Scallop Shells Could Be Used As A Natural Lime
January 12, 2011 | 1 min to read
The calcium carbonate locked inside scallop shells can fertilize a field just as well as lime, says a local winery owner who is encouraging the use of this natural fertilizer.
Annapolis Highland Vineyard owner Karen Enright has been interested in alternative natural ways to improve soil for some time now.
“They have been using not only scallop shells but other shells in the United Kingdom for some time and we just thought it’s really a natural here given our scallop fleet,” said Enright. “I think we should be trying to use what’s in our backyard. We should try to be as ecologically resourceful as we can and also support local industries.”
She said the shells would need to be ground up in order for the soil to retrieve the nutrients. Scallop shells have 98 per cent of calcium carbonate, which is one of the nutrients in lime fertilizer.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: Sou'Wester (Yarmouth, NS, Canada).