Would they rot and cause mold, would their shells break down. Why not add it to a separate pot of soil mix and see what happens, I do add egg shells and shells of mollusk to my soil all cracked up into tiny little bits with a hammer, I know our hair is good for the soil, but this is going to be your call until someone here knows for sure because I don't. Just make sure before you do it. I rather you add decomposed Oak leaves from a forest. Norma

OK Chris, you win the contest for the most imaginative, weirdest, and just plain silly soil mix ingredient yet.

Shrimp carapace is made of chitin, a polysaccharide. It's mostly sugar, not calcium carbonate like mollusk shells. I doubt it will do anything beneficial for your plants, but maybe this idea will win the Nobel Prize for succulent mixes someday.

If you are running short on shrimp and lobster shells, toenail clippings should be a good substitute.

Or maybe not :)

Brad

LOL..brad were do you come up with your stuff...LOL

Mary

Well, actually shrimp makes a pretty good fertilizer. Problem is the smell. You've obviously never left shrimp heads laying around for any length of time. If you are really mad at someone stick a couple of shrimp under their backseat, by the time they find them it will be too late.

My cousins and Uncles were shrimpers. I make stock out of the heads and shells, then toss them in the compost bin when I strain the broth. Cover them with a THICK layer of soil, mulch, something or the cats will dig them out, so will the seagulls and the smell will drive your neighbors to complain. You can put them in the bottom of the holes you dig in the yard, they contain a lot of micronutrients. Better yet put them in a plastic bag, tie it up really good and drop it off in a dumpster somewhere.

It's kind of funny you posted about shrimp shells, yesterday I was looking out the back window and could see where the new neigbors had planted something. The edge of the hole was rimmed with oyster shells. There is a layer of oyster shells under the soil in both of our yards, they were filled in after Hurricane Carla in the 60's. In some spots they are so thick it's almost impossible to dig. Once you get past them it's just more sand.

That's it, we're having oysters tonight! MMMMMMM!
Tally HO!

I did mean dried, chopped up shells, no heads or decaying flesh. There has to be some nutritional benefit, or how about to help keep the soil from compacting? OK, I may be reaching here.

Now Brad, I don't understand how is this "just plain silly". Especially since there have been posts on GardenWeb about using leftover coffee and even body fluids as fertilizer, and my shrimps are the ultimate in silliness? I think not. Check out my link below, then scoff no more! (Not specifically for cacti and succulents, I know.)

Christopher

Here is a link that might be useful: Shrimp Shell Meal

I would be wary of the salt in any kind of seafood shells, myself...

Me, personally... I'd pitch the shrimp shells in the garbage, and go with a liquid fertilizer for my plants.

There's a vast difference between container gardening, and gardening in the ground... organic works very well in the ground because there's an army of worms, nematodes, bacterias, fungi, and other microscopic critters ready to help break down anything organic into usable food for plants. Working together, they all maintain a balance of good and bad.

This same microcosm of miniature life does not exist within the confines of a container... and even if a container starts out with a decent balance, it can quickly become unbalanced due to the absence of the same conditions as in a garden.

I stick to a more inorganic approach when it comes to pot gardening... and I save the organic ideas for my garden beds.

BINGO!!!

Jodi wrote:
"Me, personally... I'd pitch the shrimp shells in the garbage, and go with a liquid fertilizer for my plants.

There's a vast difference between container gardening, and gardening in the ground... organic works very well in the ground because there's an army of worms, nematodes, bacterias, fungi, and other microscopic critters ready to help break down anything organic into usable food for plants. Working together, they all maintain a balance of good and bad.

This same microcosm of miniature life does not exist within the confines of a container... and even if a container starts out with a decent balance, it can quickly become unbalanced due to the absence of the same conditions as in a garden.

I stick to a more inorganic approach when it comes to pot gardening... and I save the organic ideas for my garden beds."

I have heard of rice husks and walnut shells broken down and used. I have used crush oyster shells when I first started my Crassula collection, purchased at a animal feed store, it worked wonders. In Africa some plants grow on ancient coral beds. So again it will depend on the species. This information is hard to find and look up, I have used charcoal as well to keep the soil sweet, (agrigicultural) I also use Diatomaceous earth crawling insect killer made by Concern. It kills root mealies, cockroaches, ants, fleas, silverfish, & earwigs. I had used it in my Haworthia soil, it worked until I removed the old soil (5 years old) Again follow directions on all products. My cat is an indoor cat. I keep my greenhouse closed at all times. Norma

Here again, I responded and it's gone. Perhaps it's time for GW to move up to a better server... the Apache server in use seems to "glitch" quite often.

Anyhoo...

Horticultural charcoal can only absorb so much in the way of harmful chemicals, but what happens when it can't absorb any more? Does it leach back out into the surrounding soil? Is it inert at that point? I don't know.

When charcoal is used as an aquarium filter, it is changed often. It's difficult to change out charcoal used in a medium, though. And with this in mind, I don't use it.

It doesn't seem to serve a purpose, other than as another potential medium ingredient. I find the pieces too large for any practical use.

My medium consists of 100% fir bark pieces, granite chips, and perlite... all fairly equal in particle size. It allows me complete control over moisture and fertilization.

Because container gardening is so vastly different from gardening in the ground, I believe a more inorganic approach works much better... I save the organic items and ideas for the garden beds.

Geez, WHAT is going on with gardenweb? They are losing posts left and right, losing pages. We never had this problem with Spike!

I'd throw them in the mix, the shells will break down quickly and add some micronutrients to the soil. Salt shouldn't be a problem, even throwing the heads staight into the garden from the boat isn't a problem. They've been rinsed at least once or stored on ice. If imported, which they probably are, then they've been rinse many times.

