Homemade Fertilizer from Vegetable Scraps

Transform leftover vegetables into homemade fertilizer by using a little water and a food blender.

Originally posted on https://www.motherearthnews.com/

Even if you don’t compost, you can still put leftover food to work in your flower or vegetable garden.

We’re big fruit and vegetable eaters, so we have lots of rinds and peelings to dispose of. Those, along with coffee grounds, tea leaves and egg shells, really add up to a lot of potential compost.

I bought an inexpensive food blender, which I keep under the kitchen sink when not in use. Every day, I grind up all the peelings, grounds and shells with some water, and then I pour the mixture around my rhododendrons, azaleas and other shrubs. If we have any banana peels, I grind those up with some water and pour the mixture around my roses. Roses seem to love bananas! These “produce smoothies” really are good fertilizer; you should see my rhododendrons in bloom!

Extra Tip: You may want to bury the slurry, if possible, to reduce the risk of attracting rodents. You can also use this technique in a food garden by simply digging trenches and pouring in the mixture!

Kathleen Cabeceiras
South Prairie, Washington

Originally posted on https://www.motherearthnews.com/