Thursday, March 7, 2013

Eggs, Calcium and Pinterest

The relationship between eggs and calcium is clear but how does Pinterest come in to play

And then the next question is - what IS Pinterest?

Pinterest is a really cool way to organize information you find online but don't really want to print. If you just save a file on your home computer, the chances of finding it when you need it aren't that good. Or at least not easily. Pinterest works like an online bulletin board and "pins" what you find on a virtual bulletin board using pictures with descriptions.

If you have heard of Pinterest you may think, oh, it is just for recipes, crafty projects, home decor, etc. Not true! Over the last few months I've used it frequently to find gardening information about row covers, square foot gardening, trellis options, community gardens, growing lettuce indoors, carrots, potatoes, etc. There is a wealth of information out there to find and looking at Pinterest sparks ideas and AH HA! moments.

As always, remember that not everything you find is true so verify before you totally believe it. There are a number of old, unscientific ideas that have been pinned.

One thing I came across on Pinterest (and pinned to save it) recommended saving the water you boil eggs in and using it on your plants because calcium leaches out of the egg shells. I didn't really know whether to believe it or not but said what the heck, I'll try it.

pHydrion tape is used to measure the acidity of fluids. I tested a glass of fresh tap water and a glass full of egg water. The egg water really did have more calcium! (The dark green tape is the egg water.)

 Guess I'll save my egg water and use it on plants that really need it. I could always take it to the garden and put it on my tomato plants to help prevent blossom end rot.

Calcium is essential for all plants, but the following are especially responsive: apples, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, curcurbits, legumes, lettuce, peppers, potatoes,  and tomatoes. This link has a lot of interesting information: Plants Need Calcium Too