Fertilizers are…EXPENSIVE.

Unless you want to pay premium prices, the best place to pick up organic fertilizer is actually NOT your local garden center. So what’s the alternative? Make your own! The nutrients your fruits and veggies crave are already available in places you may be overlooking in your weekly routine–at the grocery store, in the pet shop, around the rim of your dinner plate, and especially your trash can. Even better, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist, an expert gardener, or a chemical engineer to make your own plant food.  Here are 6 homemade garden fertilizers you can make (or purchase from a much cheaper seller) that are easy, environmentally friendly, and basically free to make.

Making your own fertilizers will save you money!

While  “organic” is typically synonymous with “expensive” when it comes to fertilizers, in this scenario, that assumption doesn’t apply! In fact, when you choose to make your own homemade fertilizers it’ll actually SAVE you money. 

Homemade Fertilizers will Save you Money!

Yup, you heard that right. 

When you make your own homemade garden fertilizers, it’ll actually will save you money. 

That’s because you’ll be naturally sourcing nutrients entirely from what would be considered organic waste such as meat and fish bones and the inedible parts of fruits of vegetables like peels and stems. You won’t have to spend an extra dime to get these. All you have to do is remember to do is redirect your table scraps from the garbage and be a bit more strategic at the grocery store.

And you can definitely do that.

The cost of making your own organic homemade fertilizers is even cheaper when you consider that your garden will require fewer applications over time. This is because the shelf life of naturally sourced fertilizer gradually releases nutrients over a much longer period of weeks and months than the fast-acting (and simultaneously short lived) chemical kind. Most synthetic based fertilizers expire faster than organic ones and have a tendency to burn your plants if you accidentally (or unknowingly) use too much due to concentration levels that quickly reach toxic levels for your plants. Not only does this mean it’s extremely difficult to over-fertilize with organic materials, you’ll also find yourself needing less of it over time.

Talk about a win-win.

Are Homemade Garden Fertilizers as “Effective” as Chemical Fertilizers?

Good question.

The goal of fertilizer is to supply plants with what they need to grow in a readily available form. While there are differences between organic and chemical fertilizers in terms of their nutrient absorption rates, soil health and a few other components, the debate over which is a better source of nutrients is: (drum roll please)…

Neither.

Neither?

Yup. Stick with me for a minute.

According to multiple studies both kinds are easily absorbed and provide the nutrients plants need to grow. Just like people, plants rely more on the right combination and balance of nutrients to obtain optimal health. The packaging the nutrients take to get there matters much less. Just like people, whether nutrients are delivered as a salad on a plate or those same ingredients are blended into a smoothie, nutrition get delivered either way. More importantly, it’s about getting the right combination and balance of nutrients that results in optimal plant health.

Getting your plants the nutrients they need

All fertilizers (naturally sourced or synthetic) contain compounds that provide the nutrients plants essential for plant growth. But, not all fertilizers contain the same amounts or everything a plant needs to thrive. This is why its important to pay attention to the nutrients that specific fertilizers provide. Typically, the primary components in fertilizers are a combination of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium, with smaller amounts of trace elements like calcium, magnesium and sulfur. Since plants receive the majority of their nutrition through the soil, its helpful to be mildly aware of the soil condition and the nutrients each type of fertilizer provides.

The cliff notes version of NPK is that nitrogen activates vigorous, leafy growth and those gorgeous green foliage hues, phosphorus spurs strong root development, and potassium helps plants resist disease and reach maximum crop yields.  You pretty much need all three (and in the “right” ratios) to achieve optimal growth and production.

Test your Soil

Supplying your fruits, vegetables and herbs with the nutrients they need is super important because plants can only get their nutrients through the air and soil. But nutrients are easily lost through heavy rains, leaching, or other factors. Fertilizers “close the gap” and replenish used, diminished, or lost nutrients so that your garden gets what it needs to stay nourished. 

Before applying fertilizers, its always a good idea to test the ph of your soil because its a factor that influences how well your plants can extract the fertilizer you’ll add to your garden. A scale of 0 to 14 is used to determine the ph, which is a number that describes how acidic or alkaline the soil is. Soils with a ph higher than 7 are classified as alkaline, while soils with a ph lower than 7 are acidic. The majority of plants do well with a neutral ph between the 6-8 range.

