While these might be things you’d usually throw away, they can be used to give your herb garden a boost
Growing herbs can be a simple task, even in pots on the windowsill, but many gardeners trip up by assuming all herbs require the same fertilisation. Leafy herbs like basil, mint or parsley thrive when given a good dose of nitrogen in late spring, which aids rapid growth and enhances flavour.
However, it’s important to remember that woody herbs such as rosemary, thyme and lavender need a different approach to fertilisation. Nitrogen, while promoting foliage growth, can actually weaken Mediterranean herbs, dilute their flavour and increase their susceptibility to disease.
If you’re growing leafy herbs, feed them monthly with a nitrogen-rich fertiliser, or create your own using teabags or spent coffee grounds.
On the other hand, if you’re growing woody herbs like lavender, rosemary and thyme, a light feed once in spring is more beneficial for strengthening them.
Vladka Merva, a herbalist and founder of Simply Beyond Herbs, has revealed a straightforward method to give woody herbs a boost using crushed eggshells, reports the Express.
She explained: “Eggshells are a great source of calcium that seeps into the soil as you water it. Calcium is important for plant growth and its nutrition as well as for the soil. It helps to maintain chemical balance in the soil and improves water penetration.”
Feeding woody herbs with calcium can enhance their health and promote root development, helping to ward off common plant diseases like blossom end rot.
It also helps to make the soil more alkaline, which herbs such as lavender and rosemary will thrive in.
Eggshells, being naturally sharp, can deter many pests from crawling on herbs, a significant issue if you’re growing them in your kitchen as insects are often attracted to houseplants.
Vladka stated: “Crushed eggshells serve as pest control. Slugs, cutworms or other insects are put off by the crashed pieces of eggshells and rather leave.”
Use eggshells to give woody herbs a boost
Place the eggshells somewhere warm to completely dry out, then crush them up with a rolling pin as smaller pieces will decompose easier. Then, all you have to do is sprinkle the eggshells into the soil of your lavender, rosemary or thyme plants.
However, if you’re growing lavender, thyme or rosemary indoors, you can actually use the eggshells as a plant pot to grow your herbs.
Use a sharp knife to carefully remove the upper pointed end of an egg so you have the bottom intact. Then wash them thoroughly as any yolk can encourage pests or mould.
While the eggshell is still wet, use a small needle to prick a hole in the bottom of each eggshell. This is done so water can easily drain away from the herbs and does not build up in the soil.
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Use a tablespoon to fill each eggshell with soil, leaving a one-centimetre gap at the top. You can find herb-specific soil at most garden centres, but for woody herbs, you’ll need a light, sandy and slightly alkaline mix.
Next, sprinkle a few seeds into each eggshell and label them with the name of the herb using a permanent marker. Give them a daily watering, pop them in a sunny spot, and before you know it, you’ll have a flourishing herb garden.