With the use of fertilizer the plants grow stronger, healthier and bigger. There are many ways to make a "homemade" one starting from generic recipes up to using simple common products that help to naturally strengthen the levels of nutrients in the soil.
Ingrediants
Generic Organic Fertilizer
- 800 g of cottonseed meal
-
200 g of lime made with a combination of:
- Agricultural lime
- Plaster
- Dolomite lime
- 200 g of bone meal (optional)
- 200g kelp flour or basalt powder (optional)
Generic Liquid Fertilizer
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) of Epsom salt
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) of saltpetre
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) of ammonia
- 4 liters of water
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Seed Flour and Lime Fertilizer
Step 1. Define the amount of fertilizer you need
Usually, about 800 g of fertilizer are needed for every 2 square meters of land; you don't have to make a precise calculation, so evaluate your needs based on the size of the garden. You can optionally adjust the proportion of the fertilizer recipe to get the amount you need.
Step 2. Dose 800 g of cottonseed meal
It is a substance commonly used in fertilizers because it contains 7% nitrogen, an important nutrient for plants; in addition, it has a high protein content. Cottonseed is a by-product of vegetable oil and is often used as animal feed. For best results, get a package of certified organic flour to protect your plants. Although fertilizer is typically measured for nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus content, seed meal is instead classified for protein value, as it is typically considered a livestock food.
Buying it in large quantities can save you a lot and it can be stored in airtight containers for years
Step 3. Add 200g of lime
When you buy this product you have three options: agricultural lime, gypsum and dolomitic lime; all three improve plant health and yield, but if you have limited budget, you can simplify the recipe and choose only one type.
If you opt for the latter solution, preferably choose dolomitic lime, because it contains magnesium which is an essential element
Step 4. Incorporates a phosphorus enricher
Mix 200g of bone meal with phosphate rock or bat guano to increase phosphorus levels. Although the seed meal and lime described above are the most important ingredients, a good fertilizer should also provide some phosphorus. If you don't have a lot of money, you can skip this step, but bone meal is readily available at garden centers and is a valuable component of your plant health.
Like the other ingredients, this one can also be purchased at reduced prices when taken in large batches and can be stored in airtight containers for several years
Step 5. Add kelp or other seaweed
You can incorporate 200g of kelp or dried seaweed to provide essential trace elements. Again, if you can't spend a lot, you can avoid this supplement; seaweed meal helps make the plant more resistant to stress caused by heat, cold, drought and many other problems. Usually, the cheapest one is available online.
A similar but less expensive solution is basalt powder
Step 6. Spread the fertilizer on the soil
Spread about 800g on the ground before burying any type of plant, mixing it gently with the earth. If you're growing nutrient-dense vegetables, such as kale, spinach, Bruxellex sprouts, asparagus, or leeks, you can eventually spread more fertilizer around the roots every 3-4 weeks. If you think the soil is not very rich (for example there is a lot of clay), you can add another 400g for every 2m2 of field.
If the plants are already in the soil but you want to add some fertilizer, use your hands or a trowel to mix the fertilizer a little on the soil surface; lightly water the plants before and after application
Method 2 of 3: Fertilize with Epsom Salt
Step 1. Make an Epsom salt fertilizer
Mix this substance with baking powder, saltpetre, and ammonia in 4 liters of water to make a generic fertilizer. This mixture is great for any type of plant, and you should spread it on the ground every 4-6 weeks. To proceed, you simply need to combine these ingredients in 4 liters of water and shake the mixture until the substances have dissolved completely:
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) of Epsom salt;
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) of baking powder;
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) of saltpetre;
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) of ammonia.
Step 2. Make an Epsom salt "bath"
Add 1 tablespoon (15 g) to 4 liters of water for an even simpler liquid fertilizer. Epsom salt contains magnesium and sulphurous acid, which help plants stay healthy, as well as giving more flavor to a wide variety of vegetables. Once a month you should prepare this mixture consisting of 4 liters of water, 15 g of Epsom salt and use it to water the plants.
- Roses, in particular, like this solution very much; you can use a spoonful of salt for every 30 cm of rose bush height and it must be diluted in 4 liters of water; apply the mixture twice a year - once the leaves have developed and immediately after the first set of blooms.
- This watering compensates for a soil poor in magnesium and sulphide.
- Although this remedy helps plants sprout, you still need to add nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium to allow them to grow.
Step 3. Add Epsom salt to the soil
Spread some on the surface around new seedlings, as it promotes early, healthy growth. The ideal is to provide as soon as you transfer the seedlings from the pot to the garden; when you then water them, the salt slowly dissolves in the earth, enriching it.
