How Does Your Garden Grow?

Gardening season is (finally) upon us!  Many of us turn to man-made, synthetic fertilizers to enhance our lawns and gardens, simply because we are unaware of the more natural, less expensive alternatives.  Here are some recipes for homemade fertilizers you can try at home:

1.  Coffee Grinds - Put your used coffee grinds to work as food for your acid-loving plants and lawn.  Coffee grinds are rich in Magnesium, Potassium, and Nitrogen, which are all essential plant nutrients.  You can use them by spreading them directly on your lawn, or by sprinkling them around the base of acid-loving plants such as roses, rhododendrums, and blueberries.  Be sure the grinds are dry before using them.
2.  Vinegar - This ingredient works best to make fertilizers for houseplants and for all types of acid-loving plants, as it works by increasing the acidity of the soil.  Mix 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar into 1 gallon of water, and water your plants with the solution every 3 months for fertilization. 
3.  Fireplace Ash - Fireplace ash that is produced from burning wood contains ample amounts of needed potassium and phosphate.  It can be used in place of Lime, as long as your soil is not alkaline. 
4.  Egg Shells - Dry out your used egg shells and blend them in a blender until they form a fine powder.  They can then be used in place of lime in your lawns, as egg shells and lime are composed of almost the exact same ingredients.  The main purpose of lime and its relatives is to balance soil acidity, increase beneficial bacteria activity, and to make other nutrients more easily available.
5.  Seaweed -   Sounds odd, I know.. but seaweed can be beneficial to our plantlife in many ways.  First off, it is a major source of carbohydrates which serve as food for the beneficial bacteria needed for optimal plant growth.  They also contain a plethora of necessary plant nutrients in their most bio-available (chelated) form.  If you live near the water, you can use whole pieces of collected seaweed (dried-out) directly on your lawn or plants.  It is also available as a liquid extract from many gardening stores or nurseries. 

Please feel free to share any homemade fertilizer recipes you may have!

Sources:  http://frugalliving.about.com/od/doityourself/tp/Homemade_Fertilizer.htm; http://www.greenlivingtips.com/articles/158/1/Natural-fertilizer.html; http://www.jasons-indoor-guide-to-organic-and-hydroponics-gardening.com/seaweed-fertilizers.html