Well, these little guys might be cute, but they lose that cuteness pretty quickly after I have just painstakingly planted sunflower seeds in my garden and find them digging up those newly planted seeds. This was the scene last summer. Newly dug holes were filled with fresh dirt and the seeds of rusty colored sunflowers planted. These were a favorite flower to photograph the previous summer and to offer in my garden for pollinators and seeds for birds. No sooner did I get my rows planted and watered did the squirrels and chipmunks quickly figure out that some tasty bites were at the tips of their paws. And sure enough, they fed on every single seed I planted. Now ask me if I thought they were so cute!
I to use eggs as a daily part of my breakfast, so quickly amassing enough empty shells was not at all a problem. Here's how I accomplished the task.
Cracking the eggs a certain way was the first step. I would carefully crack them on the edge of my bowl near the top of the pointy end of the egg.
If you do it right, the top of the egg will break away leaving the rest of the eggshell intact. Drain out the egg and use as needed. For me, I scramble and microwave for my breakfast.
Again with care, peel away bits of eggshell until there is enough of an opening at the top to add soil and seeds. The bits of shell that are removed can be placed into the bottom of the shell.
Here is what I would have once the top is removed.
Do this to as many eggs as you think you need to start all of your seeds.
Let the shells dry out thoroughly before using. In the above photo, you can see newly prepared shells with the remaining shell bits in the bottoms. These are kept in the cardboard carton for safe keeping. It is also suggested to boil the shells to sterilize. This I did not do either.
This is easy enough. Take a quality potting soil and fill the shells with it. Add your seeds, water, and viola! I would water as needed so the soil is damp but not soaking wet. Let me note, the squirrels did take one of the eggshell pots realizing there were seeds in there. So I added one more layer of protection by putting the cartons into a screen cage I have for raising butterflies. That allows the plants to grow and the critters, no matter how cute, to stay out of my seedlings!
For my sunflowers, germination was pretty quick - perhaps a few hot sunny days and the first hints of the baby plant emerging could be seen.
Gardenista - Gardening 101: How to Use Eggshells in the Garden
www.gardenista.com/posts/diy-5-ideas-to-use-eggshells-in-the-garden-pest-control-mulch-fertilizer/
Natural Living Ideas:
6 Convincing Reasons You Should Start Using Eggshells In Your Garden
http://www.naturallivingideas.com/eggshell-uses-in-the-garden/