Frugal Fertilizer
It is so important that we feed our plants vibrant, nutritious, and natural fertilizers to help them on theirtime way. Fertilizers are so easy to create and apply to plants. My basic ratio for these fertilizers is 1:4 and they can be applied every two weeks.
Banana Beverage!
While this may not look appealing to us,
plants just love this beverage.
Just put your banana peels in a bottle or jar, fill with water, and let it sit for a week. Your “beverage” is ready to dilute (1:4) and ready to feed your plants a tasty brew of potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorus.
It’s free and organic (but make sure you
buy organic bananas!)
Pop a banana peel in the hole with a tomato seedling; the results are glorious! Peels are touted as a pest repellent as well.
Classy Clippings!
Grass
clipping tea is full of nitrogen and potassium and gives your plants a lovely
boost.
All you do is gather your clippings (weeds
are great as well) and steep them in water for a few days to make your plants
happy.
Potted plants particularly love this fast-acting organic tea.
Exemplary Eggshells
Don’t throw your eggshells out (unless they go to your compost) because they provide an excellent source of calcium and nitrogen to your plants. Tomatoes, eggplants, and capsicums particularly love some eggshell tea.
Simply put your eggshells in a jar, fill with water, and leave for at least a couple of weeks. Dilute 1 cup of eggshell tea to 4 cups of water and your plants will love you for it.
Ferns and potted plants also love this
natural fertilizer. Citrus are not keen on this concoction though.
Terrific Tea!
Once you have enjoyed that soothing cup of
tea, your tea leaves or tea bag can become an equally soothing tonic for your
soil; plants and worms just love it.
This tea contains nitrogen, potassium, and
phosphorus; these certainly promote healthy growth in your plants. Let them
steep in water for a few days. Tomatoes and roses adore this one.
Manure Mélange! (sheep or chicken or cow or horse or…)
It may not sound that tasty, but your
plants will show their appreciation immediately with vibrant healthy growth.
This beverage will reward you with beautiful vegetables, fruits, and flowers as
it is an excellent source of nitrogen.
I use a pillowcase to put the manure in, then let it steep in water for two weeks. Again, I use the ratio of 1 (manure tea) to 4 (water) for application.
Make a friend with a farmer for this
amazing natural fertilizer.
Coffee Concoction!
Many of us love that morning coffee – well,
your plants do too. Your leftover coffee grounds make a nutritious nitrogen
brew for your tomatoes, corn, and leafy vegetables. Simply mix with water and
leave for a few days to get a natural, healthy, and cheap fertilizer!
This is a particularly great foliar fertilizer;
spray the leaves with the diluted (1:4) concoction.
Citrus love this one as well.
Final Word
Fertilizers are necessary for growing
healthy and strong plants which result in more nutritious foods. But shopping
for fertilizer can be expensive and confusing (there are so many varieties!)
Using what’s on hand costs $0 since the
items are primarily bought for their initial, intended use. You are virtually
value-adding by using them after that initial use. And when you’ve made your
fertilizer, what’s left goes into your compost pile. Now that’s
maximizing your produce and embracing zero waste!
The benefits of frugal fertilizers are
many:
- It’s organic (if the produce is).
- It’s free.
- Taking control of your food’s journey can be a cathartic experience, releasing tension.
- Helps our planet by growing food in the back/front yard.
- Minimize diseases widely acknowledged to be strongly linked to chemical fertilizers.
- You know what is in your food.
- It has a zero-waste ethos, which is brilliant.
Each of these fertilizers are special and helpful, but I particularly like “Exemplary Eggshells” because it suits most plants and is so easy to make. They are a bit like children though, where it is difficult to choose – they are all amazing.
What’s your favorite frugal fertilizer?
A great non-DIY frugal organic fertilizer used by Jonathan a lot is this particular Seaweed Extract.
A Note from Suzanne
The
focus goal in my gardening life is to become self-sufficient and enjoy the
fruits of blissful labor through the most natural methods possible. Food
gardening can be fun (and rewarding) for all ages, anywhere, all year round. It
is so important that it also reduces my carbon footprint on the planet – no
need to hop in the car to buy food that has travelled thousands of miles!
Venturing
out to the garden, snacking on a snow pea or bean while gathering ingredients
for a meal is certainly soul comforting. Knowing my food’s history is paramount
and rewards my family with healthy, fresh food.
The journey continues while in the kitchen! When inspired, delicious dishes are created.