How do you make your own plant fertilizer?

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Want to do the right thing for your plants but don’t want to spend a fortune on fertilizer? Here are seven DIY fertilizer ideas for you to try. They’re produced using items you presumably already have on hand, even those that you may toss away. Read through the instructions carefully to determine if a particular fertilizer is right for your needs; for instance, some homemade fertilizers shouldn’t be used on acidic soil, while others shouldn’t be used on alkaline soil.

Keep in mind that you will not need all the ingredients in the supply list or all the items in the tool list. Choose your ideal homemade fertilizer and read those instructions to determine which of these items you’ll need to create your plant food. 1

Materials

• Water
• Epsom salt
• Used coffee grounds
• Newspaper
• Eggshells
• White vinegar
• Water from a fish tank
• Fireplace ashes
• Fruit and vegetable scraps

1. Make Epsom Salt Fertilizer

   Dissolve 1 spoonful of Epsom salt in 1 gallon of water. Thoroughly shake the solution. Water your plants with the solution. Throughout the growth season, water them with this solution once a month.

   It works because Epsom salt contains magnesium and sulfate, two essential plant nutrients. Some magnesium-loving plants to try it on include houseplants, roses, peppers, tomatoes, and potatoes. A little fertilizer, like any other, goes a long way! Be sure to use the correct dose for plant size.

2. Try Coffee Ground Fertilizer

   Line a cookie sheet with newspaper. Distribute your used coffee grounds Let them to dry fully on the sheet. Sprinkle the grounds around the base of your acid-loving plants.

   Coffee grounds are high in nitrogen, magnesium, and potassium, which are essential plant nutrients. They’re also naturally acidic, so they may help you increase soil acidity. Azaleas, roses, rhododendrons, and blueberries are just some of the plants that will benefit from this treatment.

   Tip

   Take care not to overuse the grounds. Even acid-loving plants can get too much acid.

3. Use Eggshells as Fertilizer

   Let your egg shells to dry naturally. In a blender, combine the dry shells and process until powdery-fine. Sprinkle the shell powder around your garden’s plants.

   This works well because eggshells are made up almost entirely of calcium carbonate—the main ingredient in agricultural lime. In the garden, use this for lime.

4. Create Vinegar Fertilizer

   Combine 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and water. Water your plants with the solution. Every three months, repeat.

   This works because the acetic acid in vinegar raises the pH. acidity of the soil —perfect for acid-loving plants. Use this in place of houseplant fertilizer, rose plant food, and soil acidifiers.

   Tip

   Never use straight vinegar to fertilize your plants. Vinegar in its undiluted form is a herbicide.

5. Use Fish Tank Water

   Simply save the water from your fish tank the next time you clean the tank. Apply it liberally and often to water any plants.

   This works because used fish tank water is full of nitrogen and other nutrients that plants need to thrive. This may be substituted by any other sort of fertilizer.

6. Employ Fireplace Ashes

   Once the fire has died down, collect the ashes. Sprinkle cool (never hot) fireplace ash over your garden beds and work it into the soil.

   Potassium and calcium carbonate are abundant in fireplace ash. If your soil is too acidic, it’ll help to balance out the pH, so your plants are better able to absorb the nutrients that are present in the soil. It may be used in place of garden lime.

   Tip

   If your soil is alkaline, do not use fireplace ash. It also shouldn’t be used around acid-loving plants, unless you’re trying to turn hydrangeas pink.

7. Make Your Own Compost

   Fruit and vegetable leftovers, newspapers, grass clippings, and other biodegradable items should all be saved. Start a compost bin or pile with them. To speed up the composting process, add a little water from time to time and turn your pile.

   After everything has broken down into a dark, rich soil, it’s time to plant it.

   Compost is loaded with nutrients and microorganisms that are good for your garden. It is an excellent organic soil amendment that may be applied anyplace in the garden.