How to Plant Seeds and Make Starter Plants in Empty Eggshells

For many people in the United States and abroad, the growing season is short-in some cases as short as only two months of viable garden weather. To get around this, many individuals in mild and moderate climate locations start their plants indoors while it is still cool, and transplant them to a garden when the frost season is over. Starting plants indoors is a fairly simple process, and is usually done by placing dirt in a small container, planting the seed, and placing it in a windowsill or under a lamp for light.

Though many stores sell peat potting plants, which are made of fibrous peat and intended to be planted whole in the garden, they are fairly expensive and may not meet the needs of your budget. A free option that offer better nutrients are eggshells, something just about everyone has at one time or another.

Empty eggshells have a lining of nutrients on the inside that will provide excellent nutrition for the plants. Once the plants grow enough that they must be transplanted into a larger pot, the entire shell can be planted, which will provide the new soil with calcium as the shell breaks down.

Step 1

Don't crack an egg the way you would if you were cooking-this will damage it too badly. Instead, get a fork, knife, or pointy-end of a meat thermometer and jab a hole in one of the polar ends of the egg. Carefully gouge it open so that it is big enough to shake the egg out of. Ideally, you should cook and eat the egg, not throw it away. If you're not in the mood for an omelet, at least pour the egg in your garden outside to add the nutrients back to the ground.

Step 2

Do not rinse the egg-you will be washing away vital nutrients, and defeating the purpose of using an eggshell. Using a razor or knife (or just your fingers if necessary) cut/break away the top of the egg until you have a hole large enough to get your fingers in.

Step 3

Pour (do not pack down) some potting soil into the eggshell. Place the seed(s) onto the soil, then cover with however much soil is necessary for that particular type of seed. Use a dropper or misting bottle to add a small amount of water to the soil. If you're concerned about water sitting stagnant inside the egg, punch a small drainage hole in the bottom to allow the water to run out.