The best ways to make natural organic plant fertilizers is to reuse the food scraps from your kitchen that you’d typically throw away and use them in your garden for active & healthy growth of plants
1. Banana Peels:
Banana peels are good fertilizers for gardens, especially indoor plants as they contain 42% of potassium which is one of the three major components of fertilizers along with nitrogen and phosphorous. It can help strengthen the roots of the plants and enable good distribution of water and nutrients to the plant.
How to make it:
Chop up banana peels of 3 to 4 Cavendish bananas (or any other banana peels equal to its quantity) and place in a bowl. Soak these peels in water and see that the water not only covers the peels, but double the quantity so that the peels float. Leave the peels in the water for three days and after 3 days strain it and the water can be poured into a watering can (for every 2 cups of banana peel fertilizer, add 5 litres of water) and use this water to water the plants once a week. You can also use a spray can (for every 1 cup of banana peel fertilizer; add in 2 litres of water).
2. Rice Water:
Rice water can help transmit important bacteria to Lactobacilli in plant roots. Rice water contains proteins, fibre, amino acids, calcium, phosphorous, iron, zinc and potassium, which is beneficial to the plants and acts as a natural plant fertilizer.
How to make it:
Soak your rice in water for around half an hour and then gently mix it with your hands and strain the rice from the water. Set aside the water in a container and wash the strained rice a second time and strain out the water. Now pour the rice water into a watering can and use it to water your plants twice a week.
3. Coffee:
Coffee grounds (or remnants once your coffee is brewed or prepared) are a ri8ch source of nitrogen to the plants which can help aid their growth and stem strength. Coffee also contains calcium and magnesium which can be beneficial to plant health.
How to make it:
Take around 2 cups of coffee grounds and fill it in a 1.5 litre bottle using a funnel and top it up with water. Let it sit for 72 hours. After which you can strain this mixture into a watering can or spray can and use it for your plants twice in a week.
4. Onion Peels:
Onion peels are rich in antioxidant and antimicrobial properties and contain substances like sulphur, quercetin, potassium, phosphorus, zinc, iron, iodine etc, which can be beneficial for both indoor and outdoor plant health. READ MORE – Speed Up Hair Growth with onion
How to make it:
In a container of 1 to 1.5 litres, add in the peels of 5 to 6 onions and top it up with 1 litre of water and let it sit for 24 to 48 hours. You will notice that the water colour has turned into a pinkish purple shade which is similar to the colour of the peels. Strain this water into a watering can or spray can and use it on your plants every 15 to 20 days.
5. Tea leaves:
Since tea leaves are organic in nature, they can improve the structure and quality of your soil and increase soil drainage by helping and aiding healthy aeration for the plant roots and retain the moisture and nutrients in the soil.
How to make it:
Collect around two to three cups of used tea leaves (the remnants of the already brewed or prepared tea) and wash it under running water using a fine strainer or bucket. Spread this out on a sheet of plastic and let it get sun dried over three to four days or until it is completely dried. Once it is completely dried, you can use this in your plants, by sprinkling it on the top layer of your soil and gently mix it in that layer. For a pot of 6 to 10 inches in diameter, sprinkle around 2 to 3 tablespoons of this dried tea leaf powder and around 4 to 5 tablespoons for a pot of diameter of 14 inches and above.
6. Egg shells:
Egg shells are rich in calcium and can specially provide a fertilizing effect to vegetable plants and even to the other plants as it contains potassium, sodium etc. These substances can provide a fertilizing effect and can be used to supplement your regular fertilizing regime and improve plant health.
How to make it:
Collect around 20 to 30 shells and wash it under running water and let it dry completely over 5 to 7 days in sunlight. Then grind into a smooth powder, the completely dried egg shells and store the powder in a container. You can use this powder for fertilizing your plants. For a pot of 6 to 10 inches in diameter, sprinkle around 1 tablespoon of ground egg shell powder and gently mix it up with the top layer of the soil. For a pot of 12 inches in diameter or bigger, sprinkle around 2 to 4 tablespoons of ground egg shell powder and mix it up with the top layer of the soil. READ MORE – Chew fennel seeds after meal for weight loss, digestion and healthy skin