Adding fertilizers can provide plants with necessary nutrients to help them grow more quickly and stay healthy. While you can buy fertilizer in a store, why not use some household waste instead? It’s a sustainable and affordable option.
Best Household Items to Use as Plant Fertilizer
Eggshells
After making your morning breakfast, you can keep eggshells out of the garbage by using them in your soil. They can be crushed and spread in a thin layer on top of soil to introduce a slow and steady stream of calcium and potassium into the soil. Larger pieces also help aerate the soil, while smaller pieces will break down more quickly.
Cooking Water
When you boil food like vegetables or pasta, some of the nutrients from those ingredients are released into the water. Instead of letting them go to waste, use your (cooled) cooking water to give plants a boost.
Fish Tank Water
If you or a friend own a freshwater aquarium, keep the water after it gets cleaned. Aquarium water contains fish waste that is full of the same nutrients that are found in commercial fertilizers, like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. It also contains lots of beneficial bacteria. To get the benefits, simply water your plants as usual using the used fish tank water.
Epsom Salt
Unlike regular table salt, which is definitely not good for plants, Epsom salt is actually made up of two important nutrients that plants need: magnesium and sulfate. Roses, cucumbers, peppers, and tomatoes are all plants that benefit from plenty of magnesium in the soil. Dissolve one tablespoon of Epsom salt in a gallon of water, and use the mixture as a foliar spray or to water plants.
Banana Peels
Bananas are a great source of potassium for humans, and potassium is also one of the vital nutrients needed for plants. To make a fertilizer from banana peels, soak them in a bowl of water for two to three. Strain the water into a watering can or other container, and then use it to water your plants. You can also mix banana peels directly into garden soil, but the smell may attract animals to dig up the peels and eat them.
