Make your own natural fertilizer for the garden

One of the best natural fertilizers is and remains compost. Almost all garden waste and a lot of kitchen waste can be converted into biological fertilizer here. Compost contains the necessary nutrients in balanced proportions, loosens heavy soils and ensures a higher storage capacity for water in sandy soil. In addition, with ripe compost there is no danger of overfertilizing quickly. Of course, not everyone has the space for their own compost in the garden. But there are a number of other ways to produce natural fertilizers yourself.

Herbal manure

A natural fertilizer that can be made from nettles and water has also proven itself. In almost every garden a few - if not whole masses - of the unloved plant grow in a corner. This organic fertilizer helps a gardener in two ways. On the one hand, he gets rid of the annoying nettle, on the other hand, he receives a good all-purpose fertilizer for all plants. Stinging nettles are high in nitrogen and contain important minerals such as phosphorus and iron. To make the manure you will need a few simple utensils:

• gloves
• Plastic bucket or wooden tub
• Scissors or knife Wire mesh or lid (to prevent animals from accidentally falling in)

Tip: Do not use metal containers for preparing the liquid manure! These can react chemically with the liquid manure.

Chop or cut the plant material into large pieces. You can use all parts of the plant except for the flowers. Pour the nettles into the cesspool and fill up with enough water to cover all of the material with water. Use rainwater or at least rainwater that has been stale for a while and exposed to the sun. Since the liquid manure ferments and forms foam, the container must not be filled to the brim. Remember that the fermentation process creates a very unpleasant odor. So it is best to place the vessel in the farthest corner of the garden.

• cover with mesh or rabbit wire
• stir daily
• after two to three weeks the liquid turns dark and the blistering stops
• now the liquid manure is ready
• Sieve the remaining parts of the plant

The liquid manure must be diluted before use. For older plants, 1 liter of nettle manure is diluted with 10 liters of water. Young plants and sensitive plants need a dilution of 1:20, the lawn can be fertilized with a 1:50 dilution.
Tip: A liquid manure made from dandelion, onion, garlic or horsetail has a similar effect.

Wood ash

The ashes of burned wood from the fireplace or the charcoal from the grill are ideal as natural fertilizers. Wood ash is rich in potash and also contains lime and trace elements. In addition, it has an anti-rot effect and against fungi (mold).

• Sprinkle the carrots and celery in the seed grooves
• roses also love wood ash
• good supplement to animal fertilizer (rich in potash, adjusts the pH value)

Manure

You can get manure free of charge almost everywhere. Maybe you keep a few animals yourself, have chickens or an aviary.

• Straw-like cattle manure: all nutrients are present in balanced quantities, good for strongly eating vegetables
• Dried beef manure: rich in potash, suitable for carrots, celery and roses
• Horse manure: belongs to the group of heat producing fertilizers, good for cold frames

Caution should be exercised if you intend to use manure from other species as fertilizer. Pig and bird droppings are very concentrated and sharp, making them easier to use Suitable for composting or at least "diluted" with sand or a good portion of earth should:

• Pig manure
• Poultry manure (guano): high phosphorus (up to 12%) and nitrogen content

Green manure

The principle of green manure is different from other fertilization methods with natural manure. The aim here is to optimize existing beds with the help of fast-growing plants. In this case, optimization means:

• Loosen the soil deeply
• Enrichment with nutrients and humus
• Control of diseases and pests

All in all, that means: improving the quality of the soil. For this purpose, the seeds of suitable plants are sown in spring or autumn and these are mowed before the seeds are ripe. Then they are simply worked into the ground. Plants that ensure good green manure:

• lupine
• Crimson clover or other types of clover
• Winter vetch

Tip: These plants bind nitrogen from the air, which is then available in the soil.

Coffee grounds

Some of the compostable household waste can be used directly as fertilizer without composting. Coffee grounds are produced in a large number of households. Instead of putting it in the organic waste bin, the powder used can also help the plants to grow well. Coffee grounds are an excellent source of nitrogen and potassium. In addition, the phosphorus it contains promotes

the metabolism of plants. Distributed in the garden, the natural fertilizer even attracts earthworms, which loosen up the soil and supply the soil with important nutrients. Anyone who spreads coffee grounds should make sure to work them well into the soil. Applied only superficially, it tends to form mold and quickly becomes so dry that the irrigation water or rain can no longer penetrate the soil. Alternatively, the coffee grounds can be added to the watering water. Since it is slightly acidic, it lowers the pH value of the soil to a small extent. This is especially ideal for plants that do not like calcareous soils.

tea

Loose black tea or brewed tea bags are good additions to the irrigation water. Pot and balcony plants in particular benefit from this. Simply let the tea work in the water for a few minutes and use it to water the plants.

Horn shavings

Horn shavings and bone meal are animal fertilizers made from slaughterhouse waste. The fertilizer mainly contains nitrogen and phosphorus. The coarser the material, the slower it is implemented (long-term fertilizer). The same ingredients as horn shavings also contain your own cut fingernails or toenails. However, the amount is usually not sufficient for large-scale fertilization.

Potato water

When cooking vegetables or potatoes, many valuable substances boil out that can be poured into the flower bed after cooling. Please do not pour on the flowers if you have used salt for cooking. The plants cannot tolerate that.

Incorporate kitchen waste into the flower beds?

Definitely not! Biodegradable waste may only be disposed of in larger quantities on the compost. During the decomposition process, high temperatures (over 60 degrees) arise, which only very few plants can tolerate!

Conclusion
Even with simple means, organic natural fertilizers can be produced inexpensively and without great effort. Compost still comes first as a natural fertilizer, but not everyone has the time and space for their own composting. Plant manure, manure and some other home remedies also have high nutrient levels. Even unsalted potato water can be used as an ecologically sound fertilizer.