As part of your gardening tool kit, consider using an at-home pH test kid, which are fairly accurate, inexpensive and easy to use. Once you’ve determined the soil ph you can make an informed decision about what and how the fertilizer you add will change the ph of your soil. Additional factors that influence the pH of your soil include climate, mineral content and soil texture.

Know your Nutrients

The three main nutrients plants need to survive nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). Together, they make up the ‘tres amigas‘ of garden fertilizer combo known as NPK. The cliff notes version of NPK is that nitrogen activates vigorous, leafy growth and those gorgeous green foliage hues, phosphorus spurs strong root development, and potassium helps plants resist disease and reach maximum crop yields. 

You pretty much need all three (and in the “right” ratios) to achieve optimal growth and production. But even for this infamous trio, three is not a crowd as there a number of other important, but lesser needed nutrients which are calcium, magnesium, and sulfur. Here’s a look at what each of the main macro and micronutrients supports your plants.

3 Main Macro-Nutrients plants needs:

3 Main Micro-Nutrients plants needs:

Now that you know a little about a ‘how’ and ‘why’ behind making your own plant nutrition, here are six homemade garden fertilizers you can DIY using common household items!

6 Homemade Garden Fertilizers You Can Make

1 . Coconut Water

While you may already be using coconut water as a recipe and cosmetic ingredient, its also very helpful in your garden. This is because coconut water is packed with cytokinins hormones, which trigger cell division in the roots and shoots of plants, resulting in explosive growth, making it a favorite replacement for commercial growth formulas. Coconut water also has high amounts of gibberllic acid and rhizobacteria, which, according to a 2019 article in Current Science, creates a barrier for diseases that compromise the health of the entire plant and increases germination.  Coconut water is also a rich source of potassium (17%) and contains smaller amounts of other minerals such as sodium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. This combination of nutrients is what provides a boost to a plants roots, leaves, and flowering fruits and veggies.

To use coconut water as a liquid fertilizer, dilute the mixture by taking 3 1/2 tablespoons of fresh & raw coconut water with 4 cups of chlorine free water. Spray on leaves and plant roots 1 to 2 times per week.

2.  Alfalfa Hay Tea

Alfalfa hay tea is a fantastic quick-release NPK fertilizer for your garden that can cheaply be found at a pet store or livestock supplier. It’s a rare find in the garden centers because alfalfa hay is commonly used as a nutritious feed for horses, dairy cows and cattle. Alfalfa hay tea is excellent for your garden veggies because they contain a naturally derived growth promoter and 5% nitrogen. But, there’s more! As a multipurpose fertilizer its NPK values are usually between 3-2-2. Alfalfa hay is also:

• a natural sources of the growth promoter tiacontanol, which is excellent for roses. 
• excellent at increasing crop height, reducing flower and fruit drop, and promoting earlier crop maturity according to multiple studies.
• an excellent compost accelerators and soil amendments One month before you plant, massage some into your soil. 

If you can, avoid alfalfa meal and pellets, which are both more processed than the stalks. To make alfalfa hay tea as a liquid fertilizer, use a large container or a 5 gallon bucket filled with 3-4 cups of hay (chopped or as it comes from the bale). Then, fill the container with unchlorinated water, completely submerging the contents and secure with a lid or cap. Give things a good stir or shake at least once a day. Allow the mixture to steep for a minimum of 10 to 14 days to allow it to ferment and cultivate beneficial bacteria. When the mixture is ready, strain the solids out and apply the tea to your garden weekly as a foliar spray or directly to the soil.

3. Fish Emulsion

Another nitrogen rich fertilizer is fish bone emulsion, which is made from whole or parts of fish. It’s significantly cheaper than the pricey varieties you’ll find at your garden center and will provide a superior product because you’ll use the whole fish (not the remnants big box brands use) so you’ll get significantly more protein, oil, and bone, potassium and other trace elements that’ll give your soil deep nutrition.  If you don’t have access to whole fish, herring fish such as sardines, mackerel or anchovies work too!

To make a fish emulsion here’s what you’ll need to do: Dump 40 to 50 herring type fish into a 1 gallon container. Add enough compost, sawdust, or leaves to fill the bucket half full. Pack things in as tightly as you can, then fill the bucket with enough water to cover everything about 4 inches from the rim.  Next, measure a ½ cup of blackstrap molasses to kickstart the ferment. Give everything a good mix and secure with a close fitting lid to avoid maggots and leave outside. Be sure to stir the mixture every 2-3 days over the next two weeks. I like to use a dedicated yard stick for this. 

