Natural fertilizers for the garden – learn 3 proven recipes

Homemade natural fertilizers are not only healthy and safe for the plants. It's also an ideal way to use natural waste from your own garden. With this guide  you will learn how to make an organic fertilizer for the garden, learn about the types of natural fertilizers and check which of them will be best for your plants.

Natural fertilizers: advantages and disadvantages

Homemade natural fertilizers have many advantages. In addition to the fact that they are ecological and therefore environmentally friendly fertilizers, they are also free, because they are prepared from ingredients you have on hand. In addition, natural fertilizers are rich in various types of nutrients, so they can be used successfully as a substitute for chemical fertilizers.

As for disadvantages, … there are virtually none, perhaps with the exception of the time, that has to be spent on their preparation. Many natural fertilizers can be can be made in a few minutes, although there are also fertilizers that are made over a several months, such as compost.

Natural fertilizers – examples and uses.

Natural fertilizers that you can prepare yourself are mainly:

• wood ash, which prevents acidification of the soil and raises its pH,
• eggshell fertilizer, which is a source of calcium,
• potassium-rich fertilizer from banana peels,
• fertilizer from tea and coffee grounds to acidify the soil,
• plant manures (e.g., nettle fertilizer, tomato leaf decoctions, onion extract),
• fertile compost, which increases humus content.

How to make a natural fertilizer for the garden?

Wood ash as a fertilizer

If you have a fireplace in your home, in which you burn wood, you can use the Ashes to fertilize your plants. Wood ash as a stand-alone fertilizer should be use in moderation, as it contains a high concentration of elements such as magnesium, calcium, phosphorus and sodium. In addition, ash has a high pH and should not be be used at the same time as liming the soil.

How to make fertilizer from wood ash?

In principle, you can spread such ash directly on the soil, but then there is a then there is a risk of overfertilization of plants. Therefore, a better solution is to add ash to a compost based on green plant remains (due to the nitrogen contained in them). By doing so, you will lower the pH of the ash and obtain a rich in ingredients fertile and versatile fertilizer.

Manure from nettle – recipe.

Manure from nettle is one of the best natural fertilizers that you can prepare on your own. In addition to a high concentration of nitrogen, fertilizer from nettle also contains phosphorus, iron, magnesium and calcium. Nettle manure from nettle is an ideal natural fertilizer for vegetables (except garlic, onions and beans) and herbs. Fruit bushes, roses and perennials also like it. In addition, many gardeners praise extract of nettle as a natural remedy against aphids. Due to of its intense odor, nettle slurry is unlikely to work well on plants plants grown in the home.

How to make manure from nettle?

For 10 l of water you need 1 kg of fresh nettle without flowers and seeds (it can be also be 200 g of dried nettle). Put the nettle into a container, and then pour water over it and set it aside for 2 weeks (when it is cool, fermentation can take up to 4 weeks) in a shady place. As much as possible, try to stir the contents of the container daily. Dilute the finished manure with water in a ratio of 1:10 and use it as fertilizer.

Compost, a valuable source of humus

Compost is an ecological fertilizer made from organic waste, such as grass, branches, leaves, vegetable peelings, egg shells or grounds. Compost is a very fertile fertilizer, added to the soil it increases humus content and retains water and minerals in it. As for application, soil Compost soil is versatile. It will be ideal as a natural fertilizer for vegetables, as a substrate for potted flowers, flowerbeds or fruit trees fruit trees.

How to make compost?

To increase the fertilizing properties of compost, you need to make sure that the composted material should be in direct contact with soil (due to earthworms). It is worth Also think about using natural compost bacteria, which will not only speed up the formation of compost, but also eliminate pathogenic microorganisms from it. If you want to learn how to how to prepare fertile compost step by step, check out our video tutorial.

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