Using eggshells as a natural fertilizer has been a popular gardening hack for years, but according to TikTok gardening expert Humblebee House, there’s a crucial step that many gardeners are missing.

He said simply crushing and mixing eggshells into the soil isn’t enough to make their calcium readily available to plants.

“We’ve all heard about crushing up your eggshells and mixing them into your soil, but did you know it can take up to a decade for that calcium to become available in your soil?” Humblebee House explained in a recent TikTok video.

This delay can significantly hinder the benefits of using eggshells as a fertiliser, leaving plants without the necessary nutrients they need in a timely manner.

Instead of waiting for years, Humblebee House offers an alternative method to make the calcium in eggshells immediately available to plants.

Here’s the step-by-step process she recommends:

Bake the Eggshells: Place your eggshells in the oven at 350°F for one hour. This step is crucial as it removes the inner membrane, making the shells more effective.

Crush and Weigh: After baking, crush the eggshells into a fine powder and weigh them.

Combine with Vinegar: Mix the crushed eggshells with any kind of vinegar at a 10:1 ratio. The chemical reaction between the calcium carbonate in the eggshells and the vinegar will release carbon dioxide.

Let it Sit: Lightly cover the mixture and let it sit for a week. During this time, the mixture will stop bubbling, indicating that the reaction is complete and you have created water-soluble calcium.

Dilute for Use: Strain the liquid and add one tablespoon of this concentrated calcium solution to four gallons of water. This diluted mixture is ideal for foliar applications.

By following this method, gardeners can create a solution that provides instant calcium to plants.

Humblebee House advises using this mixture for foliar spraying on young plants, ensuring they get the necessary calcium much faster than waiting for crushed eggshells to break down in the soil.

“Consistent watering really helps with blossom end rot,” he noted.

“But water-soluble calcium like this might take your plants to a whole new level this season.”