Although they are available in the supermarket all year round, cucumbers taste best in summer. I grow the crunchy vegetables myself every year - in my small garden. It takes a while from cultivation to harvest, but the result (if everything goes well) is more than satisfactory. And nothing actually tastes better than a salad with home-grown vegetables. Last year, as I was peeling a cucumber, I thought to myself: What can I do with the peel? The first answer was clear – put it in the compost. But would that be the only option? My inquisitive mind wanted to know more. And then I discovered the trick that you can use cucumber peels as fertilizer! Read on to learn how to do this and which plants will benefit from it.
Why are cucumber peels good as fertilizer?
Fertilizer is needed to provide plants with various nutrients that they need and are lacking. So you can use anything as fertilizer that would have a benefit for the plant. Such is the case with cucumber peels. They are rich in vitamins B, C and E and contain important minerals such as calcium, potassium, zinc, iron, phosphorus and magnesium, which also makes them great to eat. However, if you don't want to eat the peel, you can feed your plants with it.
Also interesting:This is how you can make your own fertilizer from banana peels!
DIY fertilizer from cucumber peels: there are two variants
In order to use the cucumber peels as fertilizer, they must be processed correctly. There are basically two methods of making a natural fertilizer. I present both below.
Make your own liquid fertilizer
A liquid fertilizer from cucumber peels can be made in just a few days. All you need is a suitable container with a lid and pure water. Here's how:
- Peel the cucumbers and place the peels in a sealable container. We would recommend a glass container so that you can observe the entire process.
- Fill the container with water. For 1 liter of water you need the peels of about 3 snake cucumbers.
- Place the container in the refrigerator and let the cucumber peels soak for about 2-3 days. Then strain them from the water.
- The resulting green liquid is your liquid fertilizer.
The liquid fertilizer made from cucumber peels mainly contains a lot of potassium and phosphorus. Phosphorus is vital for all plants to use the sun's energy and convert it into new growth. Potassium, on the other hand, is associated with the movement of water, nutrients and carbohydrates within plant tissue. Water your house and garden plants with cucumber water every 3 weeks and enjoy the lush growth. Do not overwater the plants with the homemade fertilizer. Too much of a good thing is often even harmful.
Dry and burn peels
You can also make ash from cucumber peels and sprinkle it into the soil around the plants. Converting husks into ash helps nutrients reach the soil more quickly. This promotes soil fertility. How to make the organic fertilizer:
- Peel a few cucumbers and lay the peels flat on a piece of aluminum foil.
- Allow the peels to dry completely in the sun.
- Place the dried peels in a heat-resistant container (e.g. glass or stainless steel), light a match and burn until ash is formed.
- Collect the cucumber ash and sprinkle it on the ground. Use 2-3 teaspoons for small plants and 4-5 teaspoons for large plants.
Which plants can you fertilize with cucumber peels?
The liquid fertilizer, which is made from soaked cucumber peels, contains many valuable substances, but is particularly rich in phosphorus and potassium. It is therefore well suited for plants that have a high phosphorus or potassium requirement. Both flowering and fruit-bearing plants will benefit from the phosphorus in cucumber water. Popular vegetables such as potatoes, tomatoes and leeks, on the other hand, need a potassium-rich fertilizer and can also be supplied with cucumber fertilizer.
Homemade organic fertilizer is not only useful in the garden. For houseplants, cucumber water is a real energy drink that ensures lush growth. Try the home remedy yourself and see for yourself how effective it is.
What else the cucumber peel can do
Did you know that various insects and small animals don't like the smell of cucumbers? The cucumber peel is therefore a good repellent and keeps uninvited guests such as ants away from your plants. All you need to do is add a few fresh peels in the pot or around the plants to keep the insects away.
For more ideas on what you can do with cucumber peels, read our article “Why shouldn't you throw away the cucumber peels and what could you make with them?“
