There are various ways to source natural nutrients to feed your plants. For example, you can make several varieties of fertilizer tea with each one providing different benefits. Dandelions, grass clippings, and even seaweed are all free resources you can use to nourish your plants through the soil or foliar sprays.
The basic process for making fertilizer teas is the same no matter what kind you choose. Simply place your solid source into a container of water, allow it to steep, and then strain it and save the "tea." Always put some type of cover on your steeping container as well to keep out mosquitoes. A screen mesh is best as the steeping process requires oxygen, and a tight lid will limit that. When your steeping bucket is ready, tuck it somewhere out of the way where you won't smell it. Fertilizer teas may feed your roses but the process of making them involves decomposition and smells more like a corpse flower.
The tea-making basics may remain the same, but the ratios of plant matter to water can change, as do steeping times and the dilution rate required when it's time to use your fertilizer. Read each recipe carefully to make sure you have the details down. Keep in mind that tap water from the garden hose contains chlorine and other chemicals. So, when possible, it's best to use water from your own rain barrel.
Dandelion is an annoying weed that also happens to be a perfect DIY fertilizer for your garden. To make a fertilizing tea with it, throw the entire plant into a large bucket. Fill the bucket with water, adding about 8 cups of water per pound of dandelions. Then, let your tea steep for two to four weeks. Stir the mixture once a week. When you're ready, strain the mixture and save the liquid "tea." Then, fill a fertilizer or foliar spray with water and add 1 1/2 cups of tea per gallon.
If you want to avoid straining your tea, you can place your dandelions in a cheesecloth or some other type of mesh and then place the mesh bag in the water. This essentially makes a dandelion tea bag that you can simply lift out of the water when you're done making your fertilizer. This trick works for all kinds of weed teas.
Dandelions make great fertilizer in part because they have such long roots. These tap roots reach deep into the soil and draw out nutrients more shallow-rooting pants in your garden can't access. Dandelions are rich in potassium which is particularly useful to fruiting plants. They're also full of vitamin A, vitamin C, magnesium, iron, and calcium.
