How to Make Homemade Plant Fertilizer
Understand what garden “teas” are., Make comfrey tea., Consider using comfrey as mulch., Create nettle tea., Make some horsetail tea.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Understand what garden “teas” are.
Garden ‘teas’ are made of some common weeds, and can deliver nutrients such as nitrogen (to encourage leaf growth), potassium (to help develop flowers and fruit) and phosphorus (to help root growth).
The teas should be applied in dilute form by spraying or using a watering can.
Don’t over fertilize plants using these mixes as generally very little is required to boost your plants.
For instance, using too much comfrey tea in your garden could introduce too much potassium to the soil.
This can lead to stunted plant growth over time. -
Step 2: Make comfrey tea.
You should be warned that comfrey tea smells horrendous – but plants love it! To make this water-based fertilizer that is high in potash and nitrogen, gather a big bundle of comfrey leaves – ideally enough to fill a large bag.Chop or tear these up a bit and place in bucket, then cover with water (ideally rainwater).
Try to weigh down the leaves with something heavy, such as a stone.
Cover the bucket to keep insects from laying eggs in it.
After about a month, strain the contents and dilute it in about 15 parts water so that you can spray the tea on your plants. , Comfrey leaves can also be shredded and used as a mulch around plants, where they will steadily rot into the soil and improve it.
Shredded comfrey can also be incorporated into the soil when planting, just as you would use manure.
Try to let leaves wilt for a few hours after harvesting before using in the garden, to prevent them from sprouting. , Nettles can also be used in a similar way to comfrey to make a liquid feed.
You can also combine nettle and comfrey to make a mixed batch.
Avoid using any roots or seeds, and preferably harvest the plants before they flower.Chop up the leaves in a bucket, cover them with rainwater and wait a month.
Use this in a diluted form as a liquid fertilizer. , Horsetail is a garden weed that grows and spreads extremely easily in the garden.
It is said to be high in silicon and can help your garden plants resist infection.
It’s also quicker to make horsetail tea than comfrey or nettle tea.
To make horsetail tea:
Take about a tablespoon of dried horsetail.
Add 2 liters (0.5 US gal) of rainwater and boil it up in a big pan, simmering for half an hour.
When cool, store in a glass container.
To use it in the garden, dilute in 5 parts of rainwater and spray this on your plants every ten days to help them resist fungal infections and rust. -
Step 3: Consider using comfrey as mulch.
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Step 4: Create nettle tea.
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Step 5: Make some horsetail tea.
Detailed Guide
Garden ‘teas’ are made of some common weeds, and can deliver nutrients such as nitrogen (to encourage leaf growth), potassium (to help develop flowers and fruit) and phosphorus (to help root growth).
The teas should be applied in dilute form by spraying or using a watering can.
Don’t over fertilize plants using these mixes as generally very little is required to boost your plants.
For instance, using too much comfrey tea in your garden could introduce too much potassium to the soil.
This can lead to stunted plant growth over time.
You should be warned that comfrey tea smells horrendous – but plants love it! To make this water-based fertilizer that is high in potash and nitrogen, gather a big bundle of comfrey leaves – ideally enough to fill a large bag.Chop or tear these up a bit and place in bucket, then cover with water (ideally rainwater).
Try to weigh down the leaves with something heavy, such as a stone.
Cover the bucket to keep insects from laying eggs in it.
After about a month, strain the contents and dilute it in about 15 parts water so that you can spray the tea on your plants. , Comfrey leaves can also be shredded and used as a mulch around plants, where they will steadily rot into the soil and improve it.
Shredded comfrey can also be incorporated into the soil when planting, just as you would use manure.
Try to let leaves wilt for a few hours after harvesting before using in the garden, to prevent them from sprouting. , Nettles can also be used in a similar way to comfrey to make a liquid feed.
You can also combine nettle and comfrey to make a mixed batch.
Avoid using any roots or seeds, and preferably harvest the plants before they flower.Chop up the leaves in a bucket, cover them with rainwater and wait a month.
Use this in a diluted form as a liquid fertilizer. , Horsetail is a garden weed that grows and spreads extremely easily in the garden.
It is said to be high in silicon and can help your garden plants resist infection.
It’s also quicker to make horsetail tea than comfrey or nettle tea.
To make horsetail tea:
Take about a tablespoon of dried horsetail.
Add 2 liters (0.5 US gal) of rainwater and boil it up in a big pan, simmering for half an hour.
When cool, store in a glass container.
To use it in the garden, dilute in 5 parts of rainwater and spray this on your plants every ten days to help them resist fungal infections and rust.
About the Author
Theresa Martinez
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow creative arts tutorials.
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