally they are like powder!!! Nice and dusty. Calcium is a tomato plant's best friend. It helps prevent against Blossom Rot- totally not a good thing if you want to harvest anything. So anyway, for my seedlings I used about a tsp a week. I just sprinkle a little on the top of the soil and then water like normal.
Do make sure you use this only on plants that require a good deal of calcium to be at their best. Not all plants are created equal and you don't want to ruin the growth of your other babies- do your research!!!!!
Little Tip: You can also mix this powder (about 2-4 tbs) in some cooked oatmeal and feed it to chickens as a treat once or twice a week to give them calcium, if you happen to be out of oyster shells. 😉
Happy week to you all. We'll keep you updated on the move and new projects come out soon!
Be well.
So sorry its taken a bit for this post. My husband got a new job and we are moving 500 miles away!!!! So needless to say we've been packing and getting life ready for this move.
But I do have a post for you! I have started a few seedlings that I have cultivated into about 2 inch plants. Since we don't get a lot of sunlight where we currently reside we had to buy a grow lamp. There are plenty of types of grow lamps that can be used for a wide variety of growing types. The one we purchased was for simple seed starting and house plants. I had noticed my tomato seedlings looking a little drab so I went looking for the best source of calcium for them. I found a few organic sources but ultimately came up with my own.
Eggshells.
Here's a tidbit taken from google:
"One whole medium sized eggshell makes about one teaspoon of powder, which yields about 750 – 800 mgs of elemental calcium plus other microelements, i.e. magnesium, boron, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, sulphur, silicon, zinc, etc. There are 27 elements in total."
So why not harness that vitamin power pack for your tomatoes!
So here's what I did......
I took the shells from my organic eggs and lined them on a baking sheet and cooked them at 400°F for 10 mins. Long enough to dry them and kill any bacteria that could have been on them.
Little Tip: You can also mix this powder (about 2-4 tbs) in some cooked oatmeal and feed it to chickens as a treat once or twice a week to give them calcium, if you happen to be out of oyster shells. 😉
Happy week to you all. We'll keep you updated on the move and new projects come out soon!
Be well.
