Though eggshells are packed with macronutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, they aren’t readily available for snake plants to uptake.
Decomposing eggshells isn’t so easy. It might take several months. This is why gardening experts recommend crushing eggshells into fine powder to be used as fertilizer.
Pulverized eggshells are good for snake plants.
Leftover eggshells have 1.19 percent nitrogen, 0.38 percent phosphorus, and 0.14 of potassium. These nutrients can benefit your growing soil only when you properly use them.
Adding big chunks of eggshells to snake plant will attract flies and results in bad odor. Instead, add pulverized eggshells to the compost bin.
After decomposition, the nutrients in this kitchen leftover can enrich your snake plant.
But you must know how often your snake plant needs to be fertilized?
Snake plant, often grown indoors, doesn’t require much fertilizer. One dose in a month will do the work.
You grow indoor plants to beautify your space and to purify air. Who likes to add foul-smelling eggshells to their plants?
So, should you not use eggshells for snake plants? Is there any benefit of using eggshells for snake plants?
All your queries will be answered later in this article.
Why you shouldn’t use eggshells for snake plants?
The benefits of eggshells for the garden are surrounded by two groups. One claims it is just a myth, and eggshells can’t decompose, and they have no serious impact on growing soil.
Other bloggers claim that adding powdered eggshells will slowly release nutrients to the soil, which will enrich the plant-growing medium with calcium.
Don’t get confused; we will crack this out now.
Eggshell has 90 percent of calcium carbonate, which can help your plant get rid of calcium deficiency. But calcium carbonate can’t be dissolved in water or alkaline. It is soluble in acidic solutions.
Apart from this, eggshell has other nutrients like iron, zinc, phosphorus, potassium, and organic matter.
With this nutritional profile, anyone will confirm the use of this home-available ingredient for the garden. But, they must be decomposed to be used by plants.
This site claims that eggshell pieces can’t be decomposed even in 2 years. Further, it states that adding eggshell pieces to the compost pile is of no use and can’t improve soil pH.
Anyway, Masterclass.com states that calcium in eggshells can be used by the plant over some time. They release nutrients slowly over time.
What’s my take?
Adding eggshells will only enrich the soil slowly. Eggshells improve aeration, and organic matter in the white membrane of eggshells will add at least trace elements to the soil.
If you’re relying on eggshells to fertilize your snake plant, then don’t use them.
I recommend using powdered or pulverized eggshells in the compost bin. Apart from adding little nutrients to the soil, it will reduce environmental wastage.
Also Read: Why you shouldn’t use coffee grounds for snake plants?
Are Eggshells Good for Snake Plants?
Yes, they are good to use pulverized eggshells to snake plants. However, this kitchen leftover won’t give an instant nutritional boost to your plant.
Also, you should do a soil test before using eggshells.
Calcium carbonate in eggshells can increase soil pH and make it more alkaline (1). Whereas your snake plant prefers neutral to slightly acidic soil to thrive.
Remember this: You should not replace your balanced liquid or granular fertilizer with eggshells.
As mentioned, eggshells are rich in calcium and other nutrients that aren’t readily available for the plant to use. Decomposition takes months to years to break eggshell pieces.
Without proper use, your snake plant can’t benefit from eggshells.
How to Use Eggshells for Snake Plant?
It would be best if you used only powdered eggshells to fertilize your plants.
Eggshells are left with Salmonella bacteria, which, if not removed, can destroy your plant and attract infestation.
Pulverize eggshells
1. Take 10 eggshells and wash them under the sink to remove leftover egg whites.
2. Dry-washed eggshells under sun for 2-3 days.
3. Drying under sunlight will remove infestation bacteria.
4. After a couple of days, grind eggshells into fine powder.
You can use the obtained powder to enrich your soil.
Add to Compost Pile
My first choice is to add powdered eggshells to the compost bin. As nutrients in eggshells are slowly released, composting will allow them to be readily available to plants.
Remember this: Excess use of eggshell powder isn’t recommended. Use not more than 5 percent of the total compost volume.
When ready, you can fertilize your snake plant with compost. This will ensure the plant gets balanced nutrients to thrive.
Add to the soil.
If you don’t have a compost bin, then you directly spread eggshell powder to the base of the snake plant.
As mentioned, it slowly releases its nutrients to the growing soil.
Test your soil before adding eggshell powder; this will allow you to know the calcium percentage in the soil.
Do eggshells affect soil pH?
Many gardeners claim that adding eggshells will improve your pH and make it alkaline.
The fact is adding calcium carbonate increases pH and helps to reduce acidic soil, but after pH reaches 6.8, it will have no impact on the soil pH.
Soil tests will help to gauge the impact of adding eggshells to the soil.
Eggshells Gardening Myths
More than facts, myths surrounding eggshell benefits.
- The use of eggshells can’t stop snails. Instead, if you use eggshells without washing them, they may attract pests.
- Half eggshell can be used to germinate seeds. This is a myth. It is not a good idea. As mentioned, eggshells won’t decompose, and you have to break them before planting the seedlings in the soil.
- Eggshells will avoid blossom end rot. It’s a myth. Though packed with calcium, adding eggshells won’t instantly improve the calcium percentage of your soil. Thus, your plant health may deteriorate further.
You might have read about using vinegar to fasten the decomposition of eggshells. However, acetic acid in vinegar may damage your plant tissues, and your snake plant can eventually die.
How Important is it to Fertilize Snake Plant?
You’re mistaken if you’re assuming fertilizer is plant food. Without enough sunlight and water, plants won’t grow.
However, with less fertilizer application, plants can grow.
But fertilizers boost plant growth, particularly indoor plants because they don’t get organic matter like plants in the garden.
Use fertilizer with an NPK value of 10:15:10. This will ensure the snake plant gets good root growth and grows attractive foliage.
Fertilize the snake plant once a month.
Also Read: How to Revive Underwatered Snake Plant?
Conclusion
You can use eggshells for snake plants after washing, drying, and grinding them.
However, powdered eggshells added to plants won’t show instant results.
Eggshell needs to be decomposed, and it is a slow-releasing fertilizer.
Adding eggshell powder may not show a big impact on snake plant growth, but it will surely add some nutrients to the growing medium.
Instead, you can also add pulverized eggshells to the compost bin. And you can use the compost to fertilize your snake plant.