Using fertilizer is a great way to help plants grow — from houseplants to wildflowers, vegetables, and more. And if you already have any plants, then you're one step closer to having free, homemade fertilizer, one gardener explained.
The scoop
Flower farmer Madeline (@madelinetriesherbest) shared a video describing her quick, cheap, DIY method using what she called "garden trash."
@madelinetriesherbest Finally got around to turning some pruning scraps & weeds into homemade fertilizer! #gardening #gardentok #summer #urbanfarming ♬ original sound - madeline 🌱
"Finally got around to turning some pruning scraps and weeds into homemade fertilizer!" she enthused.
Taking the camera around her garden, she demonstrated how she had collected clippings from multiple plants — including tomatoes, flowers, and weeds — simply during routine maintenance.
"I spent good money fertilizing these tomatoes, and I don't want any of the growth to go to waste," she said.
To turn the clippings into fertilizer, she demonstrated putting them into a bucket and chopping them into small pieces using a shovel.
"Then I fill the bucket with water and cover it," she said. "I'll let this ferment for a few weeks and voilà: Free fertilizer made from scrap plants."
How it's working
Scrap plant composting is a popular method, along with the use of kitchen scraps, eggshells, coffee grounds, and even less obvious substances like fish tank water and fireplace ash.
Each of these methods works by contributing vitamins, nutrients, and other compounds to the soil, helping the plants grow healthy and strong.
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And when you use fertilizer to garden, especially to grow your own food, there are numerous benefits. People who garden regularly have been found to be healthier and less stressed than their counterparts without a green thumb.
Locally grown produce is also cheaper and more nutritious than imported produce, as fruits and vegetables lose their nutritional value the longer they are in transit. This also applies to taste — anything brought across oceans or continents won't taste as fresh as something carried to the table from the backyard.
And if you're keen to rewild your yard with native plants instead of produce, you'll still be saving money by cutting down on the labor and maintenance associated with traditional grass lawns. These native lawns also support pollinators, which in turn help form the foundation of a healthily functioning ecosystem and food chain.
Whether you're growing flowers or potatoes, though, you're saving money by cutting out pollution from importing produce or using diesel-powered lawn tools — all of which helps create a more stable future.
What people are saying
Commenters were eager to try out the low-lift fertilizer method.
"Girl what!? i have to start doing this!" one person enthused. "Gratitude for teaching me."
One person mused, "Ooh i wonder if I could do this in old cat litter buckets."
Madeline's answer? Yes — as long as they have a tight-fitting lid. That's two re-uses in one!
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