Are you ready to move from being a beginner or a home garden enthusiast to a passionate gardener who knows exactly what’s going on in their garden?
Of course, it starts with picking a good variety of fruits, vegetables and flowers that will ensure that there’s enough diversity.
Then there’s knowing what tool you need at what time to get the job done. There’s the skill of understanding how plants need to be nourished and cared for. And finally, there’s the knowledge that the beginning is more important than anything else. Right when you plant that seed and give it the nutrients it will need to thrive.
At that time, it’s very useful to know how to make your own fertilizer.
In this way, you can decide what nutrients to give your plant to suit their personal needs, while also avoiding giving them harmful chemicals that may be a part of store-bought fertilizer.
• How You Can Get Started
1. Banana Peel
Let’s start with something simple. Banana peels are a rich source of potassium, one of the big three nutrients for plants. The other two are nitrogen and phosphorus. So, just place some banana peels in a hole near where you plant for an easy, natural fertilizer.
2. Coffee Grounds
Fertilizer made from coffee grounds is another simple but effective fertilizer. It works wonders for acid-loving plants like roses, blueberries, tomatoes etc. To make it, soak about six cups of ground coffee in 5 gallons of water. Allow it to sit for 2-3 days and then saturate the soil around your plants.
3. Eggshells
Did you know that eggshells are a fantastic source of calcium carbonate? This helps in fending off blossom end rot in most fruit-bearing plants. Just crush the eggshells and place them around your potted plants.
4. Weeds
What is that one problem that every gardener has in common? The problem of weeds but they too can be turned into useful homemade fertilizer! Weeds like nettles, chickweed, horsetail, yellow dock etc. are high in nitrogen and beneficial for your plants. Just dry the entire plant, including the root and put it in a compost tumbler with some water. After 3-5 weeks, it will be ready to use.
Learn about types of garden weeds.
6. Grass
Grass is found almost everywhere but rarely do we think that it can be truly useful to us. Well, it is rich in nitrogen and can be a fantastic fertilizer. Just take a bucket, fill it with water and then add the grass clippings. Let it sit for a day or two and then it’s ready to use!
Read - How to Maintain a Lawn
7. Manure
Finally, there’s the nutrient rich, naturally made manure. If you look around, you may find people willing to give away composted horse or cow manure for free! Just fill it in a permeable cloth bag and leave it in the sun for a few days. Then, just apply as needed.
These few tips and tricks will help you get started in making your own fertilizer. It truly is the best way to nourish your plants and the extra effort is always worth it.
Also read - advantages of manure for plants.
