Posted by Les Mauvaises Herbes
Who doesn't dream of fertilizing (fertilizer, fertilizing, get it?) their garden for free, by using effective natural materials? Yes, it’s possible; you just need to use our table scraps. But above all, you need to know what to use and when!
So here, we’re sharing 10 tips to feed your plants quite naturally. You can use them on your indoor or outdoor plants so that they feel loved, pampered, and spoiled. Add water and sunshine to the equation, and they’ll be delighted, I promise you.
THE SCIENCE OF FERTILIZERS
The basic nutrients – NPK
NPK? No, it’s not the distant cousin of PKP, but rather the three basic nutrients necessary for healthy plant growth:
- nitrogen (N)
- phosphorus (P)
- and potassium (K)
In short, if the plant cannot find these three elements in its soil, it will have difficulty developing and flourishing, which can result in yellow leaves, rare flowers, few fruits, small size, seemingly stunted growth, etc.
Nitrogen stimulates plant growth. It is one of the three main components of amino acids, nucleic acids, and proteins, all of which are essential for the growth and development of plants!
Phosphorus promotes growth, just like nitrogen. Its general action is actually combined with that of nitrogen (its best friend, hehe). Plants' needs for phosphorus and nitrogen evolve in parallel! Phosphorus differs from nitrogen by helping, on its end, with root development and contributing to the rigidity of the plant's tissues. It is essential for flowering and the proper development of fruits and seeds.
Potassium protects plants from drought and disease, and increases their defenses against insects and their cold tolerance. It is also very important for flowering and is often associated with the flavor of fruits. Soil rich in potassium produces tastier fruits and vegetables! A potassium deficiency often manifests as yellow tips and edges on leaves and a wilted appearance.
Still following us? Haha.
IN SHORT
If you want your plants to survive, their soil must contain these three elements essential for their development!
Has your plant grown only one centimeter in a year? It likely lacks nitrogen! Did you just repot your plants and want to help them with root development? Give them phosphorus. Would you like your plants to stop wilting? Feed them potassium (if the phenomenon isn't due to a lack or excess of watering – we’ll let you be the judge of that!).
Secondary nutrients
There are also three secondary nutrients essential to soil health:
- calcium (Ca)
- magnesium (Mg)
- and sulfur (S)
The term "secondary" does not mean they are less important than primary nutrients; it simply means that plants need less of them. These three secondary nutrients help prevent deficiencies in the soil. Vegetables, in particular, are more demanding than plants. A deficiency in just one nutrient can potentially cause the complete loss of a harvest. And we don't want that!
Calcium contributes to the plant's stability, as it is the nutrient responsible for the cohesion of its cell walls. If a calcium deficiency occurs, new tissues as well as young leaves will be deformed due to poor cell wall formation.
Magnesium promotes normal and healthy growth, being the central atom in the chlorophyll molecule. Also, many enzymes present in plant cells require magnesium in order to function properly.
Sulfur is a vital nutrient that acts in harmony with nitrogen. If there is an insufficient amount of sulfur in the plant, it cannot use nitrogen, which means the plants do not reach their full potential. Often, leaves yellow visibly and the plant has difficulty growing normally.
Micronutrients
That's not all! Some plants may have deficiencies in micronutrients, for example:
- iron
- zinc
- and copper
Micronutrients are just as important as primary and secondary nutrients. However, to keep things as simple as possible and to avoid ending up writing a doctoral thesis here, we will focus on primary and secondary nutrients.
PRIMARY NUTRIENTS
Nitrogen (N)
Stimulates growth- grass clippings
- coffee grounds
- compost tea
- urine (yes, yes!)
- comfrey
Phosphorus (P)
Helps with root development, flowering, and fruiting- wood ash
- coffee grounds
Potassium (K)
Influences flowering and fruit flavor, promotes overall health- wood ash
- coffee grounds
- comfrey
- nettle
- banana peel
- field horsetail
- compost tea
SECONDARY NUTRIENTS
Calcium (Ca)
Contributes to plant stability- egg shells
- nettle
- field horsetail
Magnesium (Mg)
Promotes healthy and normal growth- egg shells
- coffee grounds
- nettle
Sulfur (S)
Essential for the plant's use of nitrogen- field horsetail
- Epsom salts
OUR BEST NATURAL HOMEMADE FERTILIZERS
Without further ado, here are the best tricks we have tested over time:
1. Egg shells
Nutrients: calcium and magnesium
Eggs in our plants? Yes, yes. Just save the shells, let them air dry, and then crush them. You then bury them in the soil or place them at the base of the plants, and that’s it!
