DIY Fertilizers Made from Things Around Your House

Whether it’s an outdoor garden or indoor greenery, we all want our plants to thrive. Rather than buy expensive and potentially harmful fertilizers, you may choose to make your own from some common household items.

Not only are homemade fertilizers less expensive, they may also be safer for the environment. As an added bonus, these methods are also organic.

Banana Peel Compost

Many plants crave the potassium that bananas just happen to be loaded with. Roses in particular will benefit from banana peel compost. It’s easy to do — just bury banana peels in the top layer of soil near the plant and let nature do the rest.

Weed Tea for Plants

If you have plants, you have weeds. While weeds are frustrating and useless to most gardeners, they can actually be very beneficial to your plants. This doesn’t mean you should allow weeds to grow in your garden, rather use them for fertilizer. Follow these four steps:

  1. Remove weeds and place in a plastic bucket or bin. This is preferably done with weeds that haven’t yet gone to seed.
  2. Cover the weeds with water and let soak for one to two weeks.
  3. Remove the weeds and dispose, keeping the water.
  4. 4. Use the water as a rich source of potassium and nitrogen to water your plants.

Just like grass clippings, container gardens or balcony gardens might not have enough weeds to make a good tea. Talk to your local lawn care company to get your hands on their excess weeds.

Nitrogen-Rich Aquarium Water

If you have a fish bowl or aquarium, you know that a lot of water often goes to waste when you clean the tank. Rather than dumping that water down the drain, use it to water your plants. Fish waste is a great source of nitrogen that your plants will love and you’re recycling water to boot.

Phosphorus-Heavy Bone Meal

Many plants and trees require phosphorus to flower, and one thing that bone meal is high in is phosphorus. Make your own bone meal from last night’s steak leftovers for a natural approach. Note: This is going to be a more-involved process but worth the flowering colors you’ll get in the end.

  1. Save bones from your meals or go to a butcher. Remove as much of the meat scraps as possible.
  2. Boil the bones in a stockpot filled with water until they’re white.
  3. Bake bones in an oven at 500 degrees until they are dry and brittle.
  4. Crush or smash them with a hammer into a powder.
  5. Spread around plants or use in the hole of new plants for a phosphorus boost.

This may attract pets; if you have animals around, cover the bone meal with dirt or fence the plants to keep critters away.

Triple-Threat Grass Clippings

Grass clippings provide a trifecta of benefits:

  1. They are high in nitrogen. Placing grass clippings around flowers in your garden will release nitrogen throughout the year.
  2. They provide a natural weed barrier. Placing grass clippings an inch thick in the garden will provide nutrients and ensure you don’t have to weed as much.
  3. They help to retain moisture. Shaking grass clippings around your plants means you’ll need to use less water to feed them. 

If you have a yard, you’re sure to have an abundance of grass clippings. If you don’t have any grass of your own, contact your local lawn care company or landfill to get your hands on some.