Grow Your Own Food: Fertilizers

We’re in summer season, everyone’s plants are growing up nice and big but there is always room for improvement. Not to mention that over time, all those plants (especially in pots) need a nutrition boost. Sure they may have had enough nutrients to start with, but they will eat it all up as they are photosynthesizing and growing bigger roots, not to mention flowers and fruits! So, for many this just means going to the store and grabbing some weed and feed, however, this year I’ve been using more natural methods. This is not out of an urge to go organic but out of an urge to try something different and improve my knowledge of plant biology. Here, I’ll explain what plants need to grow, what each nutrient does, and what you can use in your own kitchen to help your garden out.

In terms of things that every plant needs, a nutrient in plant terms is just a element in chemistry and they are ranked based on how badly your plant will need them to continue growing. The primary nutrients are Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium. They are often measured with the NPK ratio which tells you how many pounds of each element are in the bag of fertilizer (for example: 5-5-5 on a 100lb bag of fertilizer just means 5lbs Nitrogen, 5lbs Phosphorus, and 5lbs Potassium). These are known as the big three and that’s because they are really important to the growth of your plants. Nitrogen is a big factor in the chlorophyll molecule and that is what causes not just the green color on your plants, but photosynthesis. The rest of those are obtained from the air for the most part, so having enough Nitrogen in the soil is essential to the development of those vegetables. Phosphorus helps the plant move energy around from its roots to its leaves and also helps in flower and root development. It also moves rather slowly through the soil, so you need to get it deep into the soil where the roots are. Lastly, Potassium helps the plant tolerate the world around it by helping regulate the metabolism and water regulation. It also helps with root development so if your plant is not handling the outside very well, it probably needs a little Potassium.

Recycling has never been this useful.

The next three, the secondary nutrients, are important but not as much as the big three. Often they are more likely to be enough within your soil, but if you’re pot gardening like me, it does not hurt to consider adding them into the soil as plants will eat them up quick in limited amounts of soil. First of these is Calcium, which like Potassium, helps the plant deal with stressful conditions and help add strength to the cell walls. Often, it is needed for plants like tomatoes and peppers to prevent blossom end rot which is where the fruit rots at the end where the flower was. Another of the secondary nutrients is Magnesium, which is the other soil based element that is needed for chlorophyll molecules. Often if you need rapid leaf growth, this is the chemical you need as it will speed up the production of leaves on your plant dramatically. The last element is Sulfur, which is needed for both chlorophyll development and synthesizing proteins within the plant. Also it helps with the nitrogen cycle within the ground. Needless to say, plants love the stuff a lot, often though, there should be enough within the soil but sometimes you need to supplement.

Okay, so now you’re wondering what possibly could have all these chemicals in it and be found inside your kitchen? Well, nitrogen can be gained in a lot of ways, I’ve used a diluted amount of milk in my water I’m giving the plants, but another easier one is coffee grounds. They also make the soil acidic though, so be careful with basic soil loving plants. However, tomatoes and plenty of other fruits love acid so feel free to add it, just watch out for wet coffee grounds, you do not want to add mold by accident! It’s also a good source of Phosphorus as well. What about Potassium? Well, where do you get Potassium? Bananas have a lot and there is plenty within the peels. Eat a few bananas and add the peel chunks into your garden. Calcium is also something gained from food waste: eggshells are mostly Calcium. Also, if you leave them in sharp edges around the plants, they will help deter any snails or slugs from crawling onto them. Lastly, there is magnesium and sulfur, which both are found in Epsom salts, which is extremely cheap in most drug stores.

Good for sprains, bruises, constipation, and for making sure your leaves grow big.

So you know what has what, how do you know what to put in? Well, look at what your plant needs. Is it lacking leaves? Is it fruiting? Do you want its roots to go deeper into the soil? Think of what your plant is telling you by how it looks and expand from there. Also, be careful not to overdo it. Once a week at most, and learn your measurements. When I add Epsom salts to my water, I only use maybe half a tablespoon to my half gallon jug. Keep it small doses, and your plants will thank you for not accidentally making them sick with too much!

So how do you help your garden grow? I also always talk to plants, not only does it amuse me, but it does give them a fresh breath of Carbon Dioxide. Let me know your tips below and I will see you next week for Horror Tuesday!