Crab shells in raised beds
 

I will be happy to have feedback on this: today my Albertson's had fresh Dungeness Crabs for the giveaway price of $2.99 a pound- I haven't seen that in more than 8 years! So- I bought 8 big ones. I have 4 shelled, and took my old Vita-Mix and pulverized the shells in water. Made about 2 gallons, which I put in plastic coffee cans to freeze until I use. Please give me some help about how to incorporate this into my raised beds. In the past I have added small amounts to trenches in the off season and mix it in before planting time. I don't have the luxury of a real compost bin or pile, so I have to do it some other way. What will the shells add to my existing soil?

This article tells what they have in them and the benefits. If it were me I would put them out now, in my beds, to allow time for them to break down before planting. Just my 2 cents.

[URL="https://groundzrecycling.wordpress.com/2014/11/21/crab-shells-for-chitin-a-carbohydrate-that-is-a-natural-bug-repellent/"]https://groundzrecycling.wordpress.com/2014/11/21/crab-shells-for-chitin-a-carbohydrate-that-is-a-natural-bug-repellent/[/URL]

I think you could safely add them to your trenches in the same way that I add pulverized egg shells to my planting holes - not to help the plants this year, but to feed the worms and help my garden in the future.

The only caveat with the crab shells would be that they smell might attract wild animals or dogs to your garden.

A few years ago, my dog kept going next door, sniffing and digging in my neigbours shrubs! Several months later I realized what had enticed her over there when daffodils sprang up and I guessed that he had used bonemeal at planting time!!!

Linda

The way I understand it, crab shells contain chitin. Root knot nematode eggs are chitin. When you add crab shells the ground the bugs that eat chitin increase and eat more nematode eggshells.

That's a good thing, right?

Very good thing. 3 or 4 years ago RKnematodes showed up in a carrot bed, lots of forked roots and little bumps and swellings. I bought a bucket of chitosan ( I think ) spread it and chicken litter over the bed, mixed them in and planted dwarf French marigolds. All three are supposed to suppress nematodes. One or all worked, no problems since.

Sounds good- I have 3 gallons of sludge- I will use a bulb planter and poke holes, put some shells in, and cover it up. The garden is totally enclosed so critters are not a problem. BTW, the crabmeat was delicious!

Crabshells and shrimp shells are great for the garden. When the government was still doing ag here, there was some research that showed the crabshell prevented potato scab (a fungal disease that is in the soil). I think that was just a coarse meal tilled in before planting.
I also read that Trichoderma - that's one of the 'beneficials' being sold with lots of hype - is a chitin eater and can be cultivated by composting crab shell, shrimp shell or mushrooms.
Probably adding crabshell to your soil in any form, would increase the numbers of Trichoderma and/or other good microbes.

If animals digging is an issue, best to dig it in or till it in the whole bed, they will not dig for tiny scraps but only if there's a big cache in one spot for them to pillage.

Thinking about it, I am headed to senior day for a $5 buffet. I should eat plenty of shrimp and fill my pocket with the shells. LOL

I've been using crabshell meal (DTE 4-3-0) for quite some time and it's right below alfalfa meal on the [I]must have available powders[/I] list.

beneficial nematodes on top and crab shell meal below could be a good strategy.

[QUOTE=4season;528474]Thinking about it, I am headed to senior day for a $5 buffet. I should eat plenty of shrimp and fill my pocket with the shells. LOL[/QUOTE]

You know those shrimp rings with the tails on? Every now and then they go on special here for $5 or less, I do seize the opportunity to gorge on them, but of course, it's really for those tails I get to toss in the compost. ;)

Speaking of shrimp if you buy the shrimp with the heads on you will lose about 1/4 of the weight in heads when you clean them
So if you have 100 pounds of shrimp you will get around 75 pounds when the heads are removed.
keep this in mind the next time you buy shrimp a little extra work will pay off most of the time plus you get all of those heads.:yes:

I use the heads to make shrimp broth, good stuff. I usually loose about 40 percent to heads, shells and tails.

So wait a minute.....shrimp shells/tails, any luck cold composting them? I just threw a bunch away on monday.

I wouldn't put shells in raw compost unless they would remain totally buried while decomposing. Odors and critters would be a big problem, as would be if meat scraps were put in.