DIY Water Soluble Calcium Fertilizer Using Eggshells and Vinegar

[@LairdKenneth]

For drying the eggshells, in the summertime I simply leave them out in a bucket in the sun and they dry quickly, in the winter I put the bucket near the woodstove. If you do need to use your oven, wait until after you have baked something, and then put the tray of shells into the oven. You can turn the oven off, as there is plenty of heat left for drying the shells.

[@royseager]

Asset

[@uranne]

Thank you so much for the tips! Two hours in the oven uses a lot of energy.

[@ArgyleTurtle]

I do the exact same thing, after making breakfast I toss them in to the residual heat

[@JourneytoSustainableLiving]

if you have a compost pile, blending your eggshells to a powder can help insects decompose the eggshells more easily, and I promise it works! I've been putting my eggshell powder into compost for years and then using the compost to amend my soil. it's the long game, but the time is going to pass anyway! check out my YT video because I use eggshells in other ways too other than composting!

[@joniboulware1436]

You need heat to kill off the Salmonella and other pathogens.

[@andymike6575]

For the nerds out there, vinegar (acetic acid) and eggshells (calcium carbonate) react to produce calcium acetate, water and CO2. It is water soluble, pH neutral and directly bioavailable as acetates are the most common building blocks for biosynthesis.

[@stayliftedgermany4041]

So, No need to "Stretch" the mixture 🤔🤔

[@andymike6575]

@@stayliftedgermany4041 not really. Just be sure to wait at least 2 weeks since the weak acid-base reaction occurs very slowly. You can also buy pure calcium acetate in powder form that you dissolve in water. ~$10/lb

[@AlaskaIndoor]

Alaska native love you be safe stay strong God bless

[@peggyhelblingsgardenwhatyo7920]

Hi Christina, Greetings from Windermere, Florida 9b Excellent video ❤ I have used eggshells in my garden for 50 years. But my uses have changed. Now I pulverize them and use as grit in my Worm bins. Their Castings are now calcium rich ❤

[@foreverfoodforest]

Thank you Florida friend! That's a great idea for supercharging your worm castings with nutrients! I want to start a worm bin soon - any tips for keeping them happy in our Florida heat?

[@cfeliz785]

Excellent video. Thank you for educating us about garden ideas

[@kevinfinnegan8547]

I gave up saving eggshells because they never broke down in my compost; now I can start saving/using them again. Thank you!

[@josefjorge]

Takes 3 years to start leaching until 10 years. Not a waste. No harm done.

[@PhilipYoungblood-n6t]

I feed small eggshell pieces to my chickens in there mash along with diatomaceous earth in small amounts keeps the parasites away.

[@oldandintheway9805]

Your chickens will love you for that!

[@deniselattanzio1722]

My egg shells never turned into the milky white liquid hers did. Wasn't expecting them to because I used the brown egg shells. But I was expecting a brownish version but it never happened. They never broke down. I left it in the closet for months. Nothing.

[@Tommy-qv8lr]

Use worms. Feed the worms. And they will take care of it all

[@robertchilders8698]

This is the best channels I've seen on making soluble calcium! I've been buying calcium tablets in the health food section of my grocery store! Desolved in water and fed to my plants. The worms love it! I love the worm castings! Powerful soil!

[@orkids5551]

Yes, been using this method as I watched filipino channel & they call them CalPhos.. I panfry my smashed eggshells & then use my old blender. So far it works. Very informative video. Thanks for sharing.

[@sitindogmas]

throw a pinch Epsom salt in in for your magnesium, your fruiting and flowering plants will love you for it ✌️💚

[@quemades]

heating the eggshells in a pan (fast) or oven (slow) is done to eliminate the fine membrane which if not done can easily turn your an off solution, meaning it goes bad and will damage plants.

[@ronaldwalker1009]

Keep sending more videos like this 💯🧠💪 you're doing a great job !!!!! keep it up 👍👍

[@BelindaB777]

Yes a older lady from Mississippi taught me this but I don't use all these steps and it works great my plants love it just as good as any store bought fertilizer if not better she called it tankage.... 💚 been using it for decades

[@HadassahHaman]

Well. Thank You!❤ I'm an organic gardener and have been making eggshell flour for couple years now but was not aware of this method. I'll definitely give it a try! Thx again!

