Fertilizing the Garden Naturally

Fertilizing the garden does not have to be a laborious process, nor does it have to include harsh chemicals. Fertilizing the garden naturally is quite easy and involves using household waste in an environmentally friendly way in an environmentally sustainable fashion.

Garden fertilizer is easy to obtain around the house. The simplest form of garden fertilizer is used coffee grounds. Instead of throwing spent coffee grounds into the trash, try throwing them in the garden instead. Simply take the grounds from the coffee maker and spread them in the garden. Spent coffee grounds add a natural source of nitrogen to the soil in a readily available source. The roots of plants can easily obtain the nitrogen from the coffee grounds once placed on top of the soil, no digging in required.

Consider using parts of plants as a ground cover instead of throwing them away. Rhubarb leaves are poisonous to people, but make a nice addition to the soil once broken down. Simply place the rhubarb leaves on the soil where soil is exposed in the garden to keep weeds at bay while the rhubarb leaves decompose. Other plants, such as spent pea vines, add a considerable amount of readily available nitrogen to the soil immediately.

Banana peels make a nice addition to the soil. In order for the banana peels to break down quickly, cut them up and dig them into the soil an inch or so below the surface. Banana peels add much-needed potassium to the soil quickly as they rapidly break down.

Throw peals, leaves, and shredded newspaper into the compost bin. Be sure to mix up the compost from time to time to aerate it. Depending upon the composting method used, compost can be ready to add to the soil in a matter of weeks. Compost adds nitrogen, phosphate, and potash to the soil, the three main elements in healthy, productive soil.

Fertilizing the garden naturally has less to do with materials used and more to do with the mindset of the gardener. The whole concept of fertilizing the soil naturally is to strengthen the soil itself, as soil is an integral part of a beautiful, productive garden. When synthetic chemicals are used in the garden, they actually weaken the soil and often kill beneficial microbes in the process and cause the soil to become an inhospitable environment for microbes, beneficial insects, and even plants themselves. Fertilizing the garden naturally will, over time, help to create a strong, healthy environment for plants to grow.