How to Make Your Own Organic Gardening Fertilizer

One of the best types of organic gardening fertilizer is compost. You can buy compost ready to use, or you can make your own. The first step when making your own compost is to get a compost bin that is at least three feet by three feet. Or, you can just start a pile on the ground. You will want to prepare the pile by putting down a layer of straw or dried cornstalks. Next, you will need to layer what organic gardeners call greens and browns. Greens include grass clippings and plants, while browns include dried leaves and hay. Another part of compost is kitchen waste.

You can use most any vegetable or fruit kitchen waste that you have. Uneaten produce, peelings, even coffee grinds can be added to your compost pile. You will want to alternate greens and browns, and keep your pile well moistened. Other examples of items you can add to your compost pile include wood ashes, seaweed, livestock manure, crushed shells, pine needles, cardboard and newspaper. As you can see, there are many different items that can be thrown on your compost pile. One thing you should not use is meat that is leftover, only vegetable, fruit and plant matter.

One great product you can make from compost is compost tea. Compost tea is a liquid fertilizer that can be applied to your garden soil. To make compost tea, you will need the following supplies: two 5 gallon buckets, 1 gallon of compost and 4 gallons of water. You will add water to your compost and allow it to steep for two to three days. Then, you will need to strain the mixture through cheesecloth into a clean bucket. The strained liquid should be immediately poured or sprayed onto the appropriate garden area. You can make more or less compost tea based on your needs.

In addition to making your own organic gardening fertilizer, you can make your own organic pest repellant as well. One of the easiest and most effective homemade repellants uses fragrant herbs steeped in vinegar. Pests hate spices like red pepper, cayenne and garlic, so be sure to include these in your homemade repellant. Even sprinkling pepper around your plants and flowers can be enough to keep certain pests away. Making your own fertilizer and pest repellant is a great way to take an active role in nurturing your organic garden.



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