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Sunlight and water are only two of the three essential components of a healthy garden. The other one is nutrient-rich soil. As your plants grow, they can deplete the soil of the nutrients they need to thrive. These include the big three: nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. And the micronutrients sulfur, magnesium, iron, calcium, and boron.
To find out what nutrients your soil may be lacking, it’s a good idea to have a soil test. Most local university extension services offer these tests. To find an office near you, visit this site.
Adding fertilizer to the soil is the best way to replenish these essential nutrients, but buying commercial mixes can get expensive. Fortunately, there’s another way that is easier on your wallet and the environment.
Here is a brief introduction to 12 fertilizers you can make yourself using organic or recycled ingredients and other items you already have on hand.
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1. Epsom Salt Fertilizer
Epsom salt is comprised of magnesium and sulfate. Plants that thrive on magnesium-rich soil include roses, tomatoes, potatoes, and peppers. To make an Epsom salt fertilizer, all you need are Epsom salt, water, and a watering can.
Dissolve one tablespoon of Epsom salt per gallon of water in your watering can. Use the solution in place of regular water once a month.
2. Coffee Ground Fertilizer
Used coffee grounds can give a boost to acid-loving plants like roses, rhododendrons, azaleas, and blueberries. Plus, they are rich in nitrogen, magnesium, and potassium, and they attract earthworms, which are beneficial to the soil.
First, spread the grounds out on a newspaper-lined cookie sheet to dry completely. Then, sprinkle the dry grounds around the base of your plants and work them into the soil. Don’t overdo it – once a month should be enough.
3. Grass Clipping Fertilizer
Did you know that your freshly mowed grass clippings can add nitrogen and potassium to your garden?
Many DIY fertilizers involve making what some gardening experts refer to as a “tea.” In this case, you will concoct a tea by placing fresh grass clippings in a five-gallon bucket and then covering it with water. Allow the mixture to sit for about five days. Then, dilute the tea by adding 10 cups of fresh water to one cup of tea. Finally, pour the diluted liquid into your garden soil.
4. White Vinegar Fertilizer
Another way to add acid to the soil is with diluted white vinegar. Stir one tablespoon of white vinegar into a gallon of water in your watering can. You only need to use this solution about once every three months. (Note: Never use undiluted vinegar on plants.)
5. Fish Tank Water Fertilizer
If you have an aquarium at home, now you have a use for the dirty water you replace after a cleaning. It’s full of nitrogen and fish waste that your plants will love. You’ll need to take some time “brewing” this concoction.
Here are the steps:
- Fill a 55-gallon barrel or drum three-fourths of the way with two-fourths water and one-fourth aquarium water.
- Let it steep for 24 hours.
- Then, fill the barrel the rest of the way with fresh water and loosely cover the top.
- Allow it to sit for three weeks.
- Add the liquid to your garden soil in a ratio of three gallons per 100 square feet of garden space. (And yes, it will be a bit smelly.)
6. Fireplace Ash Fertilizer
The ash from your fireplace is rich in calcium carbonate and potassium, and it will help balance out the pH in soil that is too acidic.
All you need to do is sprinkle cool ash over your garden bed and then work it into the soil. (Note: Avoid acid-loving plants.)
7. Eggshell Fertilizer
Eggshells contain calcium, which tomatoes need to thrive. Here’s all you need to do to recycle your shells.
Wash used eggshells and allow them to dry completely. Then, crush and grind the shells into fine pieces with a mortar and pestle. Spread the grinds around the roots of your plants and work them into the soil.
8. Seaweed Fertilizer
If you live near the ocean or are planning a visit to the beach soon, consider collecting some seaweed for your garden. Seaweed contains about 40 different kinds of minerals, including potassium, iron, calcium, magnesium, zinc, and iodine.
You’ll be making another tea with this DIY fertilizer. First, fill a five-gallon bucket halfway with water (rainwater is a great choice), and then add the seaweed. Let sit for three weeks before straining. Then, mix a 50-50 ratio of the seaweed tea and water in a watering can to use to water your plants.
9. Gelatin Fertilizer
Do you have a box of plain gelatin in your pantry? It’s a great source of nitrogen for your garden plants and houseplants.
To make this fertilizer, dissolve a package of plain gelatin into one cup of hot water. Then, add three cups of cold water. Pour this solution onto the garden soil about once per month.
10. Bone Meal Fertilizer
Tomatoes and other blooming plants will appreciate the calcium and other nutrients found in bone meal. And it’s a great way to put your leftover chicken bones to good use.
First, clean the chicken bones and then boil them on the stove for two to three days. (Turn the burner off at night and let them sit.) After the bones have softened, place them in a blender with some water and grind them. Then water your plants with the bone meal solution.
11. Banana Peel Fertilizer
You probably already knew that bananas contain potassium, which is an element that is good for both you and your plants. But there’s more. Bananas also are rich in calcium and phosphorous, which flowering plants and trees need.
You can recycle your peels in two different ways for your garden. One way is to simply bury the peels at the base of your fruit trees, allowing them to fertilize the soil as they decompose. Or, you can make a tea by soaking the banana peels in water for three days and then using the liquid to water your plants.
12. Molasses Fertilizer
Molasses, which is a by-product in the sugar production process, contains many minerals and vitamins that are good for the garden.
To make molasses fertilizer, mix two tablespoons of organic unsulphured blackstrap molasses into one gallon of water. Water your plants with this tea once or twice a month. In addition to keeping your pants healthy, this molasses fertilizer will help keep away many garden pests.
You don’t need to purchase expensive products to keep your garden healthy. However, every garden, and indeed every type of plant, has different needs. Therefore, we recommend you test your homemade fertilizers on just one or two plants first to find out what works best in your garden.
And if you don’t have an extension office nearby, you can order a soil test here. Or, check out this Farmer’s Almanac article on ways you can test your soil yourself.
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