What to do with walnut shells?

Walnut shells can be recycled by using them in compost, or by making DIY interior decorations, children’s crafts or Christmas and Halloween decorations. For these reasons, these products are completely ecological and recyclable, whether it is the nuts inside or the shells that wrap it. Let’s take a look at their uses and some tips for your home decoration.

Mixing the shells into the compost

Once you’ve managed to crack open a walnut without breaking the kernels, the shell is usually thrown in the bin. But in reality, walnut shells can be an excellent plant fertilizer when mixed with compost.

Whether scattered in a pot at home or in the garden, it is easy to provide excellent growth and development to the plant. So every time you go to eat a nut, don’t throw away the leftovers. Use the opportunity to take care of your plants.

Why use walnut shells in the garden?

How do you crack nuts to reuse the shells? Once opened, you can not only enjoy the contents, but also the benefits of the shells. Indeed, they are very rich in phosphorus and potassium, two of the three essential macronutrients, as well as sodium, iron and zinc. These are important properties to take care of a plant.

In addition, it should be added that the soil or substrate will become richer in nutrients, which will allow the fruit to develop very well.

Nutshells are a natural slow release fertiliser, the effects are not seen after a few days, but rather the plant will absorb the nutrients it needs as the process of decomposing the shells progresses.

How can nut shells be recycled for plants?

As walnut shells are entirely natural, they can be recycled by incorporating them into garden work. You can spread them on the ground and leave them to nature. This way they will slowly decompose. This is certainly very interesting if the garden soil is already rich in organic matter, as the roots get nutrients that gradually become available.

You can also consciously crush them. In this case, ground walnut shells are recommended when you need to see results as soon as possible. For example, if you have plants that are recovering from an infestation, you can pour a small spoonful or two of shell onto the soil surface, then water.

Using shells in flower pots

If you have lots of walnut shell pieces, you can make your own decoration by doing a DIY.

To do this, place them in the bottom of the pots instead of the clay balls. It will not fill up with water, which will ensure good drainage. Shred, incorporate into heavy soil or make a layer before planting flowers that require soil drainage.

Remember that in this case it is complementary to add compost with the garden soil, because as with gravel, the effect is sometimes the opposite of what is desired. The soil can be compacted around clogs or pebbles.

You can also place the shells in a glass jar before putting in the flowers. In this case, they will serve as decoration inside the house.

Using the shells to make a handmade decoration

If you have children, the shell of a nut can be used for handicraft and decoration activities. With the nut shell you can make a small wooden house, animals like the mouse, and then do some colouring. This will surely be an activity that your children will enjoy. In addition, your child could look for ideas for decorating himself, as the hazelnut shell looks like wood.

You can also follow DIY tips online for more ideas and all sorts of animals that children can make.

Using shells for party decorations

Children love to do DIY by designing their own Christmas or Halloween decorations. This activity is a great way to recycle the nut shell. If you are looking for Christmas decoration ideas to put a smile on your child’s face, here are some DIY tips that might help:

• Use the undamaged shell to make beads. These beads can be used as baubles on the Christmas tree.
• Teach your child to colour in a decoration.
• Put a bow on it for a better look. The bow can be red or green.

However, for Halloween party decorations, choose coconuts, because they are bigger and can be used for an evil decoration.