[@olympia007]

I dry out the shells and turn them to powder and add to the worm farm or mix into potting soil. A flour sifter is good to dust around plants and scratch into the soil. I do the same with charcoal.

[@bonniebuchan868]

This is 😊k but the calcium would take years on the soil to become available to the plants I’m not that patient so the vinegar really speeds up the process for the plants Cheers bonnie😊

[@rickswift675]

Greeting from Queensland Australia Chrsina, even though I'm seventy five I'm as active as and a keen garner. I'M quite a big environmentalists and greeny, I have chocks what you would call chickens I never dispose of the shells they are thrown into buckets and crushed. I'm so impressed with your way I'll do it that way from now on. I'll start tomorrow with shells and crushed one's. I also eat a lot of oranges I never thrown out the the pills as they contain Nitrogen, after peeling, place into the fridge to remove moisture for a fortnight the sit them in a sunny spot till the become stiff place in oven at 250 C for an hour, then food processor. Plus I collect used Coffee grounds where I'm a regular, they also have Nitrogen slugs and snails love it and it kills them with a hart attack, with the result there is no resistance built up unlike chemicals

[@oldandintheway9805]

Greetings from the land up over.

[@mariaedler5107]

Thank you for this tip, I have a huge problem with them eating my hostas. Anything for pill bugs or any bugs?

[@Queendamidala]

Great tip for getting rid of slugs & snails! Thank you! Btw, I'm 70 and don't feel anywhere near 😊 Here's to us 🥂

[@karlakane5138]

Appreciate your clear recipe to make the mother” solution of vinegar & egg shells and then the all important recipe for dilution !

[@paulbraga4460]

actually, the powdered eggshell are great to add in the compost pile. the calcium will become available readily if add at the beginning of the heating process. indeed there is a wonderful process in biodynamics called cow pat pit you can use and tis very much like your ordinary compost in terms of maturity...blessing

[@foreverfoodforest]

Interesting about the cow pat pit. I will have to try it when I have access to some basalt. Thank you for the tip! I love learning about all these different biodynamic methods.

[@isabelladavis1363]

Great information never knew to add vinegar to it and that it benefits soooo much thank you for sharing this vital information stay blessed

[@truthbetold2611]

I always save all my egg shells for the garden. I'll make the foliar spray. Thank you.

[@houseofflava7614]

Just came across this video and loved your method. I learned this from garden like a viking who went into depth, (love his channel), but yours was a little bit easier to understand. I know people are asking about why baking in over. Viking explained that it not only kills bacteria but destroys the film that clogs up your blender etc. Great tutorial, can't wait to see more. TFS

[@kazuma96-dq5zw]

I did teacher I'm confident my test score will be 100 thanks love you.

[@paulgdlmx]

Well done, clear, informative

[@TheProdigalGardener]

I just discovered your channel today and I love your videos. I am learning and laughing all at once. I love your authenticity. Happy growing!

[@foreverfoodforest]

Thank you so much!

[@NatalieBrown-r6j]

I have watched several videos for making fertilizer from eggshells. However, yours was so easy to listen to that all my questions were answered. My confusion was replaced with comprehension after watching this video. I’m ready to to try it, no, DO it!

[@jeanettetaranto2385]

I totally agree with your comment, this was a great video, right to the point. Some other videos I checked out before this one are way too long and with too much unnecessary content. Being short, sweet and with relevant information is not easy to produce.

[@altafabdallah7867]

Thank u from africa Tanzania 🇹🇿

[@ancesthntr]

Thanks very much for this video, it was as informative as the one on composting. I wash eggshells with hot water. I gather anywhere from 1 to 2 dozen over the course of a week or so together and then microwave them for one minute. I assume that you’re putting the shells in the oven to kill any bacteria, and I am quite sure that putting them in the microwave does the exact same thing. I have been hand grinding them inside of paper towels with the edge of a jar, and I think I’m going to move to the electric grinder method. First of all, it looks a hell of a lot easier, and second it definitely grinds it to a finer powder than I can by hand. I will be adding some of the diluted mixture to my worm bin, and the rest I will add to my compost pile.

