Plants need more than just Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium. They need 52 minerals to produce healthy, tasty and nourishing vegetables and fruits. Commercial fertilizers tend to focus only on the main 3. There are a number of ways to fertilize plants naturally. Below are some recipes we use on our homestead to provide our fruits and veggies the minerals they need.
Liquid Fertilizer
Dehydrated banana peels
Egg shells
Epsom salt
Blend all items in a blender until powdered. Mix 1/4 cup per gallon of water and spray on plants. If the plants are newer, side dress.
Kitchen scrap compost
We trench compost to save on smell and space. Dig a trench about 2 feet deep and 4 feet long. Line the trench with leaves and grass clippings. As you fill your in house compost container with kitchen scraps, dump in the trench. Add a layer of grass, leaves, whatever is around the yard that is not a weed. Add more kitchen scraps. Top with leaves again and stir it all up with a pitchfork. Top with hay and leave it for a couple three months. Don't worry about wetting it. It will rain.
We have also used this method to build a micro-climate to grow on. Once the trench is 6 inches from the top, add top soil and mulch. Plant in 3 months. We use this method when it is an area we are prepping for a later season veggie patch.
Kitchen scrap tea:
Toss your kitchen scraps in a 5 gallon bucket. When the bucket is half full add water and stir. Let this sit for a week. Pour off the tea in a sprayer with a 1:4 tea to water ratio. This method is not for the faint of heart, as it stinks to high heaven.
These recipes are just a few ways we nourish our soil. Please feel free to comment with your own. Happy Homesteading!
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