Ensuring that our outdoor spaces look their best can be quite a task, and in some cases, expensive. Gardening experts have shared some household items that can be turned into organic fertilisers for plants.
Making organic fertilisers has never been easier, and you might be surprised to learn that you’ve probably been making them every day without even realising it. How often do you cook rice?
Gardening during the winter and spring months is essential to ensure our outdoor spaces look their best when the warmer months arrive. As gardening experts suggest, there’s no need to spend a lot of money on maintenance; instead, we can make use of everyday products we already have at home.
Organic fertilisers nourish plants naturally, helping them grow and produce more food. This is a crucial, as plants rely on the nutrients in the soil to grow. By using natural and organic fertilisers, we can also avoid consuming harmful synthetic chemicals and protect beneficial insects and pollinators.
There are many natural ingredients we use every day that can easily be transformed into organic fertilisers for our plants. It’s also a way to reduce waste and make the most of everything we have at home. Not only will you save money by not needing to buy fertilisers, but you’ll also help reduce food waste by repurposing items in an eco-friendly and useful way.
When it comes to rice, there are various ways to cook it. If you prepare it the traditional way using a pan, the water left behind after cooking can be easily turned into an organic fertiliser for your plants. This is because rice water contains starch and small amounts of NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium) which are all beneficial for plant health and growth.
Nitrogen is particularly good for promoting the growth of leaves and greens. However, if the soil contains too much nitrogen, it will encourage leaf growth but prevent the production of fruits and vegetables. Phosphorus is essential for the development of seedlings, while potassium supports fruiting and flowering plants.
Having NPK in the soil ensures that plants absorb the necessary nutrients to grow healthily. Since the NPK content in rice water is relatively low, you don’t need to worry about over-fertilising. However, be sure not to add any salt to the water, as this could harm your plants.
There are other household products that can also be used to create fertilisers at home, including:
- Pasta water
- Potato water
- Eggshell water
- Vegetable water
- Banana peels
- Coffee grounds
- Fish tank water
- Wood ash
- Compost tea
- Liquid seaweed
- Comfrey tea
- Worm tea/wee
- Poo tea/composted animal manure
- Weed tea
A tip shared by gardening experts when using fertilisers is to pull back the mulch before applying them. If you don’t do this, the mulch may absorb all of the nutrients without allowing them to reach the plant’s root systems. After pulling back the mulch, apply the fertiliser, wait for it to be absorbed, and then recover the area with mulch.