[@mynameismud4568]

Watched all your vids Loved all of it need more please.😊🖖

[@AlsanPine]

i use an old coffee grinder i got at a garage sale for a few bucks. the only thing i would change is evening spraying of leaves is less than ideal. as a general rule avoid doing this especially in humid places like most of usa. with tomatoes, when i plant the starts outside, i put in some of the powder in the hole. adding it to the compost is also excellent. excellent channel.

[@BudGrower420]

I love those flowers in the kitchen it’s different

[@petrtshine7172]

I like your video so much you have a good idea very good see you for next videos thank you.

[@hayj8741]

Thanks! Working on first time bed w tomatoes and watermelon, hoping for the best!!

[@kmetharom]

Thanks, Forever Food Forest. ❤❤❤

[@dropattieramsammy1462]

Thank you great tips God bless you always 💖 😘 🙏

[@stacyclark5910]

Very thorough! Thx!

[@tulsiramdagur9580]

Your simplicity and netcharAl

[@tinaingram885]

Thanks for sharing. Will be doing this. I have a huge bucket of eggshells. 😮 im a organic Gardner. 😊

[@sia.j.parrella6752]

Garden like a Viking, explained how the frying pan cooking breaks down the membrane so the composting is quicker, I'm sure the oven does the same thing.

[@tokyukvitz88]

Thanks a lot. From Malaysia.

[@SALTYDEPLORABLEGARBAGE]

Actually, eggshells are very similar in composition to our own bones. Many trace and more significant minerals are in the shells. That red-pinkish color in the dust is magnesium and manganese which the latter combines with silica of the shell to make dolimite. Limestone with dolomite makes lime more usable in plants. Thanks!

[@simple4me2]

2-3 hours@ 300 deg.

[@simple4me2]

Add 5 cups white vingar to egg shells

[@SALTYDEPLORABLEGARBAGE]

@@simple4me2 Why so long? I baked mine at 375 for about 45 minutes and they powdered out well in the past.

[@tmckmusic8584]

Which is why this solution is also a good idea for humans to consume : try replacing the vinegar in your homemade salad dressing with calcium vinegar.😉

[@SALTYDEPLORABLEGARBAGE]

@@tmckmusic8584 Probably real viable.

[@gracegardenprince]

Good information 👍

[@backyardfarmerpat]

Great video. I have never baked my shells before blending. I usually let sit for weeks till bone dry. Is that still ok?

[@anithap7151]

Thank you for the information. You say an ounce mixture to a gallon of water, but in the video you add about 3 ounces to a quart.

[@foreverfoodforest]

Good eye! Its not an exact science. A more dilute mixture will last longer.

[@anithap7151]

@@foreverfoodforest Thank you.

[@meesho2194]

Hello Christina, Greetings from Michael Staten Island NY 7b. how often do you spray your plants with the eggshell solution. Thanks

[@TravelTipsForNepal]

Thanks, from Nepal. I just found your channel and subscribed.

[@consciouseducationcoach]

What does your house smell like when baking those egg shells please share 🙏 Love this video! Thanks you ❤

[@lovethegarden.kumariyeline4835]

Very nice sharing friend.

[@marklawrence76]

New Subscriber. Keep the videos coming

[@debbiey9452]

I do this with my chickens’ eggshells and use an old coffee bean grinder to make a powder. I then sprinkle that powder over their food for extra calcium.

[@ashercohen387]

I Sun dry mine. Then I blend them to powder. I use my own homemade vinegar. Works great minimal electric used.

[@vuyelwaflorence]

Thank you Lady I will do it in my garden

[@MrThemortgage]

I do the same but use a 1:1 ratio and it works fine. I add 1 TBSP/gallon of water and water it into the soil. I don't need to wait with the 1:1 more than 20 minutes or once all the bubbles stop.

