Question: My daughter wants to start her own garden and wants to use egg shells for the seedlings. How is this done?

Answer: The Georgia Extension Service recommends the following method: Save your eggshell halves. Chip a small hole in each for drainage. Put the eggshells in an egg carton. Fill each half shell with planting mixture. When transplanting to the garden, remove each eggshell from the carton and gently squeeze it to crack the shell a little. The growing roots can break through. Plant eggshell and all directly into the ground. The eggshell will quickly break down and provide nutrients to the growing seedling.

Debunking myths

1. The three second rule. Even a nanosecond is enough for food to have a brief and fruitful affair with myriad bacteria that gets traipsed over the kitchen floor by footwear that has trodden upon footpaths, public toilet floors, train-carriage aisles and office carpet squares.

2. Seafood is risky. Seafood is no more likely to cause food poisoning than other meats, and in Georgia, strict regulations apply to its handling and storage.

3. It’s OK to leave cooked rice/pasta out of the refrigerator. Rice or pasta salad left out for hours at a lengthy summer picnic can cause much distress. When these foods enter the temperature "danger zone" of 50-60 degrees, Bacillus cereus can form heat-resistant spores and a heat-resistant toxin.

4. Dairy products cause phlegm. This myth is not supported by scientific evidence, based on a comprehensive review in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.

5. Mold on cheese and jam is not dangerous. It all depends on the type of mold. If it is not meant to be moldy, then it shouldn’t be there.

If you have questions or problems with services or products regulated by the Georgia Department of Agriculture you may write the Office of Public Affairs, 19 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Room 226, Atlanta, GA 30334 or call 800-282-5852. This column appears Sundays.