When it comes to nutritional value and health benefits, eggs are considered to be one of the most complete foods. An integral part of a healthy breakfast, eggs are not only rich in protein but also have many minerals and vitamins. Many still debate the role of the egg’s white and yolk with respect to their impact on blood cholesterol and blood pressure. However, for those suffering from different ailments, eggs still provide more benefits than associated risks.

Interestingly, the egg shell is also used to treat different skin, hair and calcium deficiency related issues, because egg shells are rich in calcium carbonate. Providing the vital calcium requirement, egg shells are consumed by some in powdered form, as it is believed that the egg shell can help one overcome weak bones and osteoporosis-related issues.

Like any other living organisms inhabiting the planet, plants also require a steady supply of food in the form of minerals through different fertilisers. Just like nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are vital to a plant’s growth in different stages of the plant life cycle, the plant also needs a generous supply of calcium at different stages.

Supplying lime, gypsum, fertilisers, sprays and application of chemicals that include calcium nitrate, calcium acetate or calcium carbonate are some of the commonly practised methods to compensate for the plant’s calcium deficiency.

Instead of throwing away your egg shells, use them as a much-needed source of calcium for your plants

But for all our readers, especially the kitchen gardeners, egg shells can also provide the much-needed calcium to the plants. For any kitchen gardener, it is very easy to ensure a continuous stream of calcium provision to their plants by collecting egg shells, drying them and finally using them after crushing the shells into a powder form.

At a micro level, calcium plays a significant role in the formation of the plant cell’s wall and membranes. It is absorbed from the soil by the roots and goes all the way up the shoot and on to other parts of the plant.

Many studies suggest that calcium also helps the plant in issues pertaining to its physiological attributes and with relation to the plant’s own developmental stages. These situations may include a critter attack, a disease or even a drought. Calcium also improves soil structure by making it more aerated and allowing it to absorb water efficiently. This, in turn, helps plants to access and obtain more of the other nutrients from the soil and it further improves the chances of a better overall production from the plants.

It is believed that calcium helps plants to grow in uniformity, like plants and crops that are grown in rows in open space in a certain pattern. In the initial stages of plant growth, the application of calcium helps plants grow specifically in that manner. The root mass also improves with the addition of calcium.

Highly acidic soil may result in decreased calcium availability for the plant. There are a number of signs and symptoms that depict calcium deficiency. If one end of the tomatoes or peppers starts turning brown in colour, calcium deficiency of the soil is a possibility. One of the earliest symptoms is the tip of young growing leaves on the plant turning brown to black in colour. Similarly, there may be brown coloured spots on the leaves, and the leaf vein — which runs across the centre of the leaf — might also turn darker in colour.

Dried, crushed egg shells can be sprinkled around plants and on the soil surface and then mixed gently. This practice is especially important when it comes to growing a new plant. When shifting a seedling to a bigger container, before placing it at its new permanent position, the base can be layered with crushed egg shells, on which the plant can then be carefully placed.

The application of egg shells at such crucial junctures of the life cycle helps the plant get the required boost and helps it extract other nutrients from the soil as well.

Please send your queries and emails to doctree101@hotmail.com. The writer is a physician and a host for the YouTube channel ‘DocTree Gardening’ promoting organic kitchen gardening

Published in Dawn, EOS, January 21st, 2024