You probably don’t think twice about discarding eggshells in the trash after cracking open eggs for an omelet in the morning. Yet, did you know that turning leftover eggshells into organic material and fertilizer for your lawn and garden is possible? Learn how to compost eggshells and use them as plant food to give your flowers and vegetables a healthy boost.
An eggshell is a common kitchen scrap that we take for granted. However, eggshells have calcium, protein, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium, essential nutrients and minerals for plant growth. What better way to give plants what they want than to recycle natural ingredients like eggshells back into the soil?
The next time you make cooked eggs, rinse and save the egg shells in the egg carton with the rest of the eggs in the fridge. You’ll eventually have an entire carton of shells ready for composting or turning into fertilizer.

Composting and Fertilizing With Eggshells
You’ve probably heard of composting leaves and grass clippings in a traditional compost heap or worm bin, but can you compost egg shells? Not only can you compost eggshells and a variety of other food scraps, but it’s also a great way to turn trash into nutrient-rich organic matter. The final product promotes healthy soil and bushier plants and prevents plant disease.
Discover the advantages of composting eggshells, how to compost them with other materials, and use the finished compost in the yard. Explore tips for turning eggshells into plant food if you don’t use an outdoor compost bin or heap.
Can You Compost Egg Shells?
You’re probably familiar with composting items like manure and yard scraps. Grass, leaves, twigs, and other garden debris are the basic materials for tossing into the worm or compost bin. But, can you compost egg shells?
Eggshell Composting
Can eggshells be composted? The good news is that crushed egg shell material is excellent for composting. Products like egg shells and citrus peels will decompose in a pile or bin over time. They break down into compost material and add nutrients and minerals to the finished product.
It’s essential to rinse the shells beforehand to remove the raw egg and break them down into a crushed shell since a small piece decomposes faster than a whole egg.
What Are the Benefits of Composting Eggshells?
Are egg shells good for compost? Yes, they are – there are several reasons for recycling them in the compost bin. Discover how composting rice and eggshells benefits the lawn, garden, and environment.
Unlike chemical fertilizers, eggshells are 100% organic – adding them to the compost heap creates well-balanced fertilizer. They are composed of calcium carbonate, which provides calcium to compost, an excellent amendment for plant soil. Additionally, putting the ground eggshell in the compost pile cuts down on waste, helping nature to turn leftovers into usable material.
How to Compost Eggshells
It’s helpful to understand the composting process and the difference between greens and browns before starting a compost bin tumbler with food waste and yard waste. Find out how to compost eggshells properly to ensure you get healthy finished compost.
Rinse and dry the eggshells before adding them to the compost. Consider baking them in a 200°F oven on a cooking sheet for a few minutes to kill bacteria and dry them. Crush the cooked eggshells into small pieces or a fine powder before composting them to speed up the process.
Eggshells are green composting materials; adding food waste to the compost bin for balance is vital. Add layers of hay, dead leaves, and shredded paper with eggshells, vegetable scraps, and fresh grass clippings for optimal results.
Once you have the desired materials, turn the pile every two to three days with a turning fork or shovel to distribute heat. Water the compost so it’s moist and not soggy.
There are three primary forms of composting eggshells; hot composting, cold composting, and worm composting. The best temperature for hot composting is between 131 and 149°F, which usually takes about three weeks to complete. Cold composting takes six months to a whole year, and worm composting takes roughly three to six months.
How to Use Composted Eggshells
Your eggshell compost is generally ready after a couple of months, and it’s finally time to put it to good use. Apply your new compost around the yard, garden, and potted plants.
Work compost into the top inch or two of dirt to enrich the soil of your new lawn or garden. This practice is valuable if you have alkaline or acidic soil since compost helps to balance soil pH.
Spread a layer of compost over the vegetable patch to suppress weeds and boost your plant’s calcium intake. Eggshell compost is also ideal for preventing blossom end rot on your tomato plant.
If you grow plants in containers, consider using compost to make potting soil by combining two parts egg shell compost with one part perlite or sand. Or, add an inch of the compost over the existing potting mix twice a year to replenish lost nutrients.
Do You Need to Compost Eggshells for Fertilizer?
While a compost pile is the best way to get the most out of scraps, composting isn’t necessary to reap the benefits of leftover eggshells. There are other ways to use eggshells if you don’t have a compost bin.
The simplest way to use eggshells as a slow-release fertilizer is to add them directly to the dirt. Use crushed eggshells for the best results. Place the crushed eggshell in the soil before planting and water as usual. It’s even better to turn the shells into fine powder before spreading them in the plant bed.
Eggshell tea is an option for using eggshells, giving the plants a quick boost. Boil a gallon of water with about 15 clean eggshells, let them steep overnight, and strain them in the morning. Pour two cups of the liquid fertilizer on each plant to provide calcium and stop blossom end rot.
Another way to use eggshells for plants is to combine them with other ingredients. Add banana peels to the eggshell tea before steeping to give plants calcium and magnesium to encourage strong roots. Or, combine powdered eggshell with Epsom salt, and sprinkle the powder over the dirt to help seeds germinate and produce more flowers.
Eggshells are excellent for feeding plants naturally, whether you compost eggshells or apply the eggshell powder directly to the garden soil. They provide plants with the nutrients and minerals necessary for strong growth, protecting them from pests and diseases while reducing waste.

Now that you’ve learned how to compost eggshells and use them as fertilizer, why not share our eggshell composting tips with the gardeners in your life on Facebook and Pinterest?