When we use fertilizers in our garden or park, we provide the soil with nutrients such as potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen, so that the plants grow properly and have a higher yield. Fertilizers are chemicals that are artificially produced. Although they provide the necessary nutrients, their intensive or disorderly use can have negative consequences for soil and plants.
Another variant of fertilizers are organic fertilizers. These have the advantage of being made of natural elements and are therefore both ecological and economical. Next, I will explain how to make two organic fertilizers that will make your plants bear many fruits.
1- Fertilizer based on banana peel
We recognize a lack of potassium in plants when the leaves look yellow or begin to curl. This fertilizer provides the necessary nutrients so that the leaves and fruits retain their natural color. The ingredients we need are five banana peels, one and a half liters of water, a medium sized pot and a bottle.
- First, we need to cut the banana peels into small pieces. Then we pour the water into the pot, add the pieces of peel and put the pot on medium heat for fifteen minutes, or until we see that the water has turned brown due to the action of the banana peels.
- Turn off the heat and let the liquid cool. Then we pour the contents into the bottle.
- If we want to use it, we need to build a ratio of one part fertilizer to five parts water. We apply the infusion once a week. And when the plants bloom, we can use the fertilizer directly every two weeks.
Another way to use this fertilizer is to bury some shell pieces in the potting soil. These provide magnesium, potassium and other nutrients. An advantage of this liquid fertilizer is that the possibility of overdosing is very low, because it is increasingly degraded . A disadvantage is that the useful life is not long.
2- Eggshell based fertilizer
For this we need 5 or 6 shells, two quarts of water, a blender, a spoon, a medium-sized pot and a bottle. We put the eggshells in the blender and crush them for a few minutes. With the spoon we stir a little to lift the pieces of shell that have become larger, and we crush them again until a powder is formed. If you don’t have a blender, you can also grind the peels in a mortar. The smaller it is, the easier it is to break down in the soil. As with the banana peel, we will also make an infusion with the eggshells. Pour the water into the pot and add the shells. Once it reaches the boiling point, let it sit for another five minutes. Turn off the heat and let the infusion cool. We fill the bottle with the liquid, and it is ready to fertilize our soil. We can pour in some of the infusion as we pour. Eggshells contribute magnesium, potassium and phosphorus to the soil. More is not always better, so I recommend you maintain the ratio of water and eggshells to avoid adding excess magnesium to the soil and plants.
