Kiwi Gardener

FROM: MARG, MĀHIA

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Eggshell TEA & Baked EGGSHELLS

I used to buy lime to add calcium to my garden, but I have learnt a cheaper, more natural way of doing it that also recycles organic waste. So now, I wash eggshells and I put them in the oven on a low heat until they brown (this breaks the shells down), then I store them in a large bucket with water in it. I leave the shells in the bucket for six to eight weeks so the calcium can seep out of the shells. Then, I mix one cup of the eggshell water with four litres of water and sprinkle it onto my garden.

For my compost, I wash and crush my organic eggshells and brown them in the oven, making sure that any slimy stuff left is dry. Then I whizz them up in my food processor before placing them into my layered compost bin.

Sometimes, I scatter the crumbs around my newly planted seedlings. I know eggshell takes time to break down, so it is not a quick-fix calcium fertiliser, but it is a great slow-release fertiliser and an eco-friendly one at that. It seems to work because my vegetables look really healthy and strong – and even if they don’t, at least my eggshells don’t go into the rubbish and into landfill.

 ?? ??

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