Yes, you can create your own fertilizer at home! There are plenty of recipes out there that tell you how to make fertilizers at home using bone or blood meal, worm castings, and even coffee grounds, eggshells, and banana peels. But this recipe is all herbal, loaded with lots of goodies to keep your plants nourished all season long.
If you don't want to DIY your fertilizer, but still want an organic option, I have also been using this exact fertilizer this season and LOVE it. I add 1/4 cup to my 3 gal watering can and use it on my flowers bi-weekly. (If you click that link and buy it, I'll get a few pennies off the sale!)
Best ways to use herbal fertilizer
One of my favorite ways to use this fertilizer is to mix it into my seed starting mix. I grind up all the ingredients as small as I can get them, and then add in a couple pinches to my mix before I put it in my plug trays or soil blocker. I used this for my last round of seedlings for the flower farm this year and oh my goddess! They grew SO much quicker and have outpaced even some of the seedlings I'd planted a month before!
You can also sprinkle it on top of the soil for your potted plants, so that the nutrients break down every time you water. I also take a couple tablespoons and let it sit in a jar of water for a day or so, then add in with my water (you can strain it or leave the little bits in there). I will use about a cup of the fertilizer water per watering can full (mine is about 3gal).
Herbal fertilizer ingredients and benefits
I use an equal amount of all of these ingredients, but encourage you to experiment to find a ratio that works best for your plants. I found all of these at Rebecca's Herbal Apothecary, but you can also look for them in your local herbal shops or online. Make sure you buy organic! And ideally, check to make sure they are sustainably sourced.
Kelp/Seaweed:
Kelp has 40 minerals in its leaves, many of which are not found in land plants. These contribute to plant growth and resilience. It can also activate beneficial microorganisms in the soil.
Yarrow leaf:
Yarrow absorbs magnesium, potassium, phosphorous, copper, and calcium which are returned to the soil when using it as a mulch or fertilizer. You can use yarrow flowers, but I recommend the leaves, as flowers may contain seeds which sprout if adding it to your seed starting mix.
Alfalfa:
It has high nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) content (approx. 3 - 1 - 3), as well as many other nutrients. Plus, it has lots of protein, amino acids, fiber and sugars which feed beneficial microorganisms in the soil.
Yucca:
Contains natural saponins which protect against plant pathogens (diseases). It also helps increase water and nutrient absorption.
Comfrey leaf or root:
Comfrey absorbs tons of nutrients and stores them in a form that Is readily bio-available for plants to uptake when used as fertilizer.
Nettle:
High in multiple vitamins and other nutrients that are beneficial to plants. Note: Nettle is a common weed, but can sting you, so please wear gloves if foraging your own. Additionally, it's high in iron - leafy greens will love it but tomatoes will want less of it.
Let me know if you try this and how it works for you! Thanks for reading :)
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