Is there anything better than enjoying the wonderful weather in your own garden? Gardening is fun and good for the mind and soul. Sustainability is one of the biggest gardening trends in 2022 and more and more hobby gardeners are choosing to grow their own fruit and vegetables. After all, everything that you grow yourself tastes much better. In order for the plants to bloom beautifully and produce a high-yield harvest, they need sufficient nutrients in addition to sun, air and water. You can easily get this when fertilizing. However, you shouldn't immediately resort to chemical products from the store. To save your wallet and promote optimal plant growth, you could, for example, use kitchen waste as fertilizer. Whether banana peels, eggshells, coffee grounds or rhubarb leaves – organic waste is full of nutrients and is too good to throw away. We'll explain exactly how fertilizing with kitchen waste works and which method is suitable for which plants in our article.
What should you pay attention to when fertilizing with kitchen waste?
Food waste has become a global problem in recent years and a whole mountain of food ends up in the bin every year. In Germany alone, around 6.7 million tons of food waste is generated every year. Some kitchen waste is too good to throw away and can be used in many different ways. For example, you coulddo not throw away the cucumber peelsand use them against ants in the house instead. Sprinkle coffee grounds in the bed or water the plants with stale beer? Kitchen waste as fertilizer works great and is undoubtedly one of the biggest gardening trends of 2022.
To promote plant growth, you should only use organic fruit and vegetable scraps when fertilizing with kitchen waste. Exotic fruits in particular, such as bananas, are often exposed to large amounts of insecticides and fungicides. It is also important that you know the pH value of the soil. In order to prevent possible mold formation and so that the nutrients are better absorbed, you should first chop up the leftovers well and dry them. A layer of mulch is also ideal to protect the soil from drying out.
Kitchen waste as fertilizer: Fertilize plants with coffee grounds
Next time you drink your morning espresso, don't throw away the coffee grounds. Coffee not only makes people feel energetic, but can also have a positive effect on our plants. The coffee grounds contain potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen - active ingredients that are responsible for...healthy growth of plantsare crucial. While potassium and phosphorus stimulate flower formation, nitrogen promotes shoot growth. UmCoffee grounds as fertilizerTo use it, you should first collect it and let it dry thoroughly. Then either mix it with the potting soil or sprinkle it under the plant and you're done - it's that easy to use kitchen waste as fertilizer. You can fertilize the following plants with coffee grounds:
- Rosen
- Geraniums
- Hydrangeas
- Blueberries
- Rhododendron
- Fuchsien
- Azaleas
Eggshells as Pflanzendünger
Eggs are ideal for a balanced breakfast and the eggshells also offer our plants a good “meal”. Eggshells consist of 90% calcium and are therefore perfect for fertilizing with kitchen waste. Calcium improves nutrient absorption and is ideal for regulating soil pH. The eggshell also contains other important nutrients, such as copper, phosphorus and iron, which contribute to a productive harvest. This natural fertilizer is particularly ideal for garden plants that are mainly watered with rainwater. But before youthe eggshells as plant fertilizerYou should first check the lime content of the soil and water. If the value is too high, you should avoid this method.
To use eggshells to fertilize with kitchen scraps, you should first break them into very small pieces. To ensure there are no remaining yolks or whites on them, rinse the eggshells thoroughly. Otherwise you can attract bugs and we don't want that, right? After you have crushed the eggshells, work them into the top layer of soil. Alternatively, you can make your own natural liquid fertilizer by adding the peels to the irrigation water.
Eggshells as fertilizer are ideal for the following plants:
- Lavender
- lilac
- chives
- Geraniums
- Christrosen
- Rittersporn
- cloves
Fertilize with banana peels
Bananas are ideal for a power breakfast and the banana peels themselves are too good for the trash. It contains lots of important nutrients that benefit our plants and stimulate the formation of flowers and leaves. These include calcium, potassium, magnesium as well as sulfur and nitrogen in small amounts. Banana peels are ideal for fertilizing with kitchen waste, especially for flowering shrubs and roses. However, to avoid pesticides and fungicides getting into the soil, you should only use organic quality bananas. And this is how banana peels can be used as fertilizer:
- First chop the banana peels with a knife or in a blender. The smaller the pieces, the faster the nutrients reach the plants.
- Let the banana pieces dry in the sun for a few hours and then work them into the soil.
- Alternatively, you can make a banana decoction by soaking the peels in water for 24 hours. Then strain and water the plants as usual.
Kitchen waste as fertilizer: Use rhubarb leaves for fertilization
Whether as a mousse, compote or juicy cake – rhubarb is simply a must in summer. But instead of that notedible plantsLike throwing away rhubarb leaves, you can use the kitchen scraps as fertilizer. A potassium deficiency can cause your plants' stems or leaves to turn yellow. And because rhubarb leaves are rich in potassium, they are ideal for natural plant fertilizer. To promote plant growth and support leaf emergence, make a rhubarb leaf decoction and then use it as a natural fertilizer.
How to make your own rhubarb leaf decoction:
- First chop the leaves finely with a knife and put them in a pot with water in a 1:1 ratio.
- Bring to a boil and remove the pot from the heat.
- Let the leaves steep for 30-40 minutes and then strain through a sieve.
- Water the plants with the collected water.
Rhubarb leaves as fertilizer are ideal for vegetable plants that have a higher potassium requirement. These include, for example, celery, zucchini, tomatoes and potatoes.
Fertilize plants with beer
Do you have stale beer in the fridge? Then don't throw it away! You can actually use it to fertilize with kitchen scraps. Even if it no longer tastes good, barley juice is rich in valuable nutrients that stimulate flower formation and extend lifespan. To do this, simply mix the beer with water in a ratio of 1:2 and water your plants once or twice a month. Beer as a fertilizer is ideal for all indoor, balcony and garden plants that are exposed to a lot of light in the summer months.
