A Simple Fertilizer

View our YouTube Short by clicking on photo.

I had to remind myself of the basics of fertilizing the last few weeks. Three simple ingredients that we use regularly in our home: coffee, eggs shells, and banana peels. That’s it!! The best part is I have complete control over making sure this is 100% natural- no added chemicals.

When looking at manufactured/commercialized/store bought fertilizers they will have three numbers listed that look something like this: 10-5-5. This lets you know the levels of Nitrogen, Phosphorus & Potassium in that particular fertilizer. The higher the numbers the more “manufactured” and less natural that fertilizer is.

Coffee grounds provide nitrogen. Egg shells provide calcium and banana peels contribute to calcium and provide phosphorus & potassium. Calcium is not listed but it is very much needed by plants to aid in the growth process. Blossom end rot on tomatoes? Could be due to a lack of calcium.

Keep collecting your 3 key ingredients and store them in a bin. Every once in a while give them a good stir and watch them break down. It will break down into a nice crumble that you will be able to add into your soil. I like to add it into my soil when I am potting up my seedlings. I add to flowers and vegetable starts alike. If you don’t start your own seeds you can sprinkle this over your entire garden before you start planting and mix it into your soil.