Frogleg wrote:

On Sat, 23 Aug 2003 11:11:05 GMT, "Compostman"
wrote:

"Pam Rudd" wrote

In the spring I crush and spread my egg shells like bread crumbs
for the birds. Everything from the robins to the wrens get some.

That's better than putting them in compost. Egg shells are not organic

?? What are they? Polystyrene? Aluminum foil?

don't breakdown very well.

I hate to argue with someone named Compostman, but I've been rinsing,
crushing, and adding the few eggshells I have to compost for years and
they seem to be absorbed into the mass. Or maybe the birds got them.
While I tend to lean away from folkloric recipes, crushed eggshells
are often recommended as a calcium source for both roses, where a long
decomposition time wouldn't be crucial, and tomatoes -- an annual for
which they'd be no use at all if their calcium didn't become rather
quickly available to the plant.


If I add a few eggshells every year, eventually the darned things will
become available ... and there will be a steady stream of them coming
available every year thereafter for many years beyond the day I stop adding
them.

Speed of decomposition isn't the only factor to consider ... unless you only
intend to use soil once.

Bill
--
Zone 8b (Detroit, MI)
I do not post my address to news groups.

"Noydb" wrote in message
...
Frogleg wrote:

On Sat, 23 Aug 2003 11:11:05 GMT, "Compostman"
wrote:

"Pam Rudd" wrote

In the spring I crush and spread my egg shells like bread crumbs
for the birds. Everything from the robins to the wrens get some.

That's better than putting them in compost. Egg shells are not organic

?? What are they? Polystyrene? Aluminum foil?
I meant that in the organic chemistry sense, not biological sense.


don't breakdown very well.

I hate to argue with someone named Compostman, but I've been rinsing,
crushing, and adding the few eggshells I have to compost for years and
they seem to be absorbed into the mass. Or maybe the birds got them.
While I tend to lean away from folkloric recipes, crushed eggshells
are often recommended as a calcium source for both roses, where a long
decomposition time wouldn't be crucial, and tomatoes -- an annual for
which they'd be no use at all if their calcium didn't become rather
quickly available to the plant.


If I add a few eggshells every year, eventually the darned things will
become available ... and there will be a steady stream of them coming
available every year thereafter for many years beyond the day I stop
adding
them.

Speed of decomposition isn't the only factor to consider ... unless you
only
intend to use soil once.

I think it depends upon how one composts. I live in the city with very
limited space. So I compost in bins and turn very frequently. And tear
things apart with my hands or a grinder. Egg shells look like eye balls,
even 6 months later. So I dry them in the oven, grind them in a blender,
and put them around plants such as hostas. I certainly don't recommend
throwing them away. And the birds could get them, which is another
beneficial use of egg shells.
-Compostman

Bill
--
Zone 8b (Detroit, MI)
I do not post my address to news groups.

On Fri, 05 Sep 2003 08:58:45 GMT, "Compostman"
wrote:

Frogleg wrote:

On Sat, 23 Aug 2003 11:11:05 GMT, "Compostman"
wrote:

"Pam Rudd" wrote

In the spring I crush and spread my egg shells like bread crumbs
for the birds. Everything from the robins to the wrens get some.

That's better than putting them in compost. Egg shells are not organic

?? What are they? Polystyrene? Aluminum foil?

I meant that in the organic chemistry sense, not biological sense.

Do you mean that eggshells contain no carbon? What *do* you mean by
this?

On Fri, 05 Sep 2003 08:58:45 GMT, "Compostman"
wrote:

On Sat, 23 Aug 2003 11:11:05 GMT, "Compostman"
wrote:

don't breakdown very well.

I think it depends upon how one composts. I live in the city with very
limited space. So I compost in bins and turn very frequently. And tear
things apart with my hands or a grinder. Egg shells look like eye balls,
even 6 months later. So I dry them in the oven, grind them in a blender,
and put them around plants such as hostas. I certainly don't recommend
throwing them away. And the birds could get them, which is another
beneficial use of egg shells.

Try this: rinse the eggshells, turn upside down, and let dry. Then
crumble by hand and add to your compost. At least they won't look like
"eyeballs," and you won't have to use your oven and blender(!) to
recycle.

Compostman wrote:

I meant that [eggs are not organic] in the organic chemistry sense,
not biological sense.


I'm even more confused. Eggshells contain organic chemicals, as far as I know.
Perhaps you could explain this to someone who has a history degree, not a
science degree.


I think it depends upon how one composts. I live in the city with very
limited space. So I compost in bins and turn very frequently. And tear
things apart with my hands or a grinder. Egg shells look like eye balls,
even 6 months later. So I dry them in the oven, grind them in a blender,
and put them around plants such as hostas. I certainly don't recommend
throwing them away. And the birds could get them, which is another
beneficial use of egg shells.


Goodness. Here's my method:

1. Take out some eggs for cooking.
2. Crack eggs, cook innards.
3. Crush eggshells with hand, drop into "compost bowl" next to sink.
4. At the end of the day, empty compost bowl onto compost pile. Cover with
grass clippings.
5. Turn every few days.

Within two weeks those suckers are gone.




Andrew

On 8/21 I posted about my compost bin and started a long thread.
Within 24 hours of filling the bin, the temperature 12" down in it was
140 F. There has been no objectionable odor and now the compost has
settled to about 50% of its volume. I have two 39 gallon garbage cans
full of very fine red oak shavings and when I mow lawn tomorrow am
going to mix the shavings with the grass clippings and fill the bin
again.. Due to all of the rain we are having here (southern tier of
NY State) I am going to remove it from the bin next week, stir it up
and put it back. Thanjs for all the info I got from the last post.

Allan Matthews wrote:

On 8/21 I posted about my compost bin and started a long thread.
Within 24 hours of filling the bin, the temperature 12" down in it was
140 F. There has been no objectionable odor and now the compost has
settled to about 50% of its volume. I have two 39 gallon garbage cans
full of very fine red oak shavings and when I mow lawn tomorrow am
going to mix the shavings with the grass clippings and fill the bin
again.. Due to all of the rain we are having here (southern tier of
NY State) I am going to remove it from the bin next week, stir it up
and put it back. Thanjs for all the info I got from the last post.

Sounds like you are off to an excellent start. I would suggest that you mix
in 1/4 (by volume) straw, 1/4 shavings and 1/2 clippings. Layer it to
measure and then turn it a couple times to mix it. Add water to moisten
during the final turning and you should be golden. I have found that the
straw allows for good infiltration of oxygen and that this makes a
difference in how long the pile is able to hold the higher temps.

Bill
--
Zone 5b (Detroit, MI)
I do not post my address to news groups.