[@dayalankanavathy9220]

I don't wash them but sun dry the egg shells. Will it make a difference. Thank you for your video ❤

[@rebqayunan4382]

Excellent video thank you can be store for along time

[@sewingSue]

Last season I ground the egg shells and then just sprinkle around the veggie plants and watered. Did not have any tomatoes with end rot.

[@VOTE4TAJ]

It’s a good video to simplify methods. I follow Garden Like Vikings and his prescribe use of liquid calcium is about 1-2% while an ounce to a gallon is also around the same ratio of less than 1% How often you recommend to use as foliar spray and or drench. I have recommended a friend in Pakistan to use the concentration on their vegetables like tomato and eggplant. Tanveer Taj Calgary, Canada Zone 4

[@foreverfoodforest]

Hi welcome! I use it as a foliar spray at the first set of blooms to prevent blossom end rot. How often it needs to be applied depends on your irrigation/rain schedule/soil type. I have sandy soil so during dry season I only drench once sometime after transplanting and before blossom set. During rainy season I have to drench every two weeks as the rain washes it out of the soil and its too humid to apply it as a foliar spray.

[@VOTE4TAJ]

@@foreverfoodforest it’s a heavier clay with lots of organic matter. I used it once, but will be applying foliar spray and soil drench with other liquid fertilizer upcoming weekend. Also, I handed over this formula to a farmer friend in Pakistan‘s so they can apply on their crops which are calcium deficient. Thank you for detailed reply.

[@foreverfoodforest]

@@VOTE4TAJ Thank you for passing along the info! Good thing about clay soils is that they hold on to nutrients far better than sandy soils.

[@suezaple4950]

Very cool love this thanks ,

[@sitindogmas]

throw a pinch of Epsom salt in there with it, your fruiting and flowering plants will love it ✌️💚

[@adibayob5777]

Oh no... Epsom salt cannot be mixed up together with Calcium. Antagonist effect I mean.

[@brentross69]

Hi... Nice video! But ... I would like to give you a few hints!! First... Just throw the shells into a frying pan... Crush them up and on low heat cook them and stir them until they darken but not burnt... 10 minutes +/- Just crush them up while cooking... Do not powder them... Then using your same ratios put in big glass jar ... Put vinegar first and add eggshells slowly so it does volcano on you... Cover with cloth and tie with string.... Put somewhere cool and dark and place on some eruption if jar is not big enough. Any vinegar will do!! In about a week or so reaction stops... Strain put away... It last very long time in cool place. Always spray in late evening.. never early morning unless you are sure it will be cool and cloudy all day.

[@foreverfoodforest]

Thanks for the tips! I'm currently trying this method with kombucha that turned to vinegar, and not powdering of the eggshells.

[@deniselattanzio1722]

Followed instructions but did not achieve same outcome.

[@kellyshanahan8139]

Hello from zone 4b in Quebec. I’ve only been growing veggies for our years and have a question. How often do I use this spray, and at what stage of maturity of the plants?

[@teacherseverino3467]

Thank you for sharing this video

[@maytezaldivar8384]

Thanks for the tips. ❤😊

[@juliogonzalez9723]

Thank you so much for the advice .😀

[@VijayKumar-df7ce]

good information

[@oscarrmelchor]

Out in California leave them out for a day. It’s summer here so they will get dry after once day.

[@jpwill7966]

Your dilution example wasn’t one oz to a gallon. What did you do? Otherwise, awesome and educational video! I’m going to do this, as I’m a new garden nerd 😁

[@JuniorRamlakan-lc9xk]

this is very good to do..tnx for sharing

[@foreverfoodforest]

Most welcome 😊

[@jagathgoonewardene507]

Very Good. Thank you very much

[@BlackBelgianDog]

Hi! What is the purpose of baking eggshells? I love cutting corners and if its only for killing possible salmonella bacteria, vinegar will do it anyway.

[@foreverfoodforest]

Baking them not only kills bacteria, but also dries them out and creates a chemical reaction that helps extract water soluble phosphorus along with calcium. It is possible to cut corners and still get a good result. I made my first batch without baking, just eggshells smashed by hand. Strained off the vinegar every two weeks and filled it with fresh. It took about 3 months for the eggshells to dissolve into a fine powder.

