If you’re passionate about gardening and want to nurture your plants naturally without breaking the bank, making your own free fertiliser is a fantastic solution. This guide will take you through a simple, effective way to create rich organic fertiliser using common garden waste and a few easy-to-find ingredients. Not only is this method sustainable and economical, but it also produces powerful nutrients to boost your plants’ health and harvest.
What You’ll Need to Get Started
Making your own DIY free organic fertiliser is surprisingly straightforward. Here’s all you need:
- A bucket: Any size will do, but ideally something with a lid to keep things contained and make the process easier.
- Rainwater: This is essential because rainwater contains beneficial microbes and no chlorine, unlike tap water. If you only have tap water, leave it out for a while so chlorine can evaporate before using it.
- Plant material: Weeds, grass clippings, or other garden scraps make excellent base materials. Instead of throwing these away, you’re turning them into a valuable resource.
Boosting Your Fertiliser’s Nutrient Content
While standard garden waste will produce a balanced nutrient mix, you can supercharge your fertiliser by adding specific plants:
- Comfrey: This powerhouse plant is packed with potassium, which is especially beneficial for fruiting plants like tomatoes and chillies. Adding comfrey to your mix can improve the size, taste, and health of your harvest.
- Clover: Often mistaken for a weed, clover is excellent for fixing nitrogen in soil and staying lush even in drought conditions. It provides a natural nitrogen boost to your fertiliser, helping plants grow strong and green.
Preparing Your Plant Materials
To speed up the decomposition and fermentation process, it’s helpful to chop or break up your plant matter. You can use garden shears or an edging tool for this. Breaking down the weeds and clippings increases the surface area, allowing microbes to work faster and more efficiently.
For an extra nutrient boost, consider adding worm bin leachate (sometimes called worm tea). This liquid is the drippings collected from worm bins and is teeming with beneficial microorganisms that accelerate fermentation and enrich the fertiliser.
Fermentation: The Secret to Rich Organic Fertiliser
Once your bucket is filled with plant material and water, it’s important to keep everything submerged. Use a rock, bricks, or similar weight to press the plant matter below the surface. This helps create an anaerobic environment where fermentation can happen effectively.
Do not seal the bucket completely. Leaving the lid loose allows gases like COâ‚‚ and methane to escape, preventing pressure build-up and messy spills.
Place the bucket outside in a sunny spot. The warmer the weather, the faster the fermentation process will proceed. Patience is key here—give it about a week before checking back.
Checking and Handling Your Fertiliser
After a week, open your bucket carefully—it will likely have a strong, pungent smell. This is normal and a sign that fermentation is underway. You’ll notice bubbles rising in the liquid; these are CO₂ produced by the microbes working their magic.
The plant material will have broken down significantly. You can leave some residue in the bucket to maintain the beneficial bacteria and speed up future batches. Remove excess solids if the bucket becomes too full, and add those to your compost pile. Thanks to fermentation, any seeds in the mix will no longer be viable, so they won’t cause weeds in your compost.
Using Your Concentrated Fertiliser Safely
The liquid you’ve produced is highly concentrated and should never be applied directly to plants without dilution. Stir the liquid well to mix the nutrients evenly, as some will settle at the bottom.
Mix your fertiliser at a ratio of about 10 parts water to 1 part fertiliser. Use a watering can or jug to dilute it properly before feeding your plants.
Feeding Schedule for Best Results
To maximize the benefits of your free fertiliser, apply it regularly but not every time you water. During early growth stages, feeding once every two weeks works well. When plants are actively growing and fruiting, increase to once a week or even twice a week for a nutrient boost.
For drip irrigation systems, avoid using this fertiliser as it can clog the emitters. Instead, apply it directly to the soil around your plants.
Keeping Your Fertiliser Cycle Going
One of the best parts about this method is that it’s sustainable and self-perpetuating. After each batch, leave some of the fermented plant matter in the bucket and keep adding fresh weeds or grass clippings. Mash them down and let the fermentation process restart quickly thanks to the existing beneficial bacteria.
This continuous cycle means you’ll always have a supply of nutrient-rich, free fertiliser for your garden, reducing waste and improving soil health season after season.
Conclusion: Free Fertiliser Made Simple and Effective
Creating your own organic fertiliser from garden leftovers is a rewarding way to support your plants naturally. By using a bucket, rainwater, and common garden waste like weeds and grass clippings, you can produce a potent fertiliser that’s rich in essential nutrients. Enhancing your mix with plants like comfrey and clover further boosts potassium and nitrogen, key elements for healthy, fruitful plants.
The fermentation process, aided by worm bin leachate and proper submersion, transforms ordinary plant scraps into a powerful liquid fertilizer. Remember to dilute it before use and follow a sensible feeding schedule for best results. Plus, keeping the cycle going means you’ll enjoy a steady supply of free fertiliser all year round.
Give this organic fertiliser method a try and watch your garden thrive sustainably and economically. Stay spicy and happy gardening!