In the March-April issue of Small Farm Canada magazine, Amy and Finn Hogue (SFC’s mother and daughter Waste Not Team), shared waste saving strategies for making soil amendments with eggshells and banana peels. By drying and grinding up these two “traditional” waste products into small pieces or powder, they can be used in soil to provide plant nutrients.
Eggshells contain magnesium carbonate and are extremely rich in calcium carbonate and calcium phosphate. Beyond mineral enrichment, eggshells also add structure when worked into the soil, lightening it up a bit (reducing propensity to compact).
There is a lot to like about using banana peels as a natural fertilizer. Bananas are high in potassium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus.
Once peels and shells are dry, what then? Mortar and pestle are a great, grinding way to take them from waste to soil amendment.
The mortar and pestle are ancient devices used for milling. The mortar is a bowl often made of stone, ceramic, or wood. The pestle is a rounded grinding stick or club most often made of the same material as the mortar. Their use was one of the first ways known for grinding grain. It was also used by Ancients for grinding medicinal plants and now in modern cuisine for muddling herbs, garlic and even grinding nuts and seeds.
It is also a great motor-less tool for Mom that will not break the bank. Try your luck at local thrift stores for supreme savings and a Waste-Not Mother’s Day!
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