Organic is everywhere, right from farming upto harvesting, from food to medicine. So even fertilizers can be prepared better in an organic way.

 

Using Organic fertilizers is a hygienic, safe and quite cheaper way to feed your plants for satisfactory growth that too without using chemicals on their delicacy.

 

Many of us are now aware enough of Organic fertilizers, But just to start with let's recollect its conceptual definition.

 

‘Organic fertilizers or compost is the mixture of animal matter, animal waste also known as manure, human excreta and vegetable waste etc.’

 

Why is Compost better?

 

So here is the answer, Unlike Chemical fertilizers, Organic fertilizers are naturally prepared without using any Harmful chemicals to nourish the soil as well as the plant without no harm to earthworms and other microorganisms necessary to maintain soil health. They are environment -friendly too.

 

Dry fertilizers are nutrition-rich and safe for seedlings whereas liquid fertilizers can be easily absorbed by leaves and roots when the plant really really needs nutrients to Survive.

 

Compost enhances water holding capacity of the soil and improves plant growth and health.

 

So let's check how you can easily create compost at home with the material available at your place like food or garden waste. Before starting lets see what adds what into your compost

 

1. Food waste adds Nitrogen

2. Dried Leaves adds carbon

 

Nitrogen is required for growth and development of the plant and Carbon is required for the photosynthesis process of the plant.

 

Using Kitchen and Garden Waste

 

With the proper process and care for preparing compost from kitchen and garden waste you can nourish your plants to see their satisfying growth and health.

 

Equipment:                         Terracotta pots (Approx. 12 to 18 inches deep and 12 inches wide with a hole at bottom or alongside for aeration), few pebbles or
                                                 aeration stones to be placed at bottom of the pot, trowel to shuffle up the compost mixture

 

Material to be mixed:     Food waste like fruits, vegetables or vegetable peels, dried leaves/grass, grass clipping, curd (to grow microbes into your mixture),

                                                 a handful of wet soil

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Sunlight:                                Not actually needed

 

Temperature:                    Moderate Temperature, The place should be warm and a bit humid (not much) where you have placed your compost pot

 

Time span:                           2-3 months

 

Tips:                                               1. Try to avoid using plastic bucket for preparing compost, plastic is not permeable at all and also it might cause bad smell coming out
                                                    of it

 

                                                 2. Add dried leaves/grass regularly to avoid bad smell and shuffle the mixture on regular intervals (every 2-3 weeks), It will also help to
                                                     maintain carbon-nitrogen proportion in the soil

                         

                                                 3. If your mixture is too wet then let it dry completely and then only start adding food waste

 

                                                 4. DO NOT add newspaper or tissue paper into your mixture as their decomposition rate is very slow

                     

                                                 5. While adding food waste do not add too many chilies or lemon/orange which might slow down decomposition process

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                                                 6. While adding eggshells, crush them into a powder and then use it

 

                                                 7. NEVER use weeds, diseased plant waste, meat, oil (or anything containing oil) Dog or cats excreta etc. these stuff may smell bad and
                                                     attract insects or animals like rats.

                                                 8. Keep the pot outside of your house as intruders like cockroaches can get attracted towards it

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Vermicomposting

 

Vermicomposting is an organic fertilizer made with the help of various types of earthworm and food wastage and other things which can be used for preparing compost. It is just like our organic compost which we studied above. The only difference is worm casting. I would suggest buying this from the market as we hardly get earthworms in our surroundings.

 

Using Kitchen water

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Large amount of the water gets wasted in the kitchen when you soak or wash pulses/vegetables/fruits in.

 

You can use this water as the natural fertilizer for your plants. It will also reduce your efforts of watering the plants daily and will show enormous healthy growth of your plant.

 

Rice water is also a good option to nourish your plant. It is a rich source of starch which is required to store the energy required for the plant growth. It also enhances bacterial growth inside the soil which increases the amount of nitrogen in the soil.

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Using Seaweed solution

 

If you are a plant lover and want to fertilize your plant naturally but…..You are staying at a place where you don’t get kitchen waste/kitchen water (like a hostel, for studying bachelors) then you can make use of a seaweed solution to fertilize your plant.

 

Seaweed solution is made up of marine algae which grows in oceans, It is extremely rich in nutrients.

 

Mix a 3 ml of seaweed solution into one litre of water. Add it to the plant until you see excess water running out of the aeration hole at the bottom of the pot.

 

Note: Fertilize your plants every 2 months for better results.