7 tips for fertilizing your houseplants naturally, and what to use
Spring is here, and with it comes the right time to encourage your houseplants to grow and give them extra nutrients so that they thrive in the long run. In this article, we present 7 tips on how to fertilize your plants (and give them nutrients and vitamins) using household scraps, so read on.
To start with, we cannot resist sharing a little general information, specifically why, how, when and with what to fertilize your plants.
Why fertilize?
Plants take up nutrients from the potting mix, and the amount of potting mix is limited by the size of the planter. However, this supply of nutrients does not last forever, and sooner or later the plant uses it up (that is why it is a good idea to repot your plants every now and then or replace part of their potting mix). If you want to encourage your plants, give them energy for faster growth and strengthen their resistance to pests, fertilizing is definitely worth it.
How to fertilize
So how do you give your plants nutrients so that they are healthier and bring you more and more joy? Above all, follow the instructions that come with the products you buy. Most fertilizers are applied with water, so it is a good idea to plan fertilizing in advance together with watering so that you do not overwater your plants unnecessarily. If you decide to fertilize at another time, make sure the potting mix is not dried out, so that the fertilizer can soak in better. Water the plant evenly with the solution and wait until the excess drains into the saucer, then remove the excess (pour it out). Never leave the plant standing in it.
TIP: If you are not sure about the fertilizer dose, do not be afraid to dilute the solution more (even by half). Sometimes less is more, and with fertilizer, this saying really pays off.
Beware of overfertilizing
Everything in moderation, and the same goes for fertilizing. If a plant receives too many nutrients, it can quickly start to decline and die: the leaves turn yellow and drop, or brown spots appear on the leaf edges, and a white crust on the surface of the potting mix can also point to too many minerals. These are all signs of an overfertilized houseplant.
When to fertilize
The best time to give your plants extra nutrients is at the start of the growing season (when plants wake up from their winter sleep), in other words, in spring. Plants are often exhausted after winter, and fertilizer gives them the energy to grow again and bring us joy once more.
Caution: Since spring is also the right time to repot plants, check the information on the packaging of the potting mix you bought, because some potting mixes are pre-fertilized. If you use such a potting mix, hold off on further fertilizing until the pre-fertilization period is over, which is usually 4 to 5 weeks. This way, you avoid harming your plants (we describe how too much fertilizer does harm later in the text).
When not to fertilize
We NEVER fertilize plants if they:
- Are sick or have not rooted yet (this does not apply to lignohumate)
- Have just been repotted (let your plants rest for a while after repotting, and find out about the potting mix you used, for example whether it was pre-fertilized)
- Are in dry potting mix (it needs to be moistened first)
- Are infested with pests and we do not know what they are (there are fertilizers that also work against pests, but to buy the right one, we need to be sure which pests we are dealing with)
- In winter, cut back on fertilizing or follow the instructions on the fertilizer packaging. With homemade fertilizers, it is enough to cut back or switch to lignohumate.
Chemical helpers
There is a wide range of fertilizers on the market that you can buy almost anywhere, including at our store or in our online store. There are various products made for specific types of houseplants, for example non-flowering plants, ficus plants, palms, succulents, orchids, and the list goes on. With these fertilizers, read the instructions for preparing the solution carefully, because overfertilizing could burn your plants’ root system. Premium natural fertilizers also include Weiki probiotics and Weiki organic fertilizer.
Household scraps
And finally, the promised tips for fertilizing with household scraps.
1. Banana peels, apple peels or onion skins
Do you have bananas or apples at home? Then you also have a source of natural fertilizer for your houseplants. First of all, do not throw away the peels. We will tell you right away what to do with them and how to turn them into fertilizer:
- Soak the peel in water (an empty canning jar works well: put the peel in it with water and close the lid)
- Let it steep for a day or two
- Use the infusion instead of your next watering
- You can also chop up the peels and work them into the soil
Bananas contain phosphorus, calcium and potassium, which support vitality and help increase resistance to pests and diseases. This way of fertilizing is suitable for all houseplants, but orchids in particular will really appreciate it.
You can use apple peels or even onion skins in the same way. Let onion skins steep for 2 days; you can also use the resulting infusion to fight pests, especially aphids.
TIP: If you have houseplants from the arum family, "aroids" (e.g., philodendrons and monsteras), or succulents that like more acidic soil, you can make them a watering solution from orange peels. Pour boiling water over orange peels, let them steep for a day or two and then water your plants with it. You can also dry the orange peels, crush and grind them, and then work them into the potting mix.
2. Potato, rice and lentil water (unsalted)
You can also fertilize with the water left over from side dishes cooked for lunch, but be careful: IT MUST NOT BE SALTED. Water from boiled potatoes (ideally once a week; it is best to boil the potatoes in their skins) is most appreciated by African violets (which then bloom profusely), while lentil water is a favorite of palms.
TIP: Do you have an aquarium at home? If so, you can also fertilize your houseplants with aquarium water.
3. Coffee grounds
Do you have a coffee maker? Then you also have a source of nutrients for your houseplants. Let the coffee grounds dry before use (on newspaper, for example); they are easier to handle that way. Gently work the dry grounds into the soil (or sprinkle them on top). You can repeat this once every six months.
4. Yeast
If you bake often and have a bit of yeast left over, you can make a fertilizing mixture that geraniums and orchids in particular will appreciate:
- Mix 10 g of yeast with a spoonful of sugar
- Pour a liter of warm water over it
- Let it stand for two hours
- Then mix it with water at a ratio of 1:5
5. Ash from a fireplace or grill
Wood ash (from briquettes or charcoal) is an alkaline fertilizer with plenty of phosphorus, magnesium, calcium and potassium. You can sprinkle it on the potting mix and then gently work it into the soil.
6. Eggshells
Eggshells are a rich source of calcium, which neutralizes the soil. Rinse any leftover egg off the shells, then crush them and grind them into a fine powder, which you work into the soil. You can also use the unsalted water left over from boiling eggs, or make an infusion from the shells by leaving them in water for 2 or 3 weeks.
7. Worm tea
Worm tea is like a drink for your houseplants. It is a liquid fertilizer that you can even make yourself at home through vermicomposting. The liquid forms naturally as fruit, vegetables, peels and other scraps that contain a lot of water break down. The vermicomposting container holds worms that feed on the waste as the food scraps decompose. The worms also release enzymes, which, together with other substances from the composting process, flow down into the bottom container in liquid form. We call this liquid worm tea. You can also get worm tea at home from the Urbalive worm composter.
We hope that after reading this article you have a better idea of when, how and why to fertilize your houseplants, and that you will find a use for some household scraps that you can now add to your plants’ regular diet.
Author: Bc. Jana Beránková