The plants that we grow in our gardens and orchards mainly require 3 types of basic nutrients. Although we can find other elements, such as calcium or magnesium, largely involved in the proper functioning of the plant, nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus are of vital importance for the growth of all vegetables.
In this article, we show you how to make cheap, easy and homemade organic fertilizers based on each of the essential nutrients.
Homemade Organic Phosphorus Fertilizer: Wood Ash
Wood is a very abundant material and we can use the ashes resulting from the burning that we do in the chimneys to heat the houses, for example, as a very effective organic fertilizer to provide phosphorus to our plants . Although to a lesser extent, the burned remains also have a small potassium content.
The simplest way to get ash is taking advantage of the end result of barbecues or fireplaces. So, to use the wood ash as a fertilizer , you just have to mix it with water, to dilute its content, and we apply it to the plants as irrigation. It is important to do it only 2 or 3 times a year so that it is not excessive.
Homemade Organic Potassium Fertilizer: Banana Peels
As is well known in popular culture, the banana is a fruit with a high potassium content. And this element is also found to a great extent in the peel of this fruit. In this section, we will show you how to make an organic fertilizer with a high potassium content based on banana peels.
Ingredients
- 3 or 4 banana peels
- 1 liter of water
Elaboration
- First of all, you have to have a few shells, which allow you to carry out a good extraction from an infusion. With 3 or 4 banana peels for each liter of water will suffice.
- The total amount of fertilizer will depend on the number of plants that each person has.
- Chop the shells and put them, together with the water, in a pot to boil for approximately 15 minutes.
- After this time, strain the mixture and let it cool.
- You already have your fertilizer, which, mixed with 2 liters of water, will be ready to apply to your plants.
- Potassium is a very useful element in periods of flowering or fruiting. You can apply it every 10 or 15 days and your plants will notice a great contribution, which will help the plants grow faster and produce their flowers and fruits.
How to make organic nitrogen fertilizer: coffee grounds
Coffee can be a potential ally against certain pests and diseases. But in addition, it has great potential as an organic fertilizer, since its nitrogen content is very high, in addition to containing other nutrients to a lesser extent and antioxidants. In this section, we will know a very fast, simple and cheap way to be able to provide our plants with extra nitrogen. Follow these steps to make homemade nitrogen organelle fertilizers :
- Accumulate the coffee remains from the coffee machines that you are preparing. Whether they are the ones you have at home for daily use, or if your number of floors is very high, you can resort to the nearby bars and cafes.
- These remains, you can mix them with water and let them rest for a few days, or we can apply them directly to the ground.
- It must be remembered that coffee is a very acidic material, therefore, its use as a fertilizer will only be recommended for those plants that require an acid substrate, such as hydrangeas, camellias and gardenias.
How to prepare organic fertilizer with calcium: eggshells
To finish, we tell you a very fast, simple and also cheap way to be able to provide your plants with an extra calcium . It is about egg shells , since their content is 95% calcium, and to a lesser extent nitrogen. It is a very simple but effective homemade organic fertilizer , you just need to follow these instructions:
- Collect a large number of eggshells.
- Wash them in case they still contain debris and shred them.
- They can also be applied directly on the ground, although then the absorption by the plants will be slower.
Calcium is not an essential nutrient, nor is it one of the most needed by the plant. But as mentioned above, some secondary elements can play a decisive role in some specific processes in the plant. And the contributions of calcium can help solve problems related to the cultivation of some vegetables. An example of this is the blossom end rot of tomatoes, aubergines and peppers.
