Does diluting eggshells in vinegar actually make the calcium accessible to plants? I’ve just watched several clips on this, but I just wasn’t sure if that actually works or not …
When you dissolve egg shell in vinegar, you are converting the Calcium Carbonate to Calcium Acetate. Unlike Calcium Carbonate, Calcium Acetate is readily soluble in water, meaning you can get free calcium ions in your fertilizer water, but it must be diluted like any other fertilizer. Basically it’s a shortcut to getting the Calcium into a readily usable form.
@Devin
Thank you for the explanation!!
Merrick said:
@Devin
Thank you for the explanation!!
To piggyback on the comment you replied to, it’s also really useful because as the vinegar dries up, the calcium changes states and becomes insoluble once more, but you can just add vinegar back to it to restore it to calcium acetate. It also lasts for years if you have to store it. I made a batch back in 2020 and still have enough calcium acetate in it for it to precipitate out of solution if I leave it alone. I usually have to add a few cups of vinegar every year, but I’ve yet to have to add more egg or bivalve shells to it. In a few months’ time, it’ll be a five-year-old batch of calcium acetate!
You can use Tums calcium carbonate that humans take for upset stomach. I used it in my tomato plants and it fixed blossom end rot for me. You can either crush them up and mix into water or bury some in the soil and then water it for a slower breakdown. Depends what for.
@Piper
Oh smart!
Merrick said:
@Piper
Oh smart!
I just learned that trick last year and it was such a lifesaver because I didn’t add enough bone meal and blooming nutrients pre-flowering.
Do you know if you even need calcium? If you haven’t done a soil test there is a very high probability that you have plenty of calcium in your soil already.
@Tobin
I grow primarily in a raised bed that I built up using compost and other purchased soils… Not sure if that means anything. Lol
Tan said:
Do you know if you even need calcium? If you haven’t done a soil test there is a very high probability that you have plenty of calcium in your soil already.
Is there a test that you might recommend? I’m not familiar with the different tests, I’ve heard that many aren’t accurate.
Yep, works great. This preparation is part of Korean Natural Farming, and there is a whole system for making your own soil inoculants and plant biostimulants. Come on over to r/knf and learn more!
Bryn said:
Yep, works great. This preparation is part of Korean Natural Farming, and there is a whole system for making your own soil inoculants and plant biostimulants. Come on over to r/knf and learn more!
That’s what I’m trying to get into!!
@Merrick
It’s an awesome system! Let me know if you need any recommendations. I’m getting ready to teach a class this spring so I’ve got lots of great links to share.
@Xavi
I’ve been using KNF and water-soluble calcium (WCA) on my farm successfully for the past 6 years, so I’m definitely speaking from experience. It’s not to be used full strength or even by itself, really, but it’s super effective. I can share some links if anyone is interested in learning more.
@Bryn
Yes, please!! The recipe that I was looking at was 1 part crushed eggshells to 10 parts vinegar. And then you strain and dilute that with water.
Merrick said:
@Bryn
Yes, please!! The recipe that I was looking at was 1 part crushed eggshells to 10 parts vinegar. And then you strain and dilute that with water.
Happy to share!
So first off, you need to toast the eggshells and remove the inner membrane before you add them to the vinegar. The membrane will contaminate the final product and reduce its shelf life. This step smells pretty awful, so definitely don’t do this indoors. When you add the vinegar to the eggshells, make sure to leave enough headroom in the jar to allow for a vigorous reaction. It will bubble pretty intensely at first and continue on more slowly for a couple more days. Once the reaction is complete, you can strain off the liquid and store your WCA in the fridge or in a cool dark place.
@Bryn
How do you like to use it?
Merrick said:
@Bryn
Yes, please!! The recipe that I was looking at was 1 part crushed eggshells to 10 parts vinegar. And then you strain and dilute that with water.
Here’s a great video explaining how to make WCA in more detail How to: WCA with Christ Trump
Drake Weinert and Chris Trump have excellent KNF resources on YouTube. Definitely worth exploring their work if you’re serious about natural farming.