Eggs are a widely enjoyed source of food that is packed with cholesterol, several minerals and other important nutrients. They say that eggs are a powerhouse of disease-fighting nutrients. Eggs are beneficial for human beings, animals and as it turns out plants. The egg yolk, which is the inner part of the egg and is surrounded by the egg white, carries the bulk of the calories as well as the cholesterol and fats. It also contains several vitamins and minerals such as Calcium, Iron, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12. The ingredients found in an egg are in perfect balance for a growing plant.
Farmers prefer to use eggshells as opposed to using egg yolk or white due to the disadvantages that accompany the use of raw eggs. Eggs are however used by plant owners to improve the nutrient quality and quantity in the soil. In place of eggs, one could also use a fertilizer that comes pre-mixed and can be used directly on the plant without having to consider many side effects. I would recommend this Miracle-Gro Performance Organics Nutrition Granules made from organic products and can be used for all types of plants i.e. vegetables, herbs and flowers. Read more about it here.
Is boiled egg yolk good for plants? Using an egg on your plant can be a good source of protein in the absence of certain kinds of fertilizer. Using the egg when raw gives better benefits as the proteins and vitamins are undisturbed by the effects of heat on the egg. It is therefore advisable to use a raw egg where possible, the egg yolk, the egg whites or the eggshells which contain high levels of Calcium which is beneficial to a growing plant.
How do You Use Egg Yolk for Plants?
The best way to use egg yolk for your plants is to use it when it is still in its shell. Planting the egg at the bottom of the pot before placing the plant on top is one of the commonest and best ways to use an eggshell. The egg is acted upon by the good bacteria in the soil and after a while, the egg is broken down and all the nutrients present in the egg yolk are made available for the plant. The two main things to consider before using your egg yolks for your plants is the pH of the soil and the presence of Nitrogen in the soil as these two could affect the availability of calcium to the plants.
When using your egg yolks for your plants, it is important to ensure we bury them deep because as they are broken down, they produce a putrid smell that could invite pests and other rodents to your indoor garden. These rodents can dig up the egg thus uprooting your plant. Additionally, being in the same house with that smell can be very disturbing and therefore, not many plant owners prefer to use eggs now.
Egg Yolk as Fertilizer
Using your egg yolk as fertilizer is an especially useful trick when dealing with potted plants whose root space is small which force one to fertilize the plant more often. Aside from this, most plant owners do not prefer to use raw egg yolk. Many people prefer to eat eggs as they provide an array of nutrients to human beings and feed the eggshells to the plants. Additionally, using egg yolks for fertilizer is an expensive undertaking at the end of the day. It is more economically feasible to purchase fertilizer like this Dr Earth Pump and Grow House Liquid Plant Food which is made from the highest level human grade whole- foods. Read more about it here.
The main disadvantage associated with using raw egg yolk as fertilizer is the putrid smell it releases as well as the fact that it invites pests into our yards. Researchers have also suggested that in the same way raw eggs could be dangerous to the health of human beings due to the presence of bacteria like Salmonella spp, they could also be dangerous when used in their raw form on plants. This can be avoided by using other parts of the eggs like the eggshells or using commercially sourced organic fertilizers.
Can You Put an Egg Yolk in Compost?
The process of making compost, known as composting, refers to the use of Oxygen (to mean that this is an aerobic process) to decompose organic solid waste. This process is done to make fertilizer which is good for growing plants and it banks on the science that all organic matter eventually decomposes. Some of the foods we can use to make compost include fruits and vegetables, coffee grounds and tea bags, nutshells and eggshells. Egg yolks are however not ideally used in the composting process because they can create an odor problem inside your compost bin. Therefore; eggshells are a better fit for the composting process. In addition to the bad smell that can arise when using raw eggs as compost, they can also invite pests into your compost bin unless done right.
In order to correctly compose your raw egg, you should ensure the temperature is well regulated (the closer the eggs are to the warm center of the compost bin the faster they will decompose), the Carbon: Nitrogen ratio is well balanced and you turn your compost bin regularly. Compost is added to the soil to fertilize the soil and create a nutritional environment for the plants to grow. If the process of making compost is inconvenient to you, I would recommend this Real Growers Recharge fertilizer that is packed with nutrients and good bacteria for your plant and will take away the need to make the compost at home. Find out more about it here.
Is Egg Yolk Good for Watering Plants?
As we have mentioned above, eggs are a good source of nutrients for plants especially Calcium which is found in high concentrations in the eggshell. It was commonly used in the past when our forefathers did not have access to the commercial fertilizers available in our market currently. The most common way in which it was used was placing an uncooked egg still in its shell at the bottom of the pot and as the plant grows the bacteria in the soil breaks down the egg and releases the nutrients into the soil for the roots to absorb it.
A major disadvantage attached to using a raw egg on our plants is the foul odor they release after a while which can attract pests and rodents and make the environment difficult to stay in. One simple way to avoid this predicament is to use just the eggshells. The eggshells which are usually regarded as a waste product for humans are beneficial to the plants due to their high levels of Calcium. Calcium is important for a growing plant as it is responsible for hold together the cell walls of plants. Another method that has been explored is recycling water used in boiling eggs to water the plants. Scientists have found that it contains high levels of Iron and Calcium.
Final Thoughts
The use of eggs to provide nutrients for plants is an organic and healthy way to take care of your plants. All parts of the egg from the egg yolk to the eggshells are packed full of nutrients that are beneficial to plants. The shells of eggs are known to have significantly high levels of calcium which is beneficial to the growing plant. Some people use whole eggs in their soil as the bacteria in the soil breaks the eggshells down over time to release calcium in the soil which is then absorbed by the roots and made available for the plant. The use of egg yolk in our plants can be both advantageous and disadvantageous. The odor released by raw eggs after a while in the soil can be unbearable especially within a house setting. Additionally, if used outside, the smell can attract pests and other rodents like raccoons which could attack your garden in search of food. Another problem that could affect the uptake of the egg’s calcium by the plant is the pH of the soil as well as its Nitrogen content. It is therefore imperative to check the soil’s pH before using eggs as your preferred fertilizer
On the bright side, the levels of calcium in eggs if utilized by the plants can be very beneficial to the plants helping avoid diseases like Blossom end rot in tomatoes. Additionally, the vitamins and minerals found in eggs play a huge role in plant growth just like commercially sourced fertilizers do.