growing in nut shells

Hash Hound

Hash Hound

Well-Known Member
Photo of the Month
December 2016 3 Plant of the Month
January 2023
Was just snacking on pistachios while watching the tube and i wondered how well plants would do grown in the shells. Im sure it would be a very light airy mix. Or mix them with other mediums. All other nut shells for that matter. I eat nuts almost daily. Im sure id amass a bucket full in no time>
 
I find this very interesting as well. I have to admit that I opened this post b/c the first thing that popped into my head was an Austin Powers scene... but alas, I'll add my coinage too lol

I think anytime you can do something that involves reusing another item is awesome. The only concerns that streamed through my head were the possibility of potential pests introduced (a risk with a lot of things, however) as well as how long they would hold up. I mean, are they going to break down? Cause a problem with your system?
 
I dont think pistachio shells would break down. They are pretty hard. and most of the shells in a bag of mixed nuts are pretty hard also. And I read an article about someone that put peanut shells in their compost pile and they didnt break down either. And if the shells do break down i dont think it would be so quick as not to finish one grow cycle. If not used as a sole medium. I still think they would be good to add to other mediums instead of throwing them away. BUT doing a little googling, some nut shells supposed to have toxins, like cashew shells which i have NEVER seen anyway. So for an experiment tonight after i have my fill of pistachios, i will throw them in a bowl of water and see if they start to get soft.
 
Hash Hound said:
I dont think pistachio shells would break down. They are pretty hard. and most of the shells in a bag of mixed nuts are pretty hard also. And I read an article about someone that put peanut shells in their compost pile and they didnt break down either. And if the shells do break down i dont think it would be so quick as not to finish one grow cycle. If not used as a sole medium. I still think they would be good to add to other mediums instead of throwing them away. BUT doing a little googling, some nut shells supposed to have toxins, like cashew shells which i have NEVER seen anyway. So for an experiment tonight after i have my fill of pistachios, i will throw them in a bowl of water and see if they start to get soft.
Click to expand...

I can't wait to hear more about what you find out!

I don't know anything about nut shells, etc. Just what popped into my head. We compost everything we can here, and that's one thing that goes into the compost. But... I don't go fishing around to see if I can find what I dumped in there months ago and see if it broke down. Just stir it etc.
 
Placed some pistachio shells in water last night and they were a little soft this morning but nowhere close to starting to break down. I will keep them in water a few days to see what happens. Gonna give some peanuts a try this weekend also. I wonder what the pistachio company does with all the shells from the nuts they shell them selves for sale? Maybe i'll give them a call and see.
 
a little googling

did some research on google:
from Wiki...
Like other members of the Anacardiaceae family (which includes poison ivy, sumac, mango, and cashew), pistachios contain urushiol, an irritant that can cause allergic reactions. Urushiol is a yellow liquid with a boiling point of 200—210 °C. It is miscible in alcohol and ether, but nearly insoluble in water
other sites:
* Reuse — Practical: Use them at the bottom of plant pots to help drainage.

You could use them as drainage chips in pots & planters.
You could compost them, but they'll take an eternity to break down.
If you have heavy soil (clay) you could just dig them in to help aerate the soil and, over time, it should improve the soil condition i.e. counteract the clay.

using them as a slug and snail deterrent around tender plants.
 
One thing that concerns me is salt. Most roasted nuts are soaked in a brine solution prior to roasting so that they will be salted when done. I know that when I eat a lot of pistachios, I end up with a lot of salt on my fingers from handling mostly just the shells.
 
Probably not completely, but as it softens it will likely be leaking compounds that might affect pH and PPM...and since its in direct contact with the roots, it likely won't be detectable in the solution.

This is all just conjecture on my part, but it might be worth a try just to see how it works.
 
Back
Top Bottom