Starting seeds in eggshells is a great activity to do with your kids this summer! Now that school is almost out and last frost date has passed, it’s time to get going with warm crops for the summer garden.
Eggshells make a great seed starting pot! Not only do they decompose once they’re planted, but they also enrich the soil with calcium and nitrogen during the decomposition process. These two nutrients are essential for your seedlings and will help them grow well in the garden!
Supplies
You don’t need a lot of supplies to start seeds in eggshells, but make sure to have the following items on hand:
Eggshells
Potting soil – good quality seed starting soil
Garden seeds – any seeds you want: sunflowers, pumpkins, beans are especially fun for kiddos!
Egg carton
Spray bottle for watering
How to Start Seeds in Eggshells
To start seeds in eggshells, simply save eggshells after cracking eggs. Try to crack the eggs in half, but if one half is smaller than the other, that’s ok too. Rinse the shells before filling them potting soil.
Moisten the potting soil and carefully fill the egg halves using your fingers or a small spoon. Place one eggshell in each carton slot and keep them in the egg carton.
Make a small indent in the soil and drop one or two seeds in each slot. Cover the seeds with soil, and place the egg carton in a warm, sunny window.
You’ll want to gently mist the soil every two to three days to keep the soil moist. The most difficult part of starting seeds in eggshells is that they don’t have drainage holes, so you’ll want to be very careful not to over water.
If more than one seed germinates per eggshell, snip off the smaller one to encourage the larger seedling to grow better. Make sure to keep watering the seedlings and keep them in as much light as possible.
Hardening your seedlings
Once the seeds have developed their second pair of leaves, it’s time to harden them off to get them ready to move to the garden. Hardening off seedlings is the trickiest part of seed starting. You need to slowly acclimate them to sun, wind, and being outside. Do this by very gradually leaving them in a safe spot outdoors – take care to keep them safe from any animals you may have outside including dogs, cats, birds, and kids. J If you need tips for hardening seedlings, make sure to read this post.
How to Transplant Your Seedlings
When it’s time to transplant your seedlings, simply dig a large hole in a larger pot or in your garden, and place the entire seedling, eggshell and all, right in the hole. Cover it with soil and water it thoroughly. Make sure it stays well-watered for the first few days!
If you have a lot of eggshells, this is a great way to have a little summer fun with your kids! Have you tried seed starting in eggshells before?