This is what I just read about ammonia (and other things):
For starters, let’s look at the practice of using ammonia as a fertilizer. The earliest record I can find of such a theory is in 1870, actually. As it turns out, there is merit to this practice. Ammonia is comprised primarily of nitrogen and as such it does indeed provide nitrogen in a form that plants can use. However, I actually had a couple of folks suggest that I should even add it to my Miracle Gro. Uh, no. Miracle Gro already has nitrogen in it. Now here’s the rub though. Most folks just go to the store and buy what’s labeled as ammonia, when in fact there’s only 3 to 10 percent ammonia in the product, along with other things that AREN’T good for your plants. Most household ammonias can actually be toxic to plants,
containing aqueus ammonia instead of the helpful ammonia ions. Another snag to this widespread suggestion is that when you combine the ammonia with your water, you’ll have an unpredictable finished product based on the pH level of your water and your soil. The pH level will impact how much ammonia is being absorbed, whether it’s too hot for the soil, etc. So, my suggestion, since there are too many unknowns to this practice, I’d say PASS. Go with something that you can actually control and be sure of when it comes to fertilizers for your garden.
While we’re on the topic of fertilizers, let’s talk about using beer as a fertilizer. This one was quite the conundrum. I can understand how some might thing that the fermentation process of beer might provide valuable nutrients to the soil and plants, but the fact is, there is absolutely no evidence which shows the beer is a good fertilizer. In fact, since most beers contain alcohol, and alcohol is definitely bad for your plants, I’m definitely going to chalk this little bit of advice as that which would only come from a snockered gardener. Yes, beer does increase bacterial growth, but as master gardener Jeff Gillman points out in his many books on the subject, beer doesn’t get to control what kind of bacteria it proliferates. Good bacteria? Sure. But you also will get plenty of the bad along with it. So again… PASS.
Are eggshells worth the hassle to use in your garden? Well, yes, if you’ve got them. And no if it means that you’re going to go through
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all of the efforts suggested by many such as boiling them and then letting them soak for a day and then applying that water to your plants. The content of calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium are so small that it takes a lot of egg shells to do you much good in your garden. But hey, having them as a part of your compost is better than a sharp stick in the eye. So yes, if you’ve got them, go ahead and crush them up and use them. They won’t hurt your plants and they will at least give them a slow-drip kind of nutrients.
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