Egg shells help plants become more resistant to mold risks and bring firmness to vegetables, like tomatoes and cucumbers! A little extra "crunch" in your cucumbers? Why not!
2. Wood ash
Nutrients: phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and magnesium
Wood ash is a rich fertilizer. It contains, among other things, phosphorus and potassium, as well as calcium, silica, and magnesium. It is an excellent ally for soil in need of love!
However, you must be very careful not to spread too much ash in the soil, otherwise it could cause a chemical imbalance. And we don’t want that!
It is therefore a natural fertilizer to be used sparingly.
3. Coffee grounds
Nutrients: phosphorus, potassium, and nitrogen
Do you have a lot of coffee grounds and don’t know what to do with them? Well, we have a solution for you: reuse them to make a fertilizer for your vegetable plants! Oh really? Yes indeed!
Vegetable plants LOVE coffee grounds because they release phosphorus, potassium, and nitrogen into the soil. You simply need to air-dry them in a bowl, then sprinkle them at the base of the vegetable plants. They will be delighted; what could be better?
If beautiful, happy vegetable plants aren’t happiness, then we don’t know what is!
Coffee grounds also keep away slugs and aphids, as well as other harmful insects such as the carrot and leek fly.
4. Banana peel
Nutrient: potassium
Banana peel is SUPER rich in potassium, which is why we love giving it a second life as fertilizer. Among other things, it helps plants have better resistance to diseases as well as to drought. "Huh? Do we just bury our banana peels in the soil?" Yes, you can do that if you feel like it, making sure to cut them into small pieces first! However, it will take longer for the peel to decompose.
Another option is to let the banana peel soak in water (our favorite method!): the water will absorb the nutrients and you can use it to water your plants. It might not be miraculous, but it's better than nothing!
5. Plant-based liquid fertilizer (purin)
"But what exactly is a purin?" A plant-based liquid fertilizer is a preparation made from plants that acts as a natural fertilizer in liquid form. It helps strengthen plants and keep harmful insects away from the garden.
Caution: liquid fertilizers are very concentrated, so it is important to never use them undiluted on plants!
NETTLE FERTILIZER
Nutrients: potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc
Nettle fertilizer is a recipe as old as time! Nettle is a fantastic plant, rich in minerals. You can also use it as an aphid repellent by spraying it on the leaves. Oh, and nettle fertilizer doesn’t smell good at all, we’ve warned you!
COMFREY FERTILIZER
Nutrients: nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium
Just like nettle fertilizer, comfrey fertilizer is an ancestral essential. It’s THE package deal because it contains the 3 primary nutrients essential for plant growth. We love it everywhere, all the time. Every good gardener should have a comfrey plant, if only to take care of their garden.
FIELD HORSETAIL FERTILIZER
Nutrients: calcium, iron, sulfur, and potassium
Field horsetail, rich in minerals, is also used as a fungicide and insecticide.
MAKING YOUR PLANT-BASED FERTILIZER
Seems complicated, right? Not at all!
Simply put plants into an open container (100 g of plants for 1 liter of water – except for nettle, which requires only 50 g of plants for 1 liter of water). Then stir the mixture every day for 2 to 4 weeks while it ferments. Use the fertilizer diluted at a ratio of one part fertilizer to 9 parts water.
6. Grass clipping infusion
Nutrient: nitrogen
You don't have any of the plants mentioned above to make a fertilizer, but the idea interests you? A potential alternative is a grass clipping infusion! It gives you an infusion rich in nitrogen that is highly appreciated by our plant friends.
Fill a bucket with freshly cut (and untreated, obviously) grass and cover the grass with water. Let it soak for a few days before straining. Use the result at a ratio of one part infusion to 9 parts water.