Method 3 of 3: Fertilizer with Household Products
Step 1. Use fresh (unsalted) water from an aquarium
Contains nitrogen which helps plants grow healthy; fish release nitrogen into the water naturally and their "waste" becomes an important source of nutrients for vegetation. Instead of throwing it down the drain at home, use this water to water the plants once a week; fish manure also contains trace elements that are valuable for plant development.
Step 2. Make compost with coffee grounds
Mix them with leafy vegetable scraps to make a quick compost, especially suitable for plants that prefer an acidic environment; combine the coffee grounds with an equal amount of dead leaves, pine needles and other brown-colored vegetable scraps and spread the mixture on the ground once a month. Roses, azaleas, hydrangeas and many other plants prefer low pH soil and respond well to this treatment.
However, this method is not only suitable for acidophilic plants - any gardener can use it to add nitrogen by simply limiting its application to once every two months to protect the soil from swings in pH
Step 3. Use the egg shells
Spread old eggshells all over the garden or in the lower part of the holes where you plant the vegetables, to enrich the soil with calcium. Vegetables such as tomatoes and peppers especially need it, although all the soil appreciates the properties of this substance. Calcium, which makes up 90% of egg shells, helps plants develop strong cell walls. To use them correctly, just chop them lightly and spread them in the garden; you can have them penetrate the ground or just leave them on the surface, as they break down very quickly.
Step 4. Make a herbal tea
You can make a "nutritious tea" using grass scraps from the garden; the next time you mow your garden, keep the scraps from the mower bag. Use enough to fill a 20-liter bucket about 2/3 of its capacity and then add water to fill it completely. Stir quickly and then leave the mixture undisturbed for three days, stirring once every morning; after the three days filter the grass and use the "herbal tea" thus obtained to water the plants and supply the essential nitrogen, spread it on the plants by mixing it with an equal quantity of water.
Step 5. Use urine
While it may seem like a disgusting solution, it is an excellent free source of nitrogen for fertilizing plants. While most people are understandably reluctant to store their urine, remember that it is a substance with a high essential nitrogen content. To make the process a little more "pleasant", fill a bucket with sawdust and urine and then pour 250 ml of water over it. You can use this nutrient-rich fertilizer when you sow a new batch of vegetables.
- Since urine may contain pathogens, you must first sanitize it by keeping it at a temperature of around 20 ° C for at least a month.
- If you have no particular problems in "managing" urine directly, you can dilute it with a quantity of water equal to 10-20 times its dose and use the mixture to promptly water the plants; the pure one is too concentrated and is not suitable for vegetables.
- Keep in mind that you can dilute it quite a lot, up to 20 parts of water per 1 of urine, and so it doesn't smell very much in the end.
Step 6. Store and spread the ashes of the fireplace
Wood ash has a high content of calcium and potassium, making it an excellent supplement for the soil; it is sufficient to spread it over the entire surface of the garden using your hands or by slightly moving the upper layer of the earth.
- Vegetables, in particular, appreciate this fertilizer very much, as it promotes healthy root system growth.
- Attention: do not use this ash on plants that prefer acidic soil, such as blueberries, roses and azaleas.
Step 7. Try banana peels
Cut several and place the pieces in the hole where you want to bury a vegetable. Once the plant is already in the ground, the peels are not able to make a great effect, but are instead excellent during the burying phase; in fact, they contain a lot of potassium which favors root development. Cut the peel of half a banana and insert it at the bottom of the hole before inserting the plant.
Step 8. Make your own compost
It's easy to make one at home and turn all the leftover food, leaves and vegetable scraps from the garden into plant food. When the organic material decomposes it releases nutrients that enrich the soil; you can build a compost bin in the garden or buy commercial kits to keep in the kitchen.
Step 9. Analyze the terrain
Take a soil sample and have it analyzed to find the most suitable type of fertilizer for the situation. The only way to customize the fertilizer effectively is to know the current composition of the soil. So far, many ways to make a homemade fertilizer have been described, each with its own specific content of essential nutrients, leaving you the freedom to organize a specific program for the garden. You can get a home kit for analysis or you can take the soil sample to an authorized center or laboratory. When taking the sample you must follow the instructions on the kit; if you do not find any clarification, please follow the following guidelines:
- Use a clean plastic shovel and an equally clean bucket; if you use metal or dirt, you can get minerals and other nutrients into the earth.
- Dig a hole 10-15 cm deep and transfer the earth to the bucket; be careful not to put mulch or other vegetation scraps.
- Repeat making another 4-5 digs and pour everything together into the bucket.
- Dry the soil with newspaper for 12-24 hours.
- Place the soil sample in a clean plastic bag or other similar container and take it for analysis.
