Super easy way to make your own fertilizer
When you think about a thriving ecosystem, it’s easy to see the symbiotic relationship between plants and animals. Plants feed animals and, in return, animals fertilize plants through scat and decomposition. For the home gardener, you can replicate that benefit to plants by applying fertilizer to grass, vegetables, flowers, houseplants, trees and shrubs.
While you can buy fertilizer, once you know what’s in them, you can easily duplicate the process with items that are easy to find. In addition, most fertilizer ingredients are waste products themselves, so you get to put them to a new use.
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Benefits of making your own fertilizer
It may just be more convenient to make your own fertilizer. After all, it saves a trip to town. Making your own fertilizer is also an environmentally-friendly choice. It eliminates the bags and plastic buckets used in commercial products. Plus, if you make it yourself, you know what’s in it. This is especially important if you’re using it in your garden where it comes into contact with the food you eat. There are a variety of ingredients you can use in fertilizer. When creating your recipe for success, it’s best to understand what each ingredient contributes and how your plants benefit.
Manure
Perhaps the most ubiquitous fertilizer comes from manure, which makes sense because it’s high in nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. If you have a farm, you’ll have a large amount of usable manure. Make use of it by recycling it into fertilizer.
To make manure fertilizer, start by composting the manure along with any straw and hay bedding. Allow the manure pile to grow large. Test the contents occasionally to make sure they stay moist. If they begin to dry out, add some water to the pile.
The goal is to get the pile steaming hot — at least 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Once it has, move the pile to another area where it can cool and continue to break down. Leave the compost for two to six months while it breaks down. With two piles, you’ll be able to continuously produce fertilizers on an ongoing basis. When ready, apply it to the garden in thin layers, no thicker than one-half inch deep.
Manure can result in water pollution. Avoid this by keeping your piles away from water sources. Also cover the pile during heavy rains to avoid runoff.