If you are an avid gardener, or even not so avid, you probably have your own type of fertilizer that you prefer to use and probably something that it has in common with mine is that it is expensive.  It is almost alarming at how expensive a fertilizer can be. Sure, we all want big and beautiful blooms but does it have to be so expensive to create those blooms.  The answer, of course, is no, it doesn’t need to be that expensive.

Instead, you can make a number of fertilizers using everyday items that you find at home.  Not only is it more inexpensive, reusing, and recycling the materials around your home is a great way to be a “green” gardener.

Tip #1:  It’s all in the grounds

The first time I heard this being suggested, I was a little surprised.  After all, doesn’t coffee stunt growth, I mean, that is what happened to me.  Fortunately for my plants, coffee works as a great fertilizer for gardens and instead of throwing your leftover coffee away, why not save it for your garden.  With this fertilizer, you actually don’t use the grounds but you use the coffee that is brewed from the grounds.  Once you have a pot of coffee, add it with another 4 pots of water for a 1:4 ratio.  This will give you your fertilizer and you can use it on your plants every other week to see some pretty amazing results.

Tip #2: Apples aren’t just used to keep the doctor away

Okay, maybe it’s not apples exactly but using a homemade fertilizer that has 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and one gallon of water, can add a definite boost to your plants.  This fertilizer is great for house plants and it does an amazing job at boosting those green leaves.

Tip #3: Keep your fish tanks clean

This may seem like a strange tip but if you have a fish tank, your dirty fish tank water works as an excellent fertilizer since it is chalked full of nitrogen, which plants need in their soil.

Tip #4: A little Epsom for you and me

I love having baths and nothing is as nice as a bath with Epsom salts.  It can clean those pours and relax those muscles after you have spent a day out in the garden digging up that new flower bed.  What is even better, a mixture of 1 tablespoon of Epsom salt and 1 gallon of water can really help your tomato plants and other plants that require a higher level of magnesium to thrive.

Tip #5: Get cracking

The last tip that I am going to recommend as a homemade fertilizer is egg shells.  Whenever you make some eggs, save the shells until you have a fair amount. At that point, simply crumble them and then sprinkle them in the soil around your plants.  This provides your soil with much needed calcium carbonate.

And there are a few tips to get you on your way to not only saving a few nickles and dimes but also towards being an organic gardener.

Sirena Van Schaik

photo credit: © Fallsview | Dreamstime.com

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For some, they are lucky enough to have a Christmas tree pick up but for others, those Christmas trees are sent to the dump where they slowly decay.  for that reason alone, many people do not feel that Christmas trees are the green choice, but that is really a different subject all together.

The purpose of this article, isn’t in determining what is “greener,” real or fake, but it is about what you can do with those Christmas trees after the holidays are over.  Believe it or not, you can save your Christmas tree and use it out in your garden in a variety of ways.

Deck the Halls with Boughs of Christmas Tree:

Maybe you won’t be decking your halls but Christmas tree branches, and depending on the size of the plant, the whole Christmas tree can make an excellent shelter for perennials that are found in your garden. Simply bury one end of the tree branch and drape it over the garden. Snow will fall around and onto the branch but most of it will be kept off your slumbering perennials.

When spring arrives, all you will need to do is lift off the tree branches to let a little light and warmth shine down on your spring garden.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow:

Oh, no one minds the snow when they don’t have anyplace to go and they can enjoy the warmth of their cozy home.  You may be wondering what this has to do with your Christmas tree but by placing it outside or in a stream, you can create a habitat for a variety of animals including fish and birds.  If you do decide to create a habitat, it is important to anchor the Christmas tree so that it doesn’t fall or float away creating a hazard to other but once you do that, birds, fish and other small animals will be overjoyed that you have provided them with such wonderful winter lodgings.

Oh, Give us some Figgy Pudding:

And some suet and some nuts and some fruit.  A discarded Christmas tree can be an excellent little bird and woodland creature feeder.  All you need to do is stick a variety of foods on it and the animals that visit your garden will do the rest.  It may not seem like a big addition to your garden but trust me, a garden just isn’t the same without all the little animals that come to visit it.

Mulching around the Christmas Tree:

The last tip that I will offer for that Christmas tree is to create a mulch from it. This can be stored and used the following fall when you are getting ready to winterize your garden or you can use it to create decorative ground cover in your flower beds.

Whatever you decide to use your Christmas tree for, one thing is certain, the joy that a Christmas tree brings, doesn’t have to end with Christmas.

Sirena Van Schaik

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