[@martywicks2826]

I usually put ground up egg shells in the ground when I plant tomatoes and they seem to grow faster. I'll have to try this method too. Do you put this on pepper plants too?

[@foreverfoodforest]

I haven't tried it with peppers. I only apply this when plants show a deficiency. But it should work with peppers too!

[@josephinegarcia5868]

Can I use it on all my plants including orchids?❤

[@thefourseasonsinsweden]

Wow, thank you for sharing your video ❤

[@NZ-vorno]

Hi, regarding the oven toasting / baking of the egg shells - you mention 2-3hrs at 200º. Would that be in C or F? Also, could you instead pan-fry the egg shells? Trying to understand the reasoning as to why one would toast the egg shells and what part that has to play in the process? Is it purely to dry them, or does heating them have a chemical / conversion process that's involved?

[@maccliff2115]

I just throw them in the compost pile. I’ll let the natural process takes it course. But this works too. 😃👍🏼

[@davidhurley2656]

I've heard it takes a very long time for egg shells to break down and become bio-available in regular compost. That squares with my observations of how long the shells are intact. I just started hand-crushing them (mortar & pestle actually) then soaking them in vinegar for a couple days before putting them in my compost to speed up the process a bit.

[@amakaaneke130]

Definitely worth trying out. Thank you.

[@foreverfoodforest]

My pleasure!

[@Guylangloisartist]

Great video. Thanks

[@BillRance-l8d]

I put my shells in oven mentioned in the video. My egg shells burnt. Threw them away. I now go less time. I am getting ready to winterize my garden. Can I spread the created liquid in my garden now? I mulch up my fallen leaves and spread over garden.

[@alexiabent4142]

Nice. Tks God bless you.

[@SK-gc7xv]

Mixing this with weed tea made from dandelions would be even more powerful, and the leftover grit is good for worms.

[@davidhurley2656]

Thanks. Another guy who uses a 1:1 ratio says the egg shells will neutralize the vinegar so that dilution is not necessary. Is it different cuz you use a 10:1 ratio?

[@andymike6575]

White vinegar is only 5% acetic acid so you need much more vinegar than eggshells/CaCO3 for the stoichiometric ratio to be balanced

[@blueandbanana]

Why do you bake the eggshells? Can I use an fryer or microwave and for how long?

[@crystalkinson4915]

???I watched another video on this and my concoction 5 cups vinegar to 1/2 cup eggshell. It quit bubbling after about 2 1/2 days so I filtered out the eggshell mush. The color of the liquid is still mainly clear vinegar. The taste is different but still slightly vinegar in taste. Can I still use this as foliar?

[@premilapatel4892]

Nice videó. Which one ís best á) foliat spray or b) giving to plant( watering to plant)? Ör both are same. Can you give me qty of eggshell-Vinegar dilute liquid require for chillies, eggplant & okra vegetables plants at fruitting stage? At what interval We should give this liquid?

[@foreverfoodforest]

Hi! Great questions. Foliar spray acts faster and is good if you have sandy soil. Sandy soil and rainy climate cause calcium to wash out of the soil. Use as soil drench if you have clay soil. Clay holds on to calcium and it also helps make heavy clay soil more workable over time. Use at transplant stage when plants are establishing if on clay soil - that should be enough to last through the season. If you live in a rainy climate with sandy soil use about once every 2 weeks at fruiting stage as a foliar spray. Plants only need a small amount of calcium and normally there's some in the soil already, unless you're growing in soil less potting mixes.

[@bigrich6750]

I’m just wondering if you need to do the vinegar. After drying and grinding into a powder, can’t you just use it like a dry fertilizer, or will it just not produce the calcium that way?

[@Freedom_Born]

It'll help but still isn't really available for at least 4 months. The membrane needs to break down during watering which won't happen for a long while. So it's better to add long before planting, or compost the ground up shells instead... but the vinegar method usually activates faster as shown.

[@bigrich6750]

@@Freedom_Born thank you! Interestingly, I was just shoveling some, “finished,” compost and found a nearly intact eggshell in my compost pile that’s probably been in there for several months at least. I try to break them up but must have missed this one. Anyway, the durability of eggshells is amazing, but I’d sure like to make use of all those nutrients.

