I'm always on the lookout for garden hacks from 'lawn forking' to space saving spring gardening in a bid to save myself (and you) from making costly investments.
One thing you're very likely to be spending a fair amount of money on is fertilizer. It promises to give your plants a crucial boost, feeding your soil with nutrients. But, it turns out, you might have a kitchen item in your home already that's a perfect, and budget-friendly, alternative – eggs.
I eat a lot of boiled eggs. My husband even jokes that one day I'll turn into one. But, I'm not ashamed because eggs are full of protein and nutrients. What I didn't realize is by pouring away the water that I've used to boil my eggs, I've been preventing my plants from receiving similar benefits. So, before you throw away that water, here's what you should do instead.
How does it work?
Influencers such as @shaynateresetaylor, who boasts over a million followers on TikTok, urge garden enthusiasts to save their water to pour onto soil instead. She says: "The nutrients in egg shells when boiled release into the water and are amazing for your plants and will make their soil happy!"
All you have to do is keep the water, let it cool, and pour it directly onto your soil. It won't cost you a thing and it'll provide a nutrient-rich solution for your plants. Of course, the more eggs boiled in the water, the better.
Full of calcium carbonate and other minerals, it's also important to check that your plants thrive with a calcium boost. This includes plants and perennials like lavender, cabbage, buckeye, hardy geraniums, and more. It's also a really great way to treat tomatoes which are suseptible to bloosom-end rot if they're lacking this one specific nutrient.
Adding in the boiled egg water will also make your soil more alkaline rich. So, be sure to check if your plants prefer acidic soil. For this, you might want to check the soil's current pH levels before you add it.
Other ways to use eggs in your yard
So, you've used the water from your boiled eggs, but you don't have to stop there. You also shouldn't throw away the discarded egg shells. In fact, there's actually 11 surprising uses for eggshells in your home and garden, including crumbling up the shells of your boiled eggs as an additional fertilizer alternative.
You'll only need to repeat this every two weeks or so. So, if you don't love eggs as much as I do, you'll still have plenty of opportunity. The cracked egg shells (scrunched in your hands or with a kitchen utensil) will give them a natural boost on top of the egg water you've already used.
But wait, there's more. Once you've used up all the eggs in your carton, gardeners urge you to use the cartons in your yard, too. From acting as the perfect home for your seed starters to naturally deterring slugs, egg cartons are another garden accessory that won't cost you any extra. It turns out one box of eggs can really go a long way in your yard.
