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Fertilizers that are made from natural ingredients not only provide mineral nutrition for plants, they also help nourish the soil’s living organisms. These organisms break down these natural fertilizers and turn them into the nutrients that plant roots use to grow.
There are many different types of organic fertilizers for your garden. Some of them are liquid and others are granular. These fertilizers are made from materials that can be found right outside your home or on your grocery store shelf.
Grass clippings are a great organic fertilizer for your garden and they help keep weeds at bay while adding nitrogen and potassium to the soil. Simply place a few handfuls of clippings in a bucket of water and let them soak for about two to 24 hours before you use them on your garden.
Egg shells are another great fertilizer that you can use for your garden. They are packed with nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus but they also contain calcium, which is important for your plants to thrive.
Epsom salt is a wonderful addition to any garden and it has both magnesium and sulfate which help improve the health of your plants. To use epsom salt as a natural fertilizer, mix about a teaspoon into a litre of water and then add it to your garden.
Banana peels are another excellent fertilizer for your garden and they have a range of nutrients that will benefit your plants. The peels are rich in calcium, iron and phosphorus as well as a range of other trace minerals.
Compost tea is another simple natural fertilizer that you can make in your own garden. This is a wonderful organic fertilizer for your potted plants as it is easy to prepare and is packed with nitrogen.
Molasses is a thick black liquid that is produced from refining sugar cane and it is full of nutrients that your indoor plants will love. You can mix a tablespoon of molasses with a gallon of water and then use this concoction to water your plants.
Manure is another organic fertilizer that you can use in your garden and it contains nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium as well as other nutrients. You can either mix it with your potting soil or spray it on your plants.
Seaweed is another great organic fertilizer that you can use in your soil and it can be purchased at Asian markets. It is a powerful natural fertilizer that contains all the main nutrients in small amounts and is high in trace elements and it also serves as a food source for your soil microbes.
Green tea bags or used green tea leaves can be used as a natural fertilizer for your houseplants and they have tannic acid which helps to lower the pH of the soil. This makes it ideal for plants that are acid loving such as african violets, jade plants, Christmas cactus and ferns.
The best way to use any of these natural fertilizers is to experiment with different levels and combinations to see what works best for you. They are a great alternative to chemical fertilizers that can be expensive and they also work much more slowly and gently than their chemical counterparts.
