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  1. #1
    Members Basil1's Avatar
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    Off-beat calcium supplementing.

    Having read on hear about different ways to add calcium, including building a machine, I wanted to put forth an idea I saw. Looking for ways to recycle as much as I can at home I looked into dog hair. I knew it was used for oil cleanup and some crafts. One recommendation however was to put it in the compost heap. Completely organic, quickly biodegradeable and rich in calcium. Anyone ever heard of this? Or done it? Like to hear some thoughts, good, bad or indifferent.
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  2. #2
    Moderator badflash's Avatar
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    Re: Off-beat calcium supplementing.

    I'd like to see the calcium part documented. Hair is primarily protien. If you want calcium, compost egg shells. Youll get a lot more calcium from that.
    The best fertilizer is the farmer's shadow

  3. #3
    Moderator urbanfarmer's Avatar
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    Re: Off-beat calcium supplementing.

    Quote Originally Posted by badflash
    I'd like to see the calcium part documented. Hair is primarily protien. If you want calcium, compost egg shells. Youll get a lot more calcium from that.
    I have to agree.

    Hair or fur are made up of the protein keratin. If anything it will increase the nitrogen assuming it breaks down, but you would need a lot of fur. In humans keratin makes up about 99% of our hair. Hair, nails, skin, are all skin cells. Anyway, without the in-depth lesson just realize that what little calcium if any is in there you would need a WHOLE BUNCH. To get 2200 grams of calcium from eggs you need about 1 pound of egg shells compared to anywhere from 100 to 1,000 pounds of dog hair (assuming 1% to 0.1% calcium of dog hair chemistry. respectively).

    That's just me applying some basic math, biology, and chemistry; so, my numbers are likely off from the real thing (I actually think you would get even less than 0.1% calcium and that was my most conservative guess). In other words, this is definitely an urban myth or folklore, if you will.

  4. #4
    Moderator urbanfarmer's Avatar
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    Re: Off-beat calcium supplementing.

    P.S. I just dropped some eggshells in hydrochloric acid (about 10 M HCl). I let it sit overnight and now I have calcium chloride. It can be used as a foliar spray or water soluble fertilizer. I didn't even crush the shells. All that was left was a weird film, which obviously wasn't calcium. Strain and spray. NEAT!

  5. #5
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    Re: Off-beat calcium supplementing.

    my grandfather always buried eggshells under the tomatoes.. i've put quite a few in my gb's

  6. #6
    Moderator urbanfarmer's Avatar
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    Re: Off-beat calcium supplementing.

    Quote Originally Posted by keith_r
    my grandfather always buried eggshells under the tomatoes.. i've put quite a few in my gb's
    They take a while to break down, but they do break down.

  7. #7
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    Re: Off-beat calcium supplementing.

    That's why I was asking. Thought it seemed a little off but you never know. Thanks for the quick responses.
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  8. #8
    Moderator davidstcldfl's Avatar
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    Re: Off-beat calcium supplementing.

    Quote Originally Posted by urbanfarmer
    Quote Originally Posted by keith_r
    my grandfather always buried eggshells under the tomatoes.. i've put quite a few in my gb's
    They take a while to break down, but they do break down.
    From what I've read from others and seeing my system do it.....as the system ages, the PH tends to drop.
    Seems to reason, that having egg shells in the system would not only add calcium, but perhaps act as a buffer for PH (down) swing, depending on how many shells.
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  9. #9
    Moderator urbanfarmer's Avatar
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    Re: Off-beat calcium supplementing.

    Quote Originally Posted by davidstcldfl
    Quote Originally Posted by urbanfarmer
    Quote Originally Posted by keith_r
    my grandfather always buried eggshells under the tomatoes.. i've put quite a few in my gb's
    They take a while to break down, but they do break down.
    From what I've read from others and seeing my system do it.....as the system ages, the PH tends to drop.
    Seems to reason, that having egg shells in the system would not only add calcium, but perhaps act as a buffer for PH (down) swing, depending on how many shells.
    Yes, it most certainly would! Some folks put oyster shells or egg shells in a removable container in their grow bed. The idea is if the pH raises too high (and this happens gradually) they can pull it out to stop the pH from going higher.

    The more you crush the egg shells the faster they will react with the AP water because they'll have more surface area. Yea, I know it seems like we're obsessed with surface area around these parts, but it's the God honest Truth!

  10. #10
    Moderator badflash's Avatar
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    Re: Off-beat calcium supplementing.

    You can get crushed oyster shells at any feed store cheap. They feed it to chickens for the grit they need. Works fine as a buffer and calcium source. It is made of aragonite, which is a calcium carbonate isomer. Sagem chemical forula as calcite, bust a different structure. It disolves much more slowly and does not raise pH very much.
    The best fertilizer is the farmer's shadow

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