Decades after decades, importance of Organic gardening has increased, and its popularity continued growing. The methods we use have a relevant role to play in out our health as well as the entire ecosystem. There are many different all-natural fertilizers that one can use in your garden or with potting soil. Some of these fertilizers can be made or collected at home using common items from a person’s pantry or even backyard. Let us look at list of most favorite items that can be used for making fertilizers at home, one by one.
1. Grass Clippings
To be used especially if you have an organic lawn. One has to make sure to collect the grass clippings and roughly half an inch to an inch of grass clippings makes will result in great weed-blocking mulch, which is abundant in nitrogen as well. Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for most plants.
2. Weeds
A weed or is a wild plant growing in areas where it is not required, and also in competition with cultivated plants. Most of the weeds growing in gardens are quite rich in nitrogen content. Therefore they can also be used in making fertilizers. While making fertilizer from weeds, one has to take care of the following problem - once a weed plant is pulled from the ground, it can be placed inside soil again because any seeds will sprout and grow in to a new weed plant. So solution is to prepare a “weed tea” instead. For this preparation, take a five-gallon bucket with not more than 25% of the bucket full with the weeds pulled from the ground. Then fill the bucket with water, and allow the weeds soak for a week or two. Watch out for the color - if the color of water turns nice and brown (like tea), it is ready to be put in the garden, for using it as a fertilizer.
3. Kitchen Scraps
The kitchen and garden waste is used in making compost. Compost releases nutrients slowly. It means that well-composted garden can help supporting flower/plant growth for a year or two without requiring fertilizer re-application. Compost is beneficial in retaining soil moisture as well, essential for vegetable gardens to survive properly during hot, dry summer conditions.
4. Manure
Manure is another favorite component used in making fertilizers at home. Sources for getting manure are many – one can easily get from excreta or waste products of cows, horses, chickens, and even bats. Each type of manure is high in nitrogen and other nutrients. Raw manure is highly acidic and may actually consist of nutrients, more that particular plant needs. Therefore one has to use the manure carefully. Higher dosage of the manure can even burn the plant. As such, using of composted manure is suggested. Since composted manure is less nutrient-dense and acidic, it is helpful in improving soil’s water retention without putting life of the plant at risk. Also, the manure quickly turns to a perfect odor-free soil amendment hence one does not have to wait for a long period in making the fertilizer.
5. Tree Leaves
In this case don’t just collect the fallen tree leaves and through in the garbage bin. Rather, convert the waste into a valuable product i.e. Home-made fertilizer. Leaves are rich with trace minerals, they attract earthworms; retain moisture, ad also handy in making heavy soils lighter. The tree leaves can be used in two ways: Either mix crushed leaves into potting soil (tilling), or use them as a mulch in order to fertilize the plants and also for weed control.
7. Eggshells
Eggs shells have 93% calcium carbonate, which is the scientific name for lime. Lime has lots of advantages for using in fertilizer making. One of its major roles is that it helps in lowering acidity for plants that are unable to grow in higher acidic mediums. Secondly, lime supplies plants with lots of calcium, which is an essential nutrient. After collecting the necessary quantity of eggshells, just wash them from kitchen, and finally crush them for using in the gardens or backyards etc. So never say eggshells are simply a waste – now onwards.
8. Banana Peels
Bananas are a rich source of energy and known for containing potassium. Rose plant lots of potassium hence banana peel can be a better source as a fertilizer. Simply bury the peels of banana in a hole alongside the rose bush so they can compost naturally. As the rose grows, bury the peels into the soil’s top layer. These steps ensure supply of the much-needed potassium maintaining proper growth of the rose plant.
