Are you excited to grow vegetables like tomatoes, carrots, or lettuce in your garden this upcoming gardening season, like us? Well, here’s a fun secret: plants need healthy soil to grow strong and delicious! Learn how to make your soil super happy by feeding it with homemade organic recipes. Don’t worry, it’s easy, fun, and won’t cost much at all!
Why should we feed the soil, not just the plants?
Think of the soil as your garden’s kitchen. All the plants get their food from the soil. If the soil is full of nutrients and friendly microbes your plants will have everything they need to grow big and strong. But if the soil is tired and empty, the plants won’t grow very well, even if you water them all the time. So, instead of just feeding the plants directly, we make the soil super rich and healthy. That way, the soil can feed the plants all the time! Cool, right?
Here are some fun and easy fertilizers or amendments to use in your vegetable garden!
- Banana peel powder
Why we love it: Bananas are loaded with potassium, which helps plants grow strong and healthy.
How to make it:
- Collect a few banana peels.
- Dry the peels completely, either in the sun or in a dehydrator.
- Grind the dried peels into a fine powder using a blender or coffee grinder.
- Sprinkle the banana peel powder directly onto the soil around your plants or into your compost. The powder will slowly release nutrients as it breaks down.
2. Eggshell powder
Why we love it: Eggshells are full of calcium, which helps plants build strong stems.
How to make it:
- Rinse a few eggshells and let them dry.
- Crush them into tiny pieces or grind them into powder.
- Sprinkle the powder on the soil or mix it into your compost
3. Coffee grounds
Why we love it: Used coffee grounds add nitrogen to the soil, which helps plants grow green, leafy leaves.
How to make it:
- Save your used coffee grounds
- Let the coffee grounds dry out.
- Sprinkle them lightly around your plants. Don’t add too much, though, a little goes a long way!
4. Compost tea
Why we love it: Compost tea is like a healthy smoothie for your soil, packed with nutrients!
How to make it:
- Fill a bucket with water.
- Add a handful of finished compost
- Let it sit for 1-2 days, stirring occasionally.
- Strain the liquid and water your plants with it.
5. Grass clipping mulch
Why we love it: Grass clippings are full of nitrogen and help keep the soil moist.
How to make it:
- After mowing the lawn, collect the grass clippings.
- Spread them in a thin layer around your plants as a mulch. Easy peasy!
6. Fish emulsion
Why we love it: Fish scraps are full of nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus, all the good stuff plants need.
How to make it:
- Blend leftover fish parts like fish heads or bones with water in a blender.
- Pour the mixture into the soil around your plants. Be careful – this one can be a bit smelly but super effective!
- Soaking: If you don’t have a blender, you can also soak the fish scraps in water. Place the scraps in a container, add water, and let them soak for 24 to 48 hours. This soaking time allows the nutrients to leach out into the water, making it more effective as a fertilizer.
- Strain the mixture: If you blended the scraps, you can use the slurry directly. Alternatively, if you soaked the scraps, strain the liquid to separate the solids from the nutrient rich water.
7. Worm wee (worm tea)
Why we love it: Worm wee is packed with nutrients and helps beneficial microbes thrive in the soil.
How to make it:
- If you have a worm bin, collect the liquid that drips from the bottom.
- Dilute it with water, about 1 part worm wee to 10 parts water.
- Use this liquid to water your plants. They’ll love it!
8. Epsom salt spray
Why we love it: Epsom salt adds magnesium, which helps plants grow strong and green.
How to make it:
- Mix 1 tablespoon of Epsom salt with 1 gallon of water.
- Spray the mixture on your plants’ leaves or pour it into the soil.
9. Wood ash fertilizer
Why we love it: Wood ash (from a fireplace or campfire) is full of potassium and calcium.
How to make it:
- Collect cool, dry wood ash (make sure there’s no charcoal or chemicals in it).
- Sprinkle it lightly on the soil. Don’t overdo it, too much ash can harm your plants!
10. Manure compost
Why we love it: Animal manure (like from chickens or cows) is one of the best fertilizers ever!
How to make it:
- Collect some aged manure (fresh manure can be too strong for plants).
- Mix it into your compost or directly into your soil.
How to keep your soil happy
- Add organic matter: Things like compost, leaves, and grass clippings are your soil’s best friends.
- Rotate your crops: If you grow the same plants in the same spot every year, the soil gets tired. Change it up!
- Mulch, mulch, mulch! Mulching keeps the soil cool, moist, and full of nutrients.
- Avoid chemical fertilizers: They can hurt the friendly microbes that live in the soil.
Now that you know how to make your very own organic fertilizers and amendments, it’s time to get your hands dirty. Gardening is not only fun, but it also helps the planet. Plus, you’ll get to enjoy the tastiest veggies ever, knowing you grew them yourself!
Let’s make the soil happy together! 😊
