Eggshell Fertilizer - Ask Extension
I have recently heard about using Water Soluble Calcium Eggshell Fertilizer. I am wondering if this would be ok to use weekly or biweekly on houseplan...
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Eggshell Fertilizer #857460
Asked January 16, 2024, 11:42 PM EST
I have recently heard about using Water Soluble Calcium Eggshell Fertilizer. I am wondering if this would be ok to use weekly or biweekly on houseplants?
I have Thanksgiving Cacti, Aloe, Rosemary (in for the winter), snake plant, Pitcher plant (that up to this point I always water with filtered water), Devil's Ivy, and a potted chicago fig tree in the sunroom.
Thankyou.
Franklin County Ohio
Expert Response
Hi Carissa,
What a fun collection of indoor plants (even if the rosemary is just visiting for the winter!)
My first question to you is what is your reason for wanting to start giving your plants additional calcium? Are you seeing any decline or symptoms that you feel calcium might help? More information on what plants look like when they don't get enough calcium can be found at this link: https://plantscience.psu.edu/research/labs/roots/methods/methods-info/nutritional-disorders-displayed/calcium-deficiency.
In general, plants will show us if they are experiencing nutrient deficiencies (things like leaves turning yellow or stunted development or no blooms/fruits). If plants are doing well and not showing symptoms, then no action is necessary. In fact, sometimes adding a lot of a nutrient can actually cause an imbalance for other nutrients (for example, too much calcium in the soil can lead to deficiencies in the plant's absorption of magnesium and potassium). You can read about one example of this at this link:https://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/phag/2015/07/10/are-you-sure-you-need-that-gypsum-calcium-induced-deficiencies-in-vegetables/
For house plants as well as garden plants, the rule of thumb is not to fertilize unless there is evidence that the plant is not doing well. Our friends at West Virginia University have a good article on this topic at https://extension.wvu.edu/lawn-gardening-pests/gardening/garden-management/garden-fertilization-tips.
Please let me know if your plants are doing poorly, and provide photos if possible with closeups of disease or damage. You can just reply directly to this email and your response will come back to me. If they are doing well, then you should just keep doing what is working, and enjoy having your plants inside with you during the winter months.
Best,
What a fun collection of indoor plants (even if the rosemary is just visiting for the winter!)
My first question to you is what is your reason for wanting to start giving your plants additional calcium? Are you seeing any decline or symptoms that you feel calcium might help? More information on what plants look like when they don't get enough calcium can be found at this link: https://plantscience.psu.edu/research/labs/roots/methods/methods-info/nutritional-disorders-displayed/calcium-deficiency.
In general, plants will show us if they are experiencing nutrient deficiencies (things like leaves turning yellow or stunted development or no blooms/fruits). If plants are doing well and not showing symptoms, then no action is necessary. In fact, sometimes adding a lot of a nutrient can actually cause an imbalance for other nutrients (for example, too much calcium in the soil can lead to deficiencies in the plant's absorption of magnesium and potassium). You can read about one example of this at this link:https://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/phag/2015/07/10/are-you-sure-you-need-that-gypsum-calcium-induced-deficiencies-in-vegetables/
For house plants as well as garden plants, the rule of thumb is not to fertilize unless there is evidence that the plant is not doing well. Our friends at West Virginia University have a good article on this topic at https://extension.wvu.edu/lawn-gardening-pests/gardening/garden-management/garden-fertilization-tips.
Please let me know if your plants are doing poorly, and provide photos if possible with closeups of disease or damage. You can just reply directly to this email and your response will come back to me. If they are doing well, then you should just keep doing what is working, and enjoy having your plants inside with you during the winter months.
Best,
