C asks about eggshells in compost:
“David – I would love to hear your opinion on eggshells in compost.We save our egg shells, in a container of vinegar. We roughly crush them, and once the container is full, we spread them out on our pasture.I would also like to add some egg shells to our compost. However, multiple YouTube videos warn to bake/sanitize the shells first to kill the bacteria. 🤔But, what are YOUR thoughts on egg shell bacteria and the battle between it and the general soil bacteria in compost? “
My response:
Hi C,
I throw them right in. It’s ridiculous to take another step – nature is very good at composting whatever you put into the pile. Don’t worry about the “rules.”
I throw chicken bones, eggshells, lasagna, etc., in my compost. It all breaks down just fine, and God has graciously provided us with millions of species of microorganisms that compete and cooperate and all manage to safely break things down into humus.
All the best,
David
4 comments
Egg zactly. I hate “the rules” of composting pushed by a lot of so-called experts.
I just chuck ’em right in.
If I’m feeling fancy, I do toss them into the toaster oven, because that does make them FAR easier to crush into powder. I’ll dust the soil with that powder, or, I’ll dust my pet red foot tortoise’s food.
I rinse mine and then freeze them. They’re easier to break up when they’re frozen. But honestly, people seem to be afraid of everything in the natural world these days. I don’t know how they stand touching the earth, or breathing, for that matter, since the air is full of viruses and bacteria.
Egg shells in the compost and hatching eggs that don’t hatch in the fetid swamp barrels both break down completely.