Looking to keep your garden chemical free? Making your own fertilizer right from home is super easy and it allows you to save money and reuse old materials.
However, if you prefer to use inorganic fertilizers, check out our guide to choosing the right fertilizer based on your plants’ needs.
5 different ways to make fertilizer
Egg Shell Fertilizer:
This is great as an alternative for Garden Lime.
What materials do I need?
- Egg shells
- Blender
How do I start?
- Save your eggshells and let them air dry.
- Put the egg shells in a blender and pulse until the consistency turns into a powder.
- Sprinkle them around your plants in your garden.
Coffee Ground Fertilizer:
Coffee grounds contain nitrogen, magnesium and potassium, which are all great for your plants and they also have natural acidities which can help the soil. This works great as a replacement for rose plant food and soil acidifiers.
What materials do I need?
- Used coffee grounds
- Cookie sheet
- Old newspaper
How do I start?
- Take your cookie sheet and line it with newspaper.
- Spread your coffee grounds on the sheet and allow them to air dry.
- Sprinkle the coffee grounds around the bottom of your plants. Azaleas and roses benefit well from this natural fertilizer but make sure to not overdo it, too much acidity is not good for your plants.
Compost:
Check out our guide on how to make compost, and this can be used in replacement for any fertilizers.
What materials do I need?
- Kitchen scraps
- Garden Scraps
How do I start?
- Start with a layer of twigs first which will allow for drainage and aeration.
- Start adding compost materials. Alternate dry and wet materials, for instance food scraps and then dry leaves.
- Adding a green manure like grass clippings will help activate your compost.
- Make sure to cover your compost.
- Mix your compost every few weeks using a shovel.
Banana Peel Fertilizer:
Bananas are rich in potassium which is great for your plants.
What materials do I need?
- Banana peels
- Water
How do I start?
- You can either bury your banana peels straight into the soil next to your plants
- Or you can let your bananas steep in water for a few weeks and you can water your plants with the banana tea.
Epsom Salt Fertilizer:
You can use this as an alternative to rose plant food and vegetable fertilizers. Epsom salt contains magnesium and sulfates both of which are great for your plants.
What materials do I need?
- Epsom salt
- Water
How do I start?
- Add the epsom salt to the water and let it dissolve
- Spray the solution on your plants
- Repeat once a month
All 5 of these homemade fertilizers are a great alternative to inorganic store bought fertilizers. They are very easy to make and are much less time consuming than having to go to the store to purchase fertilizer.
