http://www.care2.com/greenliving/homemade-plant-fertilizer-how-to.html
Homemade Plant Fertilizer
Adapted from A Year on The Garden Path, by Carolyn Herriot (Earthfuture/Lantern, 2005).
Blended organic fertilizers are useful when soil fertility is in question, when starting a new garden or trying to revitalize a garden. Natural source fertilizers are slow release and continue to work as they slowly break down. Over time, once soil fertility is re-established, the need for these supplements will decline.
Learn this fertilizer formula, here:
Steve Solomon’s Formula (NPK 1:1.5:1)
Measure by volume:
4 parts seed meal (canoloa, alfalfa or soy) or fishmeal
1 part dolomite lime
1 part rock phosphate or 1/2 part bonemeal
1 part kelp meal
Blend well, but mix again before application. Work in lightly under young transplants, or sidedress along existing plants. Apply around the drip line of plants and work in gently so as not to damage the roots. Granulated fertilizer takes three to four weeks to break down before roots can access it.
Seedmeals=nitrogen source (N) for healthy leafy greens
Rock phosphate=phosphorus (P) for fruits and flowers
Kelp meal=potassium (potash) (K) for roots and overall good health
Lime counteracts soil acidity and adds calcium and magnesium
Go to the Source
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7 comments
add your comment »In days gone by my Grandfather used to empty his "chamber pot" onto my mother's pansies in the garden, as a result of which she had a prolific blooming of the most amazing giant pansies. May sound gross, but it works.
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vermicompost, which everyone can do at home, is an excellent nutrient and microbial addition to both indoor and outdoor plants. The red worms eat up the kitchen waste and essentially poop out a soil-like mixture full of goodies. The exact nutrient content will obviously depend on the nutrient content of the food supply and the turnover (death/birth rate) of the worms.
I'm just starting to do this commercially. I am a single person and have been operating 5 in my kitchen for about 6 months (started out with 2). I'm now at the point however where I don't produce enough kitchen waste to feed them so I'm selling them as part of my business (I'm an environmental scientist). Thre are some good websites, especially out of Australia, on vermicomposting.
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The ingredients in the story can easily be found at any home and garden center or nusery. I have used them for years. However, be forwarned that if you have a canine or feline friend, you should plan to keep them away from the garden, or make certain that they understand to leave the plants alone, because the bonemeal and fishmeal products smell yummy and are ever so inticing to them. In response to the "beer" comment. Beer by itself in little flat lids will take care of a slug problem. They can not resist the beer, fall in literally "dead drunk", but you will no longer have holes in your beautiful foliage plants like hostas. Happy gardening!
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Urine would be the most logical ideal for adding nutrients to plants, but if someone is on medications I dont think a plant needs to have the medication along with the left over nutrients. So caution should be taken. Not all urine is safe.
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A friend at work told me that his grandparents used to dilute beer in water and spray it on their lawn and plant beds -- what it is supposed to do is ward of insects and pest that often eat or destroy plants and grass. Can anyone confirm that? Or is anyone even willing to try it? John
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hah, urine does sound kind of gross, but I heard or read somewhere that it does work =P
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While this is probably a great recipe for fertilizer, I don't seem to have those items laying around the house. So I've been searching for alternative home plant fertilizers based on stuff I have available at home. I have found one - I haven't tried this yet, but my sister and her PhD adviser in soil science (at U Maryland) swear by it. They claim that the only fertilizer you need is a little urine - diluted by 2-4x with water. Whenever plants in their home need a little extra food, they collect some urine in a container, dilute it (double or quadruple the volume with water) and apply directly to the soil. Sounds a little gross, but we all have it at home. The one plant that was "enhanced" by my sister (without my knowledge) is doing really well.
Hope that helps!
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