The Compost Calcium Fertilizer
Now this is a trick that I picked up from a published gardener while I was on a backpacking trip with Sierra Club Outings. I mentioned I did this compost blog and we started really getting into our favorite practices. This is hers that I now have fully encapsulated into my own.
You may have heard that there is a known lack of calcium within our soils causing our plants to suffer from a sort of calcium deficiency. In fact some fertilizers with a more than healthy dosage of potassium or nitrogen can be the causers of this issue.
So what do you do? Why you create the Egg-Shell Calcium Enrichment Treatment! ESCET! Or ‘escet’ if you prefer.
Now instead of throwing away or doing the normal composting with your egg shells, let’s try out a new technique. Have a small jar or ceramic container to place your egg shells (preferably washed, but not mandatory) then use an unobtrusive beating tool to smash down the egg shells into tiny bits on the bottom. My beating tool is a bottle opener.
ESCET
This way they will be compacted allowing for more room, as well as 1 step closer to becoming paste. When you are about half full with your container or at a level where you feel it sufficient we will commence with our finishing grind of the egg shells. This is best done in a style similar to grinding corn meal from corn kernels. But being that I’ve never done such a thing I will probably just put it in a big ceramic bowl, take the back-end of some tool I have and go to town. Like this: 
I will then dilute the paste into my watering vase and further the lives and lusciousness of my beautiful plants! Another option is to use it as a mulch right on top of your garden beds. And yet another is mix it in around the roots allowing for better water to flow through your soil.
My ESCET Container sits proudly on top of my oven
For urban composters such as myself this technique is perfect because I can still compost, creating something worthwhile and usable, while not having to worry about space requirements, smell, or putting something outside when I’m lazy, and it’s cold.
Another worthwhile benefit to note is that worms don’t enjoy feeding on half-broken egg shells in their bin. They much prefer things broken down before inhaling them. SO, use this technique for all of your egg shells and then add some to your worms with some water later in the month, they’ll thank you for it.
March 5th, 2009 at 4:23 pm
Nice tip! Those buggers never break down in the regular compost, either. I will have to try this! Thanks!
March 10th, 2009 at 5:06 am
I feel your enthusiasm, love the appropriately decorated escet container. Have been wanting a worm bin for months, but can’t trust myself to feed worms reliably until I can feed my family reliably, first. Gettin’ there.
And: I wonder if a blender would work for the final grind?
March 29th, 2009 at 4:16 am
The blender would be perfect for the final round! I might fear for blunting the blades a bit (alliteration!) but for how often you’d do it it shouldn’t be an issue. Thanks for the comments!
April 6th, 2009 at 2:19 pm
I just put some eggshells in my compost bin. I’ll dig them out after work and give them a good once over. Thanks for the tips Cameron. I thought I might try my “Bullet” for the last grind.
April 29th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
Great idea! I’m going to do this.
To dry out the eggshells (without washing), I like putting them back in the egg carton as I consume the eggs. They get all dried out in the fridge, and when you’re done your last egg, they’re brittle, clean, and ready to crush.
September 16th, 2009 at 1:16 am
HELP! I just bought a counter top compost. It did not come with any instructions. I went online to find out what can and can’t be put in it. I thought it would be an easy process but from what I’ve been reading, it looks to be more complicated then that.
Can you give me pointers? I bought it because most of my garbage was extra food/food scraps that it was decomposing in the garbage bin already. I recycle almost everything else. I would appreciate it! Thanks!
October 20th, 2009 at 2:49 am
Eggshells in the compost are great. They work best if you dry them, (washing isn’t necessary) and them grind them in a coffee grinder (kept just for that one task). Sprinkle them into your compost or right onto the garden. Plants will love you. Also if you simply break them into small pieces you can spread them around your plants to head off those pesky slugs and snails.
October 30th, 2009 at 7:04 pm
Is this one of the electronic composters? Naturemill?
July 2nd, 2010 at 10:32 pm
i second the grinder method.it turns eggshells into the finest powder you’ve ever seen.