15 Easy Organic Fertilizers to Make at Home
Making these easy organic fertilizers at home using everyday ingredients can help feed your plants naturally and grow more food. It is essential to feed your plants as they use up the nutrients in the soil to grow and produce food. Using organic, natural fertilizers can help you avoid consuming harmful synthetic toxins and prevent harming beneficial insects and pollinators.
There are several natural ingredients you can use every day to turn into natural organic fertilizers to help feed and nourish your plants. You can also grow specific plants to make your own organic fertilizers. Keep reading below to find out how you can level up your garden’s production with these easy organic fertilizers.
Why Make Your Own Organic Fertilizers?
Making your own organic fertilizers can help reduce waste and get the most out of everything in your home. This also means you are getting more bang for your buck and saves you spending money on fertilizers. You can spend more money on plants, which can help improve your garden’s production.
1. Rice Water
The water left behind after rice has been cooked makes an easy organic fertilizer for your plants. It contains starch and small amounts of NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium), which are essential for plant health and growth.
How to Use Rice Water
Make sure that you don’t add salt to the water or this will not be good for your plants. It is also important to make sure the water has completely cooled down first. Use the rice water fresh as you make it as it doesn’t store well.
2. Pasta Water
Just like rice water, pasta water will leave behind starch, which can be used to feed your plants. Dilute the mixture if it looks too cloudy or there is not much liquid, and this will give you more fertilizer and ensure you don’t overfeed.
3. Potato Water
When you have boiled potatoes, the leftover water will be full of starch and beneficial nutrients. Make sure you haven’t added salt and let the water cool completely.
4. Eggshell Water
Don’t throw out the water left over after boiling eggs. Let it cool, and use it to feed and water your plants. This is such an easy organic fertilizer! This water will add a small boost of nutrients, specifically calcium, to the soil.
How to Use Eggshell Water
You can also boil leftover eggshells that have been cracked to fry eggs or have been used for baking. Then, after that, crush up the eggshells and add them to the compost for extra calcium or sprinkle around your seedling as natural pest control to help deter slugs and snails.
5. Vegetable Water
Reuse the leftover water from boiling or steaming vegetables as a natural organic fertilizer. For most vegetables that you boil or steam, the water can be used to fertilize your plants. Just be aware that some ingredients may cause strong odors.
6. Banana Peels
Banana peels are something that many of us have at home and they make a great natural fertilizer for your plants. As many of you might know, bananas are high in Potassium and in the plant world, Potassium is an essential nutrient for plant growth.
How to Use Banana Peels
There are a few different ways to make Banana Peel Fertilizer and you can rotate through using them all. The easiest way by far is just to put the peel in the compost or bury the banana peel in the garden. This will slowly break down and release nutrients into the soil to feed your plants.
7. Coffee Grounds
Used coffee grounds are great for the garden and can add a boost of nutrition to your plants, whilst building healthy soil. Used coffee grounds (filtered through water) are nearly pH neutral. They are rich in Nitrogen and Potassium, which are both essential nutrients.
How to Use Coffee Grounds
You can add them straight to your compost, sprinkle them around your plants, or dilute them with water for a liquid fertilizer. Coffee Grounds are also great for natural pest management and can deter lots of unwanted pests from your delicate seedlings.
8. Fish Tank Water
If you have freshwater fish tanks, ponds, or aquaponic systems, the water is great liquid fertilizer to feed your plants. The fish poop and plant matter will be great for your garden. Definitely don’t use saltwater tank water as this will probably kill your plants.
9. Wood Ash
The leftover ash from your wood fire is great to feed your garden. Use the light grey coloured ash at the bottom of your fireplace, not the black chunks of coal. This one can be a little more technical for beginner gardeners, so it might be best to try the other fertilizer options first.
10. Compost Tea
Compost tea is great if you have potted plants and don’t have room to add extra soil to top up the nutrients. To make this easy organic fertilizer, place a few handfuls of compost in a bucket of water and stir. Allow it to sit for 2-24hrs to mix and infuse into the water.
11. Liquid Seaweed
You can buy organic seaweed concentrates to mix with water and make liquid fertilizers. This is something that I always have on hand and is the only fertilizer that I buy. But if you live near the ocean, you can make your own! Be aware of your local rules and regulations as it is illegal to remove seaweed in some locations.
