Starting seeds in Eggshells

There are so many ways to start seedlings now days!  I was walking through our hardware store and it seems there are 12 different systems which all cost money and are all single use....  

I am here to tell you, that the only thing you need for this project is seeds and soil.  Just as it should be.  Oh, well, that, and the breakfast compost!  

In our house, we use eggshells for everything we can think of.  They go into the compost, they go back to the chickens for a calcium supplement when their eggshells get thin, they go into the holes dug for tomatoes and squash to prevent blossom-end rot, they are used as a fertilizer for plants who are having mineral issues, and last but not least, we use them to start seedlings...  basically, these little things are gold!  Good thing we have a continuous supply with our backyard chicken flock.

It's no secret how much I love my backyard hens.  We have 13, two of which have 'retired' to Pet Status and are still loved on daily.  We get between 8 and 12 eggs each day in all colors.  It's like a daily Easter Egg Hunt!

And they are the perfect thing to start seedlings in!

First, you clean the eggshells.

Then, fill with dirt.  I have used my own garden soil before, but for the purpose of this post, I am using organic grow mix from the hardware store.  Using a long handled teaspoon is the easiest.

Add seeds and cover with dirt.

Then, every two days or so, squirt the soil with a squirt bottle.  Another thing Luke was thrilled to do!

I wanted to see if Luke could do the whole job by himself.  So I gave him the second batch of seeds and eggshells.  All by himself, he planted my tea garden!  Chamomile, Roselle Thai Red, and Stevia went into these free, little biodegradable pots.  My hope is that I will have a full-on tea garden by summer.  (More on that later.)

He LOVED it!  The process is easy enough that I am planning on having my preschool class do it before Spring Break.  Hopefully by Easter they will have a few little seedlings to show for their work.

The one below is from the first batch, obviously.  But isn't that the cutest little Johnny Jump-up seedling?  I can't wait to see the rest of the seedlings shape up!