Every year, as I stumble to the cash register under a dozen plants, I often forget to grab the fertilizer that I prefer to use. I mean, there are a hundred and one different things that I like to buy for my garden every year and I tend to forget about purchasing anything else, except the plants. When it comes to fertilizers, I have a few favorites but mostly I prefer to use Miracle Grow. I’m not sure why this is but it may be what I was taught to use from the very first time I became serious about gardening.
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 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 eggshells. 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 nickels and dimes but also towards being an organic gardener.