10 home fertilizers for garden and potted plants
Home fertilizers are an excellent alternative to mineral fertilizers available in stores. By using kitchen waste, you can easily prepare valuable home fertilizer and save a lot of money.
1. Banana peels
As a fertilizer, you can use banana peel or whole, overripe and already unpalatable bananas. They are very rich in nutrients, including potassium which is very necessary for flowering plants. To prepare banana fertilizer, cut the banana peel into cubes, put it in a jar and pour hot water over it.
Leave the prepared crust in a closed jar for 24 hours. After this time, the resulting solution can be used for watering plants. In this way, you can use the skin several times, pouring hot water over it again.
Another way to use a banana peel is to dry it and then grind it. Stir the remaining powder into the soil.
You can also peel whole over-ripening bananas and mash them with a fork. Pour the resulting mass with water, mix it, and then water the plants with the prepared solution.
- Nitrogen (N) – 0%
- Phosphorus (P) – 3.25%
- Potassium (K) – 42%
2. Egg shells
Egg shells are another good material for fertilizing flowers. They make an excellent calcium fertilizer for plants that prefer a higher pH substrate, such as lavender. The eggshells can be crushed and mixed with the top layer of soil or soaked in water for about 2 weeks and the plants can be watered with the ready-made preparation. Calcium, supplied to plants with their shells, strengthens plants and increases their resistance to pests.
3. Coffee and tea grounds
Coffee and tea grounds are an extremely valuable home fertilizers for plants. In addition to enriching the soil with valuable nutrients, they also improve its structure and increase water capacity.
The grounds can be used to prepare nutritious preparations for watering potted plants at home and in the garden, use them as mulch, and also as a component of the substrate. They are also a great compost addition. The tea grounds, scattered on the surface of the ground in the pot, will also help to get rid of the annoying flies that fly around the flowers.
4. Baker’s yeast
Baker’s yeast is a cheap and easily available ingredient to make home fertilizers. Yeast stimulates the development of the root system, causes faster and more lush plant growth, and additionally protects plants against parasitic fungi.
Baker’s yeast fertilizer is prepared very quickly and easily. It is enough to cover the yeast with sugar, and then pour it with warm water and you will have a preparation for watering plants at home or in the garden.
5. Wood ash
Tree ash is a fertilizer that is worth using in the garden in spring and autumn. It is alkaline and rich in minerals. It is a fertilizer with a very high concentration of calcium, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus.
Due to the high calcium content, the soil should no longer be limed when using ash as a fertilizer. You can add wood ash to the compost or sprinkle it directly under the plants. Tomatoes, daylilies, grapes and strawberries are especially fond of such fertilizer.
6. Beer
Weathered beer is one of the best and valuable home fertilizers. It is rich in B vitamins and carbohydrates. A nutrient rich in B vitamins is very valuable for orchids. You can spray their leaves and roots with the beer diluted in water. Additionally, the yeast present in beer increases plant resistance. For watering flowers, use beer diluted in water in a ratio of 1: 1.
The beer preparation is also excellent for grass growth. If you water the lawn in places where the grass grows less, you can “patch” holes and gaps in the turf within a few weeks. For watering the lawn, dilute 1 can of beer in 10 liters of water.
7. Water from boiled vegetables
The decoctions left over from cooking vegetables, such as carrots, beets, potatoes, parsley and celery, are an excellent fertilizer for plants. They are rich in minerals that plants need for proper growth and flowering. It is enough to cool the decoction to room temperature and water the plants with it. You can use this fertilizer for flowers once every 2 weeks.
Attention!
You must remember that the water in which you cook the vegetables should not be salted beforehand. A large dose of table salt can be lethal to plants. It is also not recommended to use water after cooking cruciferous vegetables (Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli) due to the long-lasting unpleasant smell.
8. Water from the aquarium
If you keep fish in an aquarium, you have access to very valuable home fertilizer. Aquarium water contains substances that accelerate plant growth. The most valuable ingredients are accumulated in it in spring and in the first months of summer.
When changing the water, it is worth pouring the old water into a bucket and using it for watering flowers in the garden or at home.
9. Powdered milk
If you have leftover powdered milk, which has already expired, do not throw it away, but use it as fertilizer for plants. Powdered milk is a rich source of protein and a great addition to the substrate for calcium-loving plants.
It is best to mix them with the ground before planting the plants. The sugars present in milk are additionally a great breeding ground for soil microorganisms.
Powdered milk dissolved in water is also a great remedy for pale leaves. It is enough to water the plant with such a nutrient once every 2 weeks and its leaves will regain their intense colors.
10. Gelatin
Edible gelatin is another easily available home fertilizer for plants. It is an excellent source of nitrogen. To prepare a nutritious preparation from it, just dissolve one tablespoon of gelatin in a cup of hot water.
When the gelatin is completely dissolved, dilute the solution in 3 glasses of cold water. With the ready preparation, water the plants in pots or in the garden. This fertilizer is enough to use once a month.
