Household items such as banana peels, coffee grounds, grass clippings, vegetable scraps, egg shells, and wood ash can all be used to make indoor plant fertilizer.
Generations of gardeners have said Epsom salts help their plants grow bushier, produce more flowers and have better color. Also, it's been said Epsom salts can stop blossom end rot in tomatoes.
'Coffee grounds are an effective houseplant fertilizer owing to their high nitrogen content,' says Rachel Bull, Head of Gardens at H&G, and a fellow houseplant aficionado. 'Coffee grounds contain potassium, magnesium, calcium, and other trace minerals too, which are all vital nutrients that plants need to grow.
As far as a great natural fertilizer, Compost and composted cow manure are great. However, most people don't have access to the volume necessary to effectively cover their lawn surface. If you are one of the lucky ones that do, be sure the manure is thoroughly composted or it too can burn your lawn.
Seaweed (Kelp) Fertilizer
A seaweed or kelp-based fertilizer is the best organic nitrogen-rich fertilizer to help with heat stress. These are made from marine algae to give your grass and plants nutrients, including nitrogen, potassium, and trace minerals.
Egg shells contain high levels of calcium (lime) as well as other nutrients, so are beneficial to most plants. With billions of eggs produced commercially each year, attention is turning to the use of egg shells as a fertiliser and particularly as a source of lime.
Avoid using coffee grounds on alkaline-loving trees, such as linden, ironwood, red chestnut and arborvitae. Coffee grounds used as mulch or compost inhibit plant growth on geranium, asparagus fern, Chinese mustard and Italian ryegrass. Definitely don't use coffee grounds with these plants.
Coffee grounds can most certainly be added to your compost and also directly to your soil. Instead of simply tossing them out though, you may wish to incorporate them a bit more thoroughly by digging them in.
Salts: Coffee grounds can contain salts, which can build up in the soil over time and become toxic to plants. Mold: Wet coffee grounds can attract mold, which can be harmful to plants. Caffeine: While caffeine is not toxic to plants in small quantities, it can be harmful if used in large amounts.
Prevent Fungal Disease
MAKE IT: Mix 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 2-3 drops of liquid soap in 1 liter of water. Spray the solution on the infected plants. Baking soda helps the plants become less acidic and prevents fungal growth.
Perennials that require no fertilizer: Included are ornamental grasses, false indigo, ground covers, butterfly weed, bee balm, coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, sea holly, dianthus, asters and veronica.
Verdict: Unless you have a magnesium deficiency in your garden, there is no need to add Epsom salts. Doing so could even be harmful to soil, plants and water.
Cotton seed meal, feather meal, and alfalfa pellets are other slow-release, organic choices. All feed plants for about 60 days. The alfalfa also contains a hormone, triacontanol, which promotes plant growth.
Vinegar as a fertilizer: Nope, doesn't work. Acetic acid only contains carbon hydrogen and oxygen – stuff the plant can get from the air. The other things that may be in vinegar could be good for a plant – but it seems an expensive method of applying an unknown amount of nutrition.
You know that last bit of coffee that always seems to be left in the carafe? Don't just pour it down the drain — you can use it to fertilize your plants, both indoor and outdoor. Coffee grounds (and brewed coffee) are a source of nitrogen for plants, producing healthy green growth and strong stems.
It is beneficial to use egg shells when growing your own vegetables like tomato, pepper and aubergine or plants such as roses, hydrangeas, spider plants, ferns and ivy. Another way to add this homemade fertiliser to your plants is through a calcium solution.
Acidic-loving plants such as azaleas, blueberries, hydrangeas, rhododendrons, and roses will benefit from a sprinkling of coffee grounds around the base of plants. Vegetable crops that may benefit from coffee grounds include carrots, cucumbers, peppers, potatoes, and radishes.
"Eggshells will add some immediate calcium to the soil if ground up to a fine powder," Austin wrote. 4 He suggests crushing your eggshells and adding them to your compost pile, or choosing fertilizers that already have calcium.
Mice typically do not like coffee grounds scattered around the kitchen. The strong aroma of coffee is generally unpleasant to mice, which can act as a deterrent.
Tea Can Work As A Natural Fertilizer
As the tea leaves and bag begin to break down and decompose, they release nutrients into the soil that helps plants retain water and thrive. That said, you should use tea only on your plants that like acidic soil.
Banana peels can be placed directly onto pot plant soil, or around the base of your garden as mulch. As they decompose, they will release nutrients into the soil to feed plants. If using banana peels in your garden, place a single layer straight on top of the soil, being sure not to let them touch the plant stem.
Calcium is very good for tomatoes because it prevents blossom end rot. When starting from seed indoors will need 4 essential items: clean eggshells, egg carton, seed starting mix and tomato seeds (or any other plants of your choice – herbs, flowers, vegetable, etc).