Liquid fertilizer, also known as 'compost tea', is a natural, organic alternative to store-bought products that can be expensive and contain ingredients you may prefer not to use in your garden. Unlike solid compost, which can take months to ferment and reach a beneficial state for your food and flower plants, liquid fertilizer can be made in about seven days and costs nothing to prepare.
Making liquid fertilizer maximizes the three main components that make compost and other organic matter so good for gardens and crops: Nitrogen, which encourages the growth of leaves on plants; phosphorus, which supports root strength and development; and potassium, which is needed for blossoming flowers, fruiting trees, vegetables, and vines.
Make the most of your discarded vegetable tops, apple cores, potato peels, and other fruit and vegetable scraps to create a powerful, chemical-free fertilizer. If your fruit and vegetable plants need help, this ready-to-use liquid fertilizer can be applied quickly and easily.
How to Make Compost Tea DIY Liquid Fertilizer
Photo by Guido Mieth on Getty Images
Follow these simple steps to make your own 'compost tea' fertilizer in as little as one week:
To get started, gather as many scraps as possible in a large pile and cut them into small pieces so they'll break down rapidly.
Get a five-gallon bucket and layer the chopped scraps with solid compost or manure until the bucket is half full.
Then, fill the bucket with water to cover the chopped leaves and compost layers completely. Make sure there's no chlorine in the water you use, since chlorine can kill the beneficial microbes that make liquid fertilizer so potent. If you plan ahead, you can collect rainwater, which works best for liquid fertilizer.
Use a long stick to mix the ingredients, ensuring everything is thoroughly soaked.
Loosely cover the bucket to keep out critters while allowing air to flow into the bucket and the mixture, which helps the process. Place the bucket in a shady spot.
After a week, you'll start to notice a very strong odor coming from the mixture. This means it has been fermented and is ready to use.
Photo by Guido Mieth on Getty Images
How to Use DIY Liquid Fertilizer on Your Lawn
When making your mixture, Tammy Sons, founder and CEO of TN Nursery, says, "Avoid adding onion or garlic scraps, or anything else too pungent. Earthworms and microbes won't come near it, and you want them there to feed your plants." Don't use meat or dairy scraps in your fertilizer, either, since they attract ants and rodents.
The fermented mixture is too strong to use straight from the bucket. You will need to dilute it by mixing one part fertilizer with ten parts water. Since your homemade fertilizer can't be pre-measured for nitrogen, phosphorous, or potassium levels, Aidan Charron, the Associate Director of Earth Day, says he always tests his mixture first "on a small patch of lawn to make sure that it is not too potent.
"The nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium levels will vary depending on what fruit and vegetables you use to make it. So testing it is always a smart thing to do."
When using liquid fertilizer, be careful to add it at the base of the plants, near the soil, to avoid saturating the leaves, flowers, and crops. The potent mixture can damage delicate plants. Charron suggests using a watering can or sprayer and limiting its use to once a week.
How to Make Your Liquid Fertilizer Even More Potent
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To boost the potency of your homemade fertilizer mixture, try adding dynamic accumulators to the ingredients. These plants are excellent at extracting the beneficial nutrients from the soil, which are then added to the liquid fertilizer during fermentation.
Some of the best dynamic accumulator plants for this purpose are comfrey, yarrow, dandelion, and fresh grass clippings. Banana peels are also helpful.
Compost tea' liquid fertilizer is a practical and eco-friendly method for boosting your garden's output, growing healthier, greener crops, and getting bigger and more beautiful blossoms on your flowering plants.
It's easy to store liquid fertilizer in jars or tubs, but use it promptly to ensure it retains its nutrients and remains beneficial to your plants. Since it takes only a week to ferment, you can easily make a new batch as frequently as needed. Use it for keeping your trees, lawn, flowers, fruits, and veggies healthy and thriving while respecting the environment and spending little to no money.