12. Comfrey Tea
Comfrey is great to grow in your garden, purely to help you build good soil. The Comfrey plant contains high levels of NPK, which as we now know are essential for plant health. It also contains many other beneficial nutrients and minerals. Comfrey also provides a great cover for your soil and habitat for beneficial insects.
How to Use Comfrey Tea
There are a few ways to extract the nutrients from the Comfrey plant. One way is to just “chop and drop”. That is a term I use quite a lot as it’s one of my favorite methods because it’s easy! Simply chop the leaves off and spread them around your plants as a mulch.
13. Worm Tea/Wee
Worm farms are a great way to use up excess food scraps at home and they also produce liquid fertilizer for free! It is full of amazing nutrients that your plants will LOVE! Worms are absolute powerhouses for edible gardens and an incredible asset to any home garden.
14. Poo Tea / Composted Animal Manure Fertilizer
Composted animal manure is great for feeding the garden. Don’t use fresh, raw manure as it is high in urea and will burn the roots of your small plants. Composted or aged manure is best to use in your home gardens. Ensure that it is organic manure so it doesn’t have residual pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, or antibiotics from the animals.
15. Weed Tea Fertilizer
Weed tea is made just like comfrey tea. It is a great way to turn pesky weeds into something that actually benefits your garden! Weeds thrive and are full of good nutrients that can be turned into easy organic fertilizers.
TIPS FOR USING ORGANIC FERTILIZERS
– When using fertilizers in the garden, pull back the mulch to apply the fertilizer. Otherwise, the bark or mulch may absorb all the nutrients and they won’t make it to the plant’s root systems.
– Always use these organic fertilizers on a regular basis. Try to keep it up all the time so your plants can grow big and strong!
By following these easy steps and using these natural ingredients, you can create a healthier and more sustainable garden.
What are the benefits of making your own organic fertilizers?
Making your own organic fertilizers can help reduce waste, save money, and avoid harmful synthetic toxins.
What does rice water provide for plants?
Rice water provides starch and small amounts of NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium) essential for plant health and growth.
Can pasta water be used as a fertilizer?
Yes, pasta water can be used as a fertilizer due to the starch content it contains, but it should be diluted if too cloudy.
Is potato water beneficial for plants?
Potato water, rich in starch and beneficial nutrients, is beneficial for feeding plants, provided it is salt-free and cooled.
What nutrients does eggshell water add to soil?
Eggshell water adds a small boost of calcium to the soil, beneficial for plants.
How can banana peels be used as a fertilizer?
Banana peels, high in Potassium, can be added to compost or buried directly in the garden to release nutrients.
Can vegetable cooking water be used as a fertilizer?
Yes, reused vegetable cooking or boiling water can be used as a natural organic fertilizer, but strong odors may occur with certain ingredients.
Why are coffee grounds a good option for fertilizing plants?
Coffee grounds add nitrogen and potassium to soil, improving soil health and structure.
Can fish tank water be used to fertilize plants?
Yes, freshwater fish tank water can be used to feed plants, but saltwater should be avoided.
How can wood ash benefit your garden?
Wood ash can be used to feed your garden as it contains beneficial minerals, but caution is advised for beginners.
What is compost tea and how is it made?
Compost tea is made by steeping compost in water, providing beneficial nutrients for potted plants.
Is it possible to make liquid seaweed fertilizer at home?
Yes, you can make liquid seaweed fertilizer by diluting organic seaweed concentrate with water or by collecting fresh seaweed legally.
How does comfrey tea benefit the garden?
Comfrey tea, rich in NPK and beneficial nutrients, helps build soil health and provides habitat for beneficial insects.
What are the benefits of using worm tea in gardening?
Worm tea, rich in nutrients, improves plant growth and health, and helps reduce food waste.
What is poo tea or composted animal manure used for in a garden?
Composted animal manure provides essential nutrients for plants without the risk of burning roots, provided it is well-aged and organic.
How can pesky weeds be recycled into a garden benefit?
Pesky weeds can be turned into a beneficial weed tea fertilizer by composting them.
