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[Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com>]

On May 1, 2008, at 7:42 PM, Lisa K.V. Perry wrote:

> After turning over the last raised bed (and taking apart two of
> them--removing the wood edges), we planted 24 broccoli plants and put
> compost in each hole and also applied it on top. The compost  
> originally
> contained egg shells so hope the calcium content of the compost is
> sufficient.

I've long been curious but never did the work to find out just how  
long it takes for egg shells to dissolve into calcium and whatever.  
Anyone know? I sometimes crumble them, but most often they stay as  
they were when the eggs got put into the pan. It just came to me that  
many years ago I used to toss them into a large paper bag that would  
let them dry really good and then before putting them into compost  
piles I would smash them into coarse dust with a piece of two-by-four.