[Etherelda]

I'm at here munching some delicious scottish mussels with garlic for my brunch, in prep for my haggis later.

Does anyone know if well washed mussel shells can be smashed up and put on the soil?

[Swing Swang]

What do you want them to do?

If you've got a lot I think that they'd make quite an attractive weed-suppressing mulch, even if just for a container.

Not sure if grinding them up would return any nutrients/calcium to the soil very quickly though. My guess is that you'd have to burn them first if you wanted to do this but I'm not a chemist.

Eggshells go on the compost heap so I can't see why bivalves shouldn't either.

Regards,

SS

[SnooziSuzi]

I bet they'd help (broken down) with keeping slugs off stuff - I just love mussels in white wine & garlic (is that the one called marinere (sp?)) - I'm salivating now and off to get a bottle of vino! (no mussels tho'   )

[digalotty]

ive heard that crushed egg shells scattered around the bottom of plants helps keep snails off although ive not tryed it, they may have the same affect. anyone heard of this :?:

[galen]

Talking of crushed shells, although thinking of the chicken variety - are they best in the compost heap, as slug repellent or (think I've read this some where) lining brassica planting stations ?

Now moules mariniere    I remember back in the last century frequenting an eat as much as you want restaurant where they used to just give us (we where regular customers) what could only be called a whole vat of the things! They used to make their money on the vast amounts of beer we drank and the fact we were too stuffed to eat our main courses and desserts  

[SnooziSuzi]

I think that the shell issue keeping slugs off is that they don't like slithering over the sharp edges and that they get stuck to their 'foot' which restricts their movement  

[digalotty]

it may be true then thanks suzi    

[peterjf]

wash the shells then bake in moderate oven for 30 minutes , crush then scatter , great soil improver and slugs hate them

[coatesi]

Don't worry about washing them as there will be more goodness for the plants in the bits of flesh stuck to them than the shells themselves. We have large mussel farms around our coast line and people make driveways out of the crushed shells. There used to be a fert. works making lime from the shells but they had to be burnt in a kiln to convert into lime. It closed down in 1950 so it is probably not a viable option if you want lime.
   Think of the carbon footprint (if you believe in them).
coatesi