If you want a garden or terrace with blooming colorful flowers and a flower bed full of vegetables, then fertilizer is essential. But do not go straight to the chemicals, you can make your own with simple materials you have at home giving your plants all the nutrients they need, such as phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen.
Let's see some ideas…
- Lawn debris after mowing
A useful way to recycle all this unnecessary grass and turn it into fertilizer for your flowers and vegetables, which will gradually release nutrients. You can use it as it is, directly from your lawn mower collection basket, as long as it does not contain weeds or grass seeds. But it is better to let it wither just before use. To prevent the grass from petrifying, the grass layer should not exceed 3 to 5 cm when it is green.
2. Coffee beans
Coffee grounds, Greek, French or espresso make a miraculous fertilizer. They contain useful nutrients for plants and strengthen the soil with organic matter. All you have to do is store the used coffee and spread it in a newspaper to dry so you can handle it more easily. You can use coffee beans in flower beds, pots and ornamental plants. How often you can use this fertilizer depends on the plant. Houseplants can withstand up to once every 6 months while outdoor plants can withstand up to 4 times a year. Do not overdo it, of course, as the frequent addition of large amounts of coffee residues can cause yellowing or wilting of our plants. It can also be used as a fertilizer on acidophilic plants such as gardenia, camellia, hydrangea and azalea.
3. Banana peels
Banana peels contain nutrients that our plants need, mainly potassium in large quantities and in smaller quantities nitrogen, phosphorus and magnesium. So, after enjoying your fruit you can put the peel on the soil and let it decompose there. Another solution is to plant the bark near the roots of the flower.
4. Egg shells
The calcium they contain is what is needed for the growth of the plant. So after eating the eggs, dry the shells and break them into as small pieces as possible, so that they resemble dust. Then, throw the husks around the plant. The calcium they contain is necessary for the soil, which needs large amounts of calcium, and for the plant.
5. Residues - tea bag
After boiling the tea leaves to make a hot drink, we collect the leftovers to use as a natural fertilizer for our plants. Tea residues are high in nitrogen, and lower in phosphorus and potassium. We can add the tea leftovers together with the sachet, since it is made of decomposable material.
6. Ash from a fireplace
This fertilizer needs attention as large amounts of ash can lead to the opposite effect than desired. So, after the wood is burning, collect the ashes and put it in the flower pot. Ash is rich in nutrients such as calcium, potassium and phosphorus and is ideal for fertilizing tomatoes, beans, spinach, peas, garlic, potatoes and avocados.
