5 little-known types of organic fertilizers that are great for strengthening your little plants (+ bonus)

Taking care of a garden or garden requires a lot of love and a lot of dedication. Generally, we struggle between having the patience and time to create our own fertilizer — preserving the environment and our health —; or follow the path of practicality, looking for the cheapest fertilizer available on the market shelf.

We, from awesome.club, we love to encourage any practice that collaborates with the preservation of the planet. For this reason, we spoke with agronomist and genetic improvement researcher Irtes Aparecida Barros Oliveira to comment on five types of organic fertilizers that you may not know about, but which are effective for the growth of your little plants. Look:

The nettle plant can be used both for medicinal use and for the production of organic fertilizer. In this second option, the fermented extract is used (we explain below how to prepare it). “Nettle, unlike other types of fertilizer, has an antiparasitic function, in addition to being an excellent repellent for pests such as aphids or white mold”, commented Irtes Oliveira.

The professional warns of the stipulated periods of use, since “everything in excess can be harmful, in addition to the plant having a high rate of toxicity”.

Cut off the stem and leaves of the plant and soak them in a bucket of water for about a week. Wear gloves when handling. Do not leave the preparation exposed to the sun. Remember to leave it at room temperature, otherwise the fertilizer may lose nutrients. After seven days, remove the leaves and stems from the bucket. Place the extract (or water) in a spray bottle. Spray only once a week and within a period of up to a month or so (it will depend on how your garden is developing and recovering). If you need to continue using the extract, you will need a 15-day break to resume the application.

The extract is rich in nutrients such as nitrogen and other minerals, in addition to contributing to better photosynthesis in your garden. Between three and seven days, the plant already starts to react to the preparation, being able to check the expected result visually. It’s great for growing chives, parsley or parsley, for example.

This resource is a very unusual type of organic fertilizer, but very effective. Are you going to prepare a dish that takes shrimp? Don’t forget to keep the leftovers (head and tail) of the crustacean, as it will serve to give life to your little plants.

“There is a lack of information for people to use organic methods more. There are few who know about the benefits or how to prepare the homemade fertilizer”, emphasizes the agronomist.

Open a hole of about 40 cm in the earth and deposit the remains of the crustacean. Cover the hole and leave them buried for a month — time needed to reach the fertilizer point. Do not withdraw before the deadline. Otherwise, it will just be leftover shrimp. After removing the fertilizer, incorporate it into a new amount of soil. Finally, add the preparation to the potted plant that will be cultivated.

This organic preparation is rich in phosphorus and nitrogen. Despite being a recently studied method, this resource is already indicated for home use and provides resistance to your garden.

“It is an expensive item. Depending on the place, it’s not worth using it. But it is still a great option for those who live on the coast”, exemplified Irtes.

Is there any leftovers from the fish made on Sunday? Or some part of fish that will not be used? Save it. It will be great for your crops. That’s right. We explain below how it works. The process is very similar to shrimp fertilizer.

Dig a hole about 40 cm in the ground. Deposit the fish remains. Bury them and reserve the fish remains underground for a month. After that, just mix the homemade fertilizer in a new amount of land and use it in the cultivation you prefer at home.

The agronomist reinforces that the fish can be used both before and after cooking, as it does not lose its properties. Tomato or corn plantations (if they are in larger areas) respond very well to this procedure.

“It is also rich in phosphorus and nitrogen. The roots will absorb nutrients more easily and maintain the nutritional balance of the soil. Your plant will have all the nutrients necessary for its growth, for a certain period, in a balanced way”, explains Irtes Oliveira.

You didn’t expect this one, did you? Because in addition to being a biological insecticide, wood ash excludes the use of any type of chemical product in your garden. If you have any piece of wood that is not useful and will be thrown in the trash, read the instructions below.

Make ashes of any wood without destination in the backyard (make sure the place is suitable for this – without dry leaves, on a cement floor and away from any flammable product). A large amount of wood is not needed. After burning it, use a sieve to separate the ashes from the large pieces. Dilute the ashes in water. The measurement would be a quarter of a cup to a liter of water. Spray the plant with natural fertilizer. It is not recommended to apply the ashes directly to the soil (although some people do this, it will not have the same result).

The agronomist comments that if the wood ashes are diluted in water, it will reduce the acidity of the soil. If you apply the ashes directly to the soil, this benefit will be left out. The mixture is also rich in potassium, fossil and nitrogen. Read more about this method here.

In addition to benefiting the fertilization process, ashes increase plant resistance and, like nettles, fight pests. The result is fast. If the plant is lacking in nutrients, then in three days it will begin to react and perk up.

This is the cheapest or most practical option of all — and no less effective. After mowing your garden, collect the grass. See below how it is used.

No secrets: Collect freshly cut grass. Apply handfuls to the crop you prefer.

After adding to the soil in your garden, the grass will provide nitrogen and other nutrients for your vegetable while it decomposes. Over time, the grass will provide moisture to the soil, which helps in the development of the vegetable. It’s a great tip for planting tomatoes, arugula and parsley.

This preparation is the most traditional; It can be made with eggshells, dry leaves, animal dung, coffee powder, fruit and vegetable peels, among others.

You will need three buckets with lids. A faucet kit to be installed in the bucket where the slurry will come out (you can find it in construction material stores). Stack the buckets and number them (1, 2 and 3) — number 1 is at the top and number 3 is at the bottom. On the edge and bottom of buckets 1 and 2, make holes with a drill or hot nail. Do not pierce the lid of bucket 1. The lid of bucket 2, which will be in the middle, should have several holes. Install the faucet on bucket three, which is the base of the three bucket column.

That’s it, just add eggshells, fruits and vegetables, dry leaves and cut grass in bucket 1. Wait about 40 days. Place bucket 1 in the middle and bring bucket 2 up. A few days later you will be able to collect the manure that comes out of bucket 3’s faucet.

Click here and watch the video to see how your homemade composter would look like. Or read this manual.

To reinforce the use of organic fertilizers in her plantations, genetic improvement researcher Irtes Oliveira guarantees that the amount of transgenics and chemical products used in industrial fertilizers is not ideal. Click here and read a study on organic fertilizers.

“For a small-scale garden, it is feasible to use these organic fertilizers that we mentioned. The environment suffers less. And your plant or garden will have the same nutrients”, he added.

Are we going to take care of the environment and our health by choosing one of the recipes above? We’d love to hear what you think of these organic fertilizers. Oh, and if you have a vegetable garden, share a photo in the comments. 🇧🇷