Now I'm hungry and want oysters and shrimp, cooked a ham last night, now have to decide where or do I cook them myself? It's oyster season! If Stingarees is open tomorrow maybe we'll take the ferry and go eat oysters there. If not then Gaidos up on the Seawall. Right now I think I'll go get a shrimp and oyster poboy. YUMMM!

Tally HO!

Tally, I wish I lived next door to you. Your posts always make me laugh, whatever forum. What a fascinating gardener and lady you are!
Pat

Given where Tally lives, the majority of plants are used to what the Gulf throws at them. Plants not acclimated might not appreciate the same treatment. Not all plants are created equally, so to speak... depending on your own individual environment and your own plant types, well, whatever scraps you add to your container plants should be thought about carefully beforehand.

That's ridiculous. Does this look like the plants are used to what the Gulf throws at them? The Shrimp are IN the water, we have to go out in boats and catch them with big nets. It rains fresh water not salt water. Except for the plants I root or start from seeds my plants come from the same place as everyone elses, trades, nurseries, the midwest, Canada, The Netherlands.. There are no nurseries here that raise plants, only one nursery and they don't grow anything, they are just a reseller. The latest batch of brugs came from N. Carolina, the cactus from a nursery in far west Texas that is hot, dry and has no humidity. The plants brought to our garden have to adapt. Not all do. An amazing number of plants do not like humidity, oppressive heat for months, drought or monsoons.

The cactus that is bent in 1/2 survived, I chopped it down by over 1/2. The tree that is green is a Japanese yew, all but one have since died. The mulberry, broken branches, lived. Doesn't look that great but seems to be recovering. The big concrete pots floated around the front yard. Only a ginger and canna survived in this area.

Except for salt spray I deal with the same things gardeners inland do. Though my pests don't die in the winter. I'll give you a few shrimp might have been floating around during the storm, but the cows floating around were a bigger problem. UTMB had at least 25 dead cows on campus. The trees really suffered, about 90% of the trees on the island died.

Update for all you naysayers, I planted some Kalanchoe tomentosa cuttings in my shrimpy soil with good results. Cuttings have rooted and are growing well.

Now, to top this, I have taken it to the next level, Lobster Loam! The 2 pound lobsters we had for dinner last week are now amending the soil of my community garden plot.

Christopher

Trout, salmon, catfish, cats, ducks, rats, owls, squirrels...you name it, I've buried it in the garden.

These additives are wonderful, but the key ingredient is "Time."

Josh

The raccoons are so voracious here I would be hesitant about burying animals in my soil because they would smell them and dig everything up getting to it. I have a hard time when I use fish emulsion. I might as well ring the dinner bell.

I've buried a few raccoons, as well.... ;)

Josh

Pretty stupid discussion, unfortunately typical of gardenweb.

-R

you can compost all those animals to the benefit of your garden. I put a dead rat in my compost pile and it was completely gone in about two weeks (and no, it wasn't dug up and eaten by raccoons!)

Just make sure you have a big enough pile (cubic yard at least) it's protected from scavengers, and you add PLENTY of high carbon materials (dead leaves, paper, wood shavings.)

land3499 wrote:

"Pretty stupid discussion, unfortunately typical of gardenweb."

Membership is voluntary. No one is being forced to read what people post. And if you want to start a more serious discussion, no one is keeping you from doing so.

Christopher

I apologize...that was pretty negative.

I *am* posting, and not about Jade plants.

-R

Well, I guess anyone who grows such nice Euphorbias can't be that bad...

Christopher

-R,

Did some escapee from the Grumpily Ignorant Institute suddenly seize your computer for a moment, or at least at 9:22?

I'm sure glad you have it back!

Real nasty introduction, in my opinion.
At this point, I have zero interest in anything this person says or grows.
Belittling our light-hearted discussion is one thing....but attacking Jades is completely unforgivable.

Josh

greenman28, I have already apologized for what I said. It was inappropriate, and as you said, "nasty." If you choose not to accept my apology, that's fine.

I don't find discussions about adding shellfish to soil, or endless discussions of the latest tip for getting red colors on the leaves of Jade plants interesting....I just don't.

I was trying to inject a bit of difference, something other than the repeated, endless posts about Jade plants.

-R

That's one hell of a sincere apology....

Josh

Land,

Tell ya what, you can pls. feel free to leave at ANY TIME, at the rate you're going sooner than later would seem preferable.

So far in the last 30 minutes, I have run into TWO threads containing disparaging comments by you.

So let's see you'v been here 2 months; have you started any threads? Have you contributed any NON-NEGATIVE remarks anywhere? Is there some reason you need to be here?

Try starting your own thread with something which might be considered some kind of contribution.

Otherwise maybe even go away, we don't need your kind of bad vibes here.

Karen,

He/she has started some threads, posting some beautiful pictures of beautiful plants - take a look at the first page and you'll see some of them.

However, his/her comments on other threads indicate he/she doesn't grow well with others. One hopes that that's a temporary aberration.

Thanks Jeff, I DO see that after the fact, those posts start halfway down the first page, like w/ the Pickle Plant. Perhaps I should have looked a bit further first.

OK Land (_R), sorry about that part of my comments, I do see you've contributed your own post & pix. That (I think some Asclepiad) Cynan____ is a very cool looking flower.

Again, I'm sorry. I really have to more careful about the way I phrase things. My intention was NOT to p*ss anyone off.

I'm new to this forum, but even the "old hands" must admit that there are a lot of posts about Jade plants. That's perfectly fine, as I know there are many enthusiasts for these plants, who would gladly spend hours debating every minor detail........exactly the same as I would for the plants I love!

So to each his own, and my apologies if anyone felt insulted.

This is a great forum, and I hope I can contribute to its success.

-R