Keep Your Christmas Cactus Nourished With This Common Kitchen Scrap

Christmas cactuses, also known as Schlumbergera x buckleyi, originate from rainforests in Brazil and are a beautiful houseplant for the holidays. These succulents acquired their name because they bloom vibrant red and pink flowers near the end of December. If you're worried your Christmas cactus isn't getting enough nutrients, you might want to start saving your leftover eggshells. Since these scraps contain mostly calcium carbonate and a little phosphorus and potassium, eggshells make great plant fertilizers.

When considering using eggshells to fertilize your Christmas cactus, you'll need to keep in mind that these plants can be negatively impacted by an overabundance of calcium. However, if you've noticed your Christmas cactus' roots turning black or if new leaves are soft, your plant could use a little more calcium. By crushing eggshells into a powder, putting them in the bottom of the pot, or making them into a drink for your succulent, you can keep your Christmas cactus healthy throughout the season.

Calcium helps your plants grow and develop strong roots, so if you think your Christmas cactus could use a nutritional boost, grab your leftover eggshells. One way to deliver this mineral quickly is by using eggshells to create water with a higher calcium content. To do this, fill a pot with water and drop in at least 10 eggshells, though you can add up to 20 if you'd like.

Bring the water to a boil for a few minutes, then leave the eggshells in the water for several hours or until the next morning. Now, you can pull the shells out of the water or strain them out if they've broken into small pieces. This water can be given to your Christmas cactus to provide it with additional calcium and nutrients. Since every eggshell will give off approximately 4 milligrams of calcium, be sure to only water with this solution every once in a while and only use a little at a time to avoid providing too much of the nutrient. 

Another great way to give your succulent more calcium is by turning your eggshells into a powder. This can be done by dropping your shells into a coffee grinder or blender and processing them until no large pieces remain. Before grinding them, it can be helpful to rinse out the shells and let them dry to get rid of any remaining raw egg. Once your shells have been crushed into a powder, sprinkle this over the soil in your cactus' pot and stir it in.

For Christmas cactuses that would benefit more from a little extra calcium over a longer period of time, try putting pieces of the shell into the base of the pot. Over time, they will slowly break down and release calcium carbonate. If your Christmas cactus needs a little help growing, eggshells can be a great fertilizer, but be careful not to give your plant too much calcium, as this could damage its roots.