Bert Swope
Starting vegetable seeds in eggshells can be an engaging, cost-effective, and educational spring activity that also serves as an affordable spring science project for kids. Perfect for the space-poor gardener or anyone interested in teaching children more about how seeds grow!
Start by filling each eggshell with seed starting mix. Next, sprinkle in some seeds and lightly cover them with soil.
Seeds
Planting vegetable seeds in eggshells is an efficient and enjoyable way to reuse household items that you already own, while providing children with an educational activity they will find fun and engaging. Children will learn about plant lifecycle, saving money and working together on projects while doing this activity together.
Start by gathering various seed packets and a paper egg carton, filling each shell with pre-moistened seed starter mix while leaving some space for soil growth. Place two seeds per shell using your finger to make small holes for each seed before covering with dirt to protect the soil underneath.
Before using cracked eggshells for this project, ensure they are thoroughly rinsed. Unevenly cracked shells can lead to broken tops breaking off and shattering; ensure all shells are broken at an equal pace so as to leave half to two-thirds intact as pots for your seeds.
Once your seeds have been placed into their eggshell pots, plant them either in a sunny window or greenhouse. Eggshells will naturally decompose over time and enrich the soil with calcium – an essential mineral for plant roots and can even help prevent blossom end rot on tomatoes!
After planting seeds, ensure the potting soil remains moist but not soggy by watering lightly every few days using a spray bottle. Keep in mind that eggshell pots don’t feature drainage holes; therefore, you should take extra caution not to overwater.
Calcium leaches into seed compost as you water shells, making it essential to ensure that soil remains hydrated at all times. Furthermore, lightweight potting soil with minimal compaction allows seeds to germinate quickly.
Once the seeds start sprouting, children can enjoy pruning off any weaklings to give room for growth of larger seedlings. This activity provides both fun and educational lessons as they develop their own vegetable gardens!
Soil
Starting seedlings in eggshells is an environmentally-friendly activity that provides you with a headstart on gardening season – plus, it teaches kids about sustainability while getting them involved with growing food! It’s the perfect opportunity to engage the kids in growing food!
Egg shells provide a natural source of calcium carbonate, essential for plant development. Furthermore, eggs also contain magnesium, phosphorus and potassium; essential elements necessary for their healthy development.
Eggshells can be an invaluable addition to the soil in many ways. First, ground eggshells into powder form can be added directly into potting soil – particularly useful if transplanting plants from nurseries will provide them with all of their required nutrients to thrive and flourish.
Grind eggshells to a fine powder and use it to reduce acidity in soil or add it to compost bins for acidity reduction or as an amendment in compost piles. You can then sprinkle this fine dust into your garden in fall or spring to provide minerals to growers over time.
Suppose you’re growing tomatoes or other fruit-bearing vegetables. In that case, eggshell powder can help prevent blossom-end rot, which causes black spots on fruit and can significantly diminish your harvest if left untreated.
Eggshells provide another great advantage as a natural pest deterrent, protecting your garden against slugs that are attracted to their scent – meaning less attacks from them in your garden!
Eggshells’ sharp edges can also help deter soft-bodied insects such as aphids and thrips from attacking your plants – an all too familiar problem in gardens! Eggshells offer an effective deterrent from entering gardens.
Eggshells as fertilizer can also help save you money on soil amendments; their cost-efficiency puts them ahead of products like agricultural lime made of limestone to regulate pH levels in soil and add calcium.
Sunlight
At the core, success in gardening all boils down to nurturing and encouraging your seeds properly. When done right, they’ll produce healthy plants ready to flourish in your garden.
Many garden vegetables, particularly cool-season crops, thrive best when planted in not overly hot soil. While some warm-season veggies will still germinate at lower temperatures, others require certain temperatures in order to germination properly.
To achieve optimal temperature and moisture conditions for vegetable seed germination, check the package of seeds that contain them for any specific requirements. Typically, seeds need to be in direct contact with moist soil at temperatures between 60 degF to 70 degF (16-21degC).
Some seeds require specific conditions to germinate successfully–known as seed dormancy–for instance, certain vegetables need bright lighting to germinate successfully, which means placing them near a sunny window or using an artificial grow lamp can ensure they receive enough illumination.
The sun gives plants energy by emitting sunrays and particles that travel millions of miles to their target plants. Through photosynthesis – where water and carbon dioxide combine into sugar – these particles become energy that plants use to build cells and survive.
Plants unable to receive enough sunlight may not have access to enough energy for photosynthesis, leading them to slow or stop their growth altogether. Keep in mind that sunlight levels vary according to day, season, latitude, and time of day.
As an example, solar rays are most intense near the equator and weakest over northern and southern latitudes; thus providing most areas with varied amounts of sunshine throughout the day and growing season.
Sunlight provides more than just energy; its rays also supply essential nutrients for seeds and other plants. Chlorophyll captures solar energy and converts it to glucose that plants use for food production.
Water
Planting vegetable seeds is an enjoyable and eco-friendly activity suitable for children of all ages, teaching them the value of recycling materials that may otherwise go to waste around their house. A great option would be using recycled eggshells or natural upcycled materials like straw to start your garden!
Eggshells can be an ideal place for growing vegetables, whether directly planting seeds into them or creating an all-natural fertilizer by making an eggshell tea! Eggshell water, as it is commonly known, contains calcium and potassium essential for healthy plant growth.
To create this tea, you will require 10-20 clean and dry eggshells as well as one gallon of water. Boil the eggshells first before straining out any liquid that remains. Or create a larger batch and let it sit for 24 hours so nutrients can infiltrate the solution.
Crushed eggshells provide an abundant source of calcium to the water supply and can also effectively fertilize indoor and outdoor garden plants. Their calcium-rich composition enhances soil moisture-holding capacity while supporting healthy roots.
Calcium supplements help prevent blossom-end rot, and also decreases the likelihood of deer snacking on fruits from your plants. Furthermore, their strong fragrance repels many bugs which make for effective protection from pests.
Once your seedlings have germinated, you can transplant them into larger containers or your garden. As they grow, their eggshell will decompose into the soil and provide extra nutrients necessary for healthy development of their new homes.
Eggshells make an excellent medium for growing seeds as you can reuse the carton or tray after each harvest, cutting back on plastic waste. Furthermore, their hard and sharp edges help ward off deer and soft-bodied insects in your garden; using eggshells as seed starters also introduces children to gardening by giving them fun digging experiences!
