Eggshells go in an old sock on the back porch. Every once in a while smash and use. Pete

Thinking about starting a worm bin. Do egg shells need to be crushed for the worms? I don't crush them for my CP, but since my compost is for the veggie garden, I don't care so much about aesthetics.

An old sock! Somehow that is poetic or hippy or cool.
"Eggshells go in an old sock on the back porch. Every once in a while smash and use. Pete" Way cooler than an old fogie container next to the sink.

I crush only because when I did not I had hoped the shells would break themselves down, but the shells did not see it that way and had force fields up to retain structual integrity. I use the vermicompost for seed starting. A finer grain of compost seemed better so seeds would not have to push half inch egg shells off their heads before growing. The pulverized shell fragments seem to exit the bin the same size they went in.

For a compost pile it is not necessary nor even desirable to crush. A good argument could be made for not crushed.

If the worms took a vote they would vote for non crushed half shells. Quite, little, dark places to cuddle be fruitful and multiply.

Worms love life in the half shell.

We should all be so content.

Egg shells aren't organic, they are mineral, so we shouldn't expect them to decompose the same way that organic matter does.
I use the electricity whizzing method to pulverize mine.

i do know that if you don't crack them up, the worms like to curl up inside the halves.

Well I am going with the old sock trick. I just went through my sock drawer last night and had earmarked several pair for the trash. This way I will get extra mileage out of the socks. I have been crushing the shells with an old serving spoon.

Curt~

Curt I should have mentioned not to use clean socks. It is best to wear them for a week first to get the bacteria growing good! ;)
Pete

Prte; If I spent a week in my socks you could smell them out there in California.

Curt~