Green Thumbs, Greenbacks: How to Save Money on Fertilizer

Watering Garden

Garden fertilizer is an important part of maintaining healthy and thriving plants, but it can be expensive. If you’re looking to save money on your garden fertilizer, you can make your own using materials and ingredients that you can find around your home. Always check whether each fertilizer is appropriate for each plant, and be extra careful using when treating young plants. Also keep in mind that not all of these options will provide all the nutrients that plants need. Here are a few options for making your own garden fertilizer:

  1. Compost: Compost is a great way to make your own garden fertilizer, as it uses organic materials, such as kitchen and yard waste, to create a rich and nutritious soil amendment. To make compost, you can collect food scraps, coffee grounds, and other organic materials, and mix them together in a compost bin or heap. Over time, the materials will break down and create a rich, crumbly compost that you can use to enrich your soil and improve plant health.
  2. Manure tea: Manure tea uses animal manure to create a nutrient-rich liquid that you can use to water your plants. To make manure tea, you can collect manure from chicken, cow, or horse, and mix it with water in a bucket or barrel. Let the mixture steep for a few days, and then strain the liquid and dilute it with water. You can use the manure tea to water your plants, and it will provide them with a boost of nitrogen, phosphorus, and other nutrients.
  3. Banana peels: Banana peels are a great source of potassium, which is an important nutrient for plants. To make your own garden fertilizer using banana peels, you can collect the peels from your bananas and bury them in the soil around your plants. The peels will break down over time, and release potassium into the soil, which will help your plants grow strong and healthy.
  4. Eggshells: Eggshells are a great source of calcium, which is essential for plant growth and development. To make your own garden fertilizer using eggshells, you can collect the shells from your eggs and crush them into a fine powder. Mix the eggshell powder with water, and use it to water your plants. The calcium in the eggshells will help your plants build strong stems and leaves, and it will also help prevent blossom end rot in tomatoes and other vegetables.
  5. Coffee grounds: Coffee grounds are a great source of nitrogen, which is an essential nutrient for plants. To make your own collect the grounds from your coffee maker and mix them with water in a bucket or barrel. Let the mixture steep for a few days, and then strain the liquid and dilute it with water.
  6. Epsom salt: Epsom salt is a type of magnesium sulfate that can be used as a garden fertilizer. To make your own Epsom salt fertilizer, you can dissolve one cup of Epsom salt in five gallons of water, and apply to the soil around your plants.
  7. Grass clippings: Grass clippings can be used as a fertilizer by collecting the clippings from your lawn, and spreading them around your plants. The grass clippings will break down over time, and release nitrogen and other nutrients into the soil, which will help your plants grow strong and healthy.
  8. Fish emulsion: Fish emulsion is made by collecting fish scraps and processing them into a liquid fertilizer. The fish emulsion can be diluted with water, and used to water your plants. It will provide your plants with a boost of nitrogen, phosphorus, and other essential nutrients.
  9. Seaweed: Seaweed can be used as a fertilizer by collecting it from the shore, and mixing it into the soil around your plants. The seaweed will break down over time, and release nutrients, such as potassium and trace minerals, into the soil.