7. Epsom salts
Nutrient: magnesium
Epsom salt isn't just for baths, oh no! You can also use it for indoor plants. Really? Simply dilute 1 tablespoon of salt in 1 liter of water and then spray it on the plant leaves about once a month. The salt will activate photosynthesis, and the leaves will never have been so green!
8. Compost extract
"Uhhh, pardon?"
Yes, you read that right!
Compost extract consists of food scraps and non-chlorinated cold water. Even though it is not considered a fertilizer because of the very low level of nutrients it provides, it stimulates microbial activity in the soil, which improves plant growth! There are several ways to prepare it. Personally, we find that the simpler, the better.
You can, among other things, make a compost extract by making a cold infusion with rainwater or tap water that you have let sit on the counter for 24 hours to give the chlorine time to evaporate.
To learn more about compost extracts, we invite you to listen to this episode of the Urbainculteurs podcast.
Compost tea is used on plants as a way to prevent disease and represents a soil fertilization supplement in its own right.
ULTIMATE GRANOLA LEVEL
Yep, we’re pushing you a bit out of your comfort zone (and ours, haha!). But we never turn down an interesting challenge. Two little extras here for the die-hard granola crowd: urine and blood.
9. Urine (yes, you read that right!)
Nutrient: nitrogen
No waste here; we go as far as reusing our urine, and we have no shame in writing it down to recommend this miracle trick to you, hehe. You can dilute your urine in a watering can filled with water, then use this little mixture as fertilizer in the garden. Urine is an excellent fertilizer and is especially very rich in nitrogen.
10. Blood
Nutrient: iron
Blood is rich in iron. It is generally less accessible than pee, we’ll grant you that, but we are referring here to menstrual blood, which can be collected quite easily. It’s a great way to destigmatize this substance, which has long been considered dirty or gross compared to blood from superficial wounds. And yet, let’s say it again: menstrual blood is CLEAN and it’s no grosser than the blood that flows from your finger when you cut yourself slicing a sandwich.
How does it work? Every once in a while, when you empty your menstrual cup, you can pour the blood into a small container filled with water. We like using an amber bottle. Just put the cap on and shake, then pour the mixture onto your sad-looking plants. They’ll perk right up in no time.
With that, happy gardening! Don’t forget to apply sunscreen to your skin when you’re playing outside in the dirt (we have a pretty good recipe right here) and don't forget to play some music in your garden from time to time (plants love music, hehe).
See you soon!
References
www.agro-100.ca/assimilation-azote-plantes/
www.bouesseineaval.siaap.fr/?p=46
www.agrireseau.net/documents/Document_91683.pdf
www.pthorticulture.com/fr/zone-du-savoir/role-du-potassium-en-horticulture/
www.pthorticulture.com/fr/zone-du-savoir/le-role-du-calcium-en-horticulture/
www.pthorticulture.com/fr/zone-du-savoir/le-role-du-magnesium-en-horticulture/
www.pthorticulture.com/fr/zone-du-savoir/le-role-du-soufre-en-horticulture/
www.monjardinmamaison.maison-travaux.fr/mon-jardin-ma-maison/plantes-par-type/recette-dun-engrais-naturel-a-base-de-coquilles-doeufs-240481.html
www.jardinage.lemonde.fr/dossier-941-cendre-bois-est-engrais-utile-jardin.html
www.comment-economiser.fr/7-meilleurs-engrais-a-faire-soi-meme-pour-fertiliser-jardin.html
www.monpetitcoinvert.com/blog/utiliser-marc-cafe-potager/
www.jardinierparesseux.com/2020/02/10/la-peau-de-banane-miraculeux-dans-le-jardin/
www.pthorticulture.com/fr/zone-du-savoir/influence-de-l-azote-sur-le-ph-du-substrat-de-culture/
www.ecoconso.be/fr/content/recette-comment-faire-ses-purins-de-plantes-pour-le-jardin
www.maisonbrico.com/brico-jardin/5-trucs-a-faire-avec-sel-d-epsom-dans-son-jardin,17847.html
www.jardinierparesseux.com/2020/08/29/urine-comme-engrais/
