Plants absorb nutrients from the soil as they grow, and adding fertilizers to the soil replaces the used nutrients for continued growth. Fertilizing your houseplants, outdoor potted flowers and vegetable gardens increases their health, growth and yield--and the ingredients for safe and simple plant food are likely right in your own home. Commercial fertilizers often contain chemicals that can irritate your skin, but plant food made with household materials is nontoxic, organic and safe for your family.
Provide Nutrients
Homemade plant food should provide all of your plants with three elements for robust growth. Nitrogen encourages green, healthy foliage; phosphorus aids photosynthesis, new cell growth and water absorption; and potassium assists the plant in turning nutrients into energy. These elements are found in commercial fertilizer in varying ratios, but they also appear in organic and homemade fertilizers.
Save Money
Homemade plant food, while safe and nontoxic, is extremely inexpensive. In fact, in making plant food, you use scraps and kitchen waste you'd normally throw away. You won't need to purchase commercial fertilizer or plant food.
Organic Fertilizers
Garden suppliers sell ready-made organic fertilizers containing animal manure, compost or other plant-based compounds. Unlike conventional plant foods they contain no chemical fertilizers, insecticides or herbicides. When added to a garden or potted plants, organic fertilizers encourage healthy plants' natural ability to fight off disease and bugs without additional pesticides.
Compost
Compost is a safe, simple fertilizer made by the natural decomposition of nitrogen-rich and carbon-rich materials. Gardeners add grass clippings, old newspapers, dead leaves and twigs, fruits and vegetable scraps from the kitchen and other organic waste to a container, then wait for beneficial bacteria to turn the pile into a nutrient-rich food. Rake compost into the topsoil of all plants.
Other Sources
Coffee grounds contain high levels of nitrogen, and acid-loving plants appreciate a few teaspoons of them in the topsoil. Some plants like tomatoes can suffer calcium deficiencies after a period of fast growth, resulting in the dreaded blossom end rot. Add powdered eggshells to the garden prior to planting the tomatoes, and their roots will absorb the shells' high calcium content. Or, steep eggshells in a closed container of water for several days, then water the plants with the calcium-enriched "tea."
References
- National Aeronautic and Space Administration: How Does Your Garden Grow? Some Information on Soil Fertility
- "'Yankee Magazine''s Pantyhose, Hot Peppers, Tea Bags and More--for the Garden;" editors of "Yankee Magazine;" 2006.
- "The Urban Homestead:" Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen; 2008.