[@Zanziguy]

😊

[@athanas7892]

This amazing information. Thanks for sharing how to make calcium available for plants using egg shells

[@RevelationswithRabbi]

Eggshells are the closest form of our bones which exists outside of the body. Which also makes it a superb calcium supplement (for humans) after being ground up. ❤

[@denniscucovaz6189]

Made some last year, its in sealed mason jars, Is it still good yo use?

[@ramprasanna1577]

For How many days it can be stored? And instead of viniger can i use lime juice?

[@foreverfoodforest]

You can use lime juice! Any acid will work. I've even used over brewed kombucha. I've stored it for up to 3 months in a dark place under the sink.

[@ramprasanna1577]

You said the preparation time is 10 days. Should we have to mix or shake daily?

[@chrislaezur730]

Thank you. Every other source I looked at either gave me incorrect ratios or didn’t tell me what the finished product looks like.

[@mphil8433]

Thank you, thank you!

[@BillRance-l8d]

I mixed 1/4 cup of powder with 2 1/2 cups vinegar. It has been 3 weeks. The mix has powder at bottom and clear liquid on top. It does not look like your milky liquid. I have to stir it to get the milky look. After 2 weeks I did pour a little more vinegar in jars. It still has powder at bottom and clear liquid on top. I used white eggs, not brown.

[@cristobalv]

i would normally use shredded egg shell directly into the Vermicompost bin for future humus amended or directly into my tomato beds who loves extra calcium especially in the fruit production phase. So i didn't understand what's vinegar really does ?

[@DovidM]

The calcium in egg shells is unavailable unless the shell is crushed to a powder using a blender or coffee grinder. The vinegar is for creating water soluble calcium that can then be applied in diluted form as a foliar spray. However, you don’t need the vinegar if you have reduced the shells to a powder. The powder can be applied to the surface of the soil much like you would agricultural lime.

[@johnrichie2136]

Why do you need to grind the eggshells? They are very porous and permeable. The vinegar will get the carbonate anyway.

[@agrohome5344]

Thanks friend

[@fitzymon]

do you store this at room temp and for how long?

[@elizabethzemola3639]

How often do you spray the plants?

[@teacherseverino3467]

Watching from Teacher Seve.

[@Rubio_Eric]

When growing potatoes, at what point do you add the eggshell fertilizer to the plants?

[@lachinamr99]

Can I leave the mix to fermentation in a plastic container, for the 2 weeks?

[@jzwalz51robin45]

I left my powdered egg shells in vinegar for a month, but it did not look like oat mild. I got egg shell residue at the bottom and cloudy liquid.

[@dawnburkhalter7488]

Can you answer a question for me? is there any reason we can't just dissolve a calcium supplement from the drug store in water?

[@StringofPearls55]

Good question.

[@lynettehairrell1741]

I have done that!, and it definitely helps prevent blossom end rot

[@aaljabri7524]

What is the reason for heating the eggshells in the oven at the start?

[@sandyg3772]

I am wondering the same thing.

[@mervintelford3677]

Very costly on energy putting them in the oven for two hours. I never use the microwave for food but Better microwave for a minute with the eggshells.

[@CricketsBay]

Baking the eggshells, as the channel owner says below, breaks down both the egg shells and the lining inside the shells so they dissolve much faster in the vinegar than just plain powdered egg shells.

[@stacycook7155]

It's been ten days- there was no high bubbling and the eggshells remain on the bottom. I used white vinegar- it only creates a tiny amount of bubbles when I stir/shake the glass jar. Is it because I am using duck egg shells? This is the type of egg we eat.

[@saave47]

thanks

[@juliej2930]

Can the calcium fertilizer be stored in plastic containers or should it be stored in glass? Ty

[@Altheiometer]

hi guys, mine never turned into a unified milky liquid like that. however, i stored it in plastic bottles with the lid closed, opening periodically to let the gas out. is it important for the mixture to be able to breathe for it to turn into a milky liquid?

[@nicoleshelburne5128]

What kind of blender do you have?