[strangerachael]

I also used to save the eggshells until I read on this forum that sometimes they can attract foxes to dig - so now the eggshells go in the council green bin.

It is a bit of a kerfuffle, but if you rinse your eggshells, leave them in a warm place to dry for a few days before crushing them and put them in the compost bin, there shouldn't be a problem with foxes. They are 95% calcium carbonate, so are a helpful addition to compost (for growing most vegetables anyway).

[stentman]

I chuck most t-bags straight into the dalek and as JayG says they kind of disappear. Others I place in the bottom of small plant pots to help keep the compost inside, instead of using shards of pottery or stones. Also I think I read on here somewhere about using  t-bags as starting points or test sites for seeds like lettuce.

[Trillium]

I think I may eat too many bananas and drink too much tea; my plants would soon disappear under a pile of rubbish 

Or, do you bury them slightly to rot into the soil, replacing when they have 'disappeared'?

If you have a lot, then it would be easier to bury them a bit. They don't need that many to do well, so add a few then compost the rest. In a month, bury a few more around the plants, etc. 

[RobertSongs]

I used coffee grounds as a mulch around my onions last year too...and they seemed to love it

[sowitgrowit]

I think I may eat too many bananas and drink too much tea; my plants would soon disappear under a pile of rubbish 

Or, do you bury them slightly to rot into the soil, replacing when they have 'disappeared'?

If you have a lot, then it would be easier to bury them a bit. They don't need that many to do well, so add a few then compost the rest. In a month, bury a few more around the plants, etc. 

I'll have a go at burying them around the place - I haven't got a compost heap/bin unfortunately, though I have started a wormery - when it warms up and they are more active hopefully they will help me with composting some more waste.

[Trillium]

For the wormery, do chop up the pieces quite fine and the worms can get through everything faster. Small mouths require small pieces. And avoid acidic things like citrus and onions which they hate.

[sowitgrowit]

Will do; they haven't made much progress through what is currently in there, though I understand they are much slower during the cold weather? They are in the shed out of the frosts and snow, though still pretty chilly!

It's a stacking system I made myself from plastic washing basins and I'm very new to it, but they seem to be all alive still which must be a good sign! Hopefully soon I can start filling the second layer and maybe they'll move upwards towards the new food. I'll chuck a bit more food in there tonight.

[Christine]

There are some lovely and well weird flavours (like chilli chai) if you buy Tea Pig teabags. Tea Pig teabags don't rot because they have the aforementioned nylon covers.

And yes worms are less active in the winter as it's cold.

[brown thumb]

sowit growit how did you make your wormary

[Trillium]

Everything is slower in winter, worms are no exception   

With wormeries, be sure not to add too much at a time because it'll rot faster than the worms can get to it and they're not overly fussy on rotted stuff. Always include enough shredded paper to soak up moisture and create bedding for them every time you add veg and fruit.

[shokkyy]

I've got compost heaps that are a couple of years old, beautifully rotted down - except for the eggshells. Some of them are still completely intact, even after being buried and crushed at the bottom of the pile for a couple of years

[Trillium]

I found that too with egg shells so after I rinse them out, I put them in a carrier bag. Come spring I take a soft mallet to the bag and crush the shells, then spread them over the seeded veg beds. Doesn't completely eliminate slugs or pests but it helps, and it makes a better size of shell for incorporating in the soil.

[sowitgrowit]

sowit growit how did you make your wormary

Hi there,

I googled something along the lines of "How to make a DIY stacking wormery" - plenty of sites with instructions, youtube videos etc. Most people use stacking storage boxes; I used poundshop washing basins as they were cheap and small (not much space here).

The idea being that there are holes for air in the top and holes in the bottoms of the containers for worms to move through - fill the bottom "main" one, the worms munch through what is in there and when it's full add another box on top, and start filling that up too, they'll migrate upwards through the holes into the next layer for food when the time is right, then to the next layer and so on.

What is left is good quality worm cast compost, and if you add another layer below for drainage, the "tea" is supposedly very powerful stuff for the garden.

No doubt someone with more experience will be along - mine is only a month old so they aren't even in the second layer yet!

[JayG]

As StrangeRachael posted earlier, egg shells are 95% calcium carbonate, the other 5% being mainly protein to strengthen the shell.

They contain no organic matter so can't rot down in the composting sense of the word, although in theory they could partially dissolve in a very acid compost heap - best to treat them as a rather "crunchy" source of lime, which possibly includes using as a physical slug barrier (but not for anywhere which doesn't need or appreciate extra lime.)

[LittleRedHen]

Tea bags are great to strewn underneath acid loving plants such as Camilias and blueberry bushes.  The black birds seem to have a field day breaking them apart for some reason.  My 95 year old MIL puts banana peels under her rose bushes.  I know it keeps off some sort of pest, but I don't know what.