After a two week steep, your fish emulsion fertilizer is ready! Strain the solids out, dilute 1 tablespoon per gallon of water to apply directly to the leaves of your plants. During the growing season dilute 2-3 tablespoons per gallon of water and apply directly to the roots each month. 

Note: This brew will keep up to 1 year. 

4. Banana Powder

Dehydrated banana peels provide an excellent source of potassium for your garden while you could make banana peel tea, I find have a shelf stable option to be more convenient. All I do is stash my bananas peels in the freezer until I have a few (i do take a few seconds to cut off the stem and end piece before I place them in the bag to make dehydrating day easer). When I finally have enough to fill 1-2 quart or gallon sized bags, I remove them from the freezer and allow them to defrost. Then, I cut them into roughly ½ to 1 inch pieces and space them out on my dehydrator racks so that they’re not touching allowing air to move freely at a temperature of 120?? for about 5-7 hours. You’ll know they’re finished when they are crisp, extremely dark and snap easily. 

Wait for the peels to completely cool then pulverize them in your food processor or blend until they take on a powdered consistency. Now that you’ve successfully dehydrated your peels you can conveniently make your own potassium fertilizer on demand by taking 1 tablespoon of banana powder with 1 tablespoon of egg shells and 1 tablespoon of epsom salt in a 16 ounce spray bottle filled with water until everything is dissolved. Apply liberally to you soil or directly on plants indirect light. There you have it, another easy to make homemade garden fertilizer.

5. Bone Meal

I’m almost embarrassed that I spent years paying premium prices for bone meal. This is for 2 specific reasons. One, I’m already an avid canner so I save my chicken and beef bones to make my own stocks and broths so I feel that I should’ve known better. And two–was I really buying bones someone else had already picked the meat off of?

Not anymore, sis.

I share my shame to highlight that if you have chicken or beef bones don’t throw them out–store them in freezer bags so you can make this incredible homemade garden fertilizer!

Next, you’ll need to ensure you remove all the meat from the bones. This is easily done if you decide to use your bones to first make a stock or broth, by simmering them over medium to low heat for 7 to 8 hours in your crockpot. Once you remote the bones, use your fingers to gentle nudge any small linger pieces of meat. Rinse the bones under warm water and place them on a rack to dry in a place they’ll be undistributed (and uncovered) for about 30 days. You want the bones to be completely dry and brittle. If time is not on your side, you can use a dehydrator or your oven on the lowest setting to dry for several hours.

After the bones are dry, they’ll be ready to be ground into a powder. You can do this with a blender or a mortar and pestle. Store the powder in an air tight container. That’s it! To use, apply one tablespoon per two square feet of soil. That’s it!

6. Epsom Salt

Epsom salt, an ingredient used to treat minor aches and pains, provides a rich dose of magnesium that your tomatoes, peppers, and rose bushes use a lot of to produce blooms, obtain optimal yields and avoid blossom end rot. Additonally, epsom salt has been shown to:

• increase nutrient absorption
• prevent transplant root shock
• act as a natural pest deterrant
• benefit new and established rose bushes
• effectively control slug invasions

To create a liquid fertilizer, dissolve 1 1/2 tablespoons of Epsom salt in 1 gallon of unchlorinated water as foliar spray directly to the soil, twice a month.

Homemade Garden Fertilizers have lots of benefits!

While chemical fertilizers are cheaper in the short term, they won’t improve the soil after the plants have absorbed the nutrients they need like organic materials do. Since soil is the foundation for a stunning garden, it’s always “worth it” to use organic materials, versus man-made synthetic fertilizers which are usually derived from by-products of the petroleum industry. Once you start making your own organic, homemade garden fertilizers, you’ll significantly reduce (if not all together eliminate) a reoccurring gardening expense while keeping your your garden chemical-free!

A homestead of any size can make it a point to maximize the use of resources you already have, and be intentional about not letting organic matter leave your property. If your curious about more ways to make homemade garden fertilizers, check out Ten Reasons to Start Kitchen Scrap Composting, next!