Fertilizers for the Garden and for Houseplants That Cost You Nothing!

Photo credit: bigstock.com

Photo credit: bigstock.com

Fertilizer from Animals

Although Fido won’t be able to help you much in this area, there are plenty of other animals that can help you make outstanding fertilizer. The best fertilizers are:

  • Manure from non-meat eating animals such as goats, rabbits, chickens, horses, and cows.
  • Manure from bats. Although these do eat insects, the manure from bats is one of the best fertilizers around.
  • Blood meal (dried animal blood)
  • Bone meal (ground animal bones)
  • Fish heads, tails, bones, and guts
  • Shrimp shells
  • Worm castings

You might find some of these fertilizers for sale on your store shelves, but why pay for something you can get for free?

 

SEE ALSO: 5 Super Easy to Grow Veggies for Your Own Organic Produce

 

There are a couple other types of fertilizers that don’t fall into any of these categories, and although they might seem a bit strange, they work amazingly well.

  • Human Urine: This sounds gross and strange at the same time, but the truth is, human urine is rich in nitrogen, potassium, and phosphate, which makes a really well balanced meal for your plants. Don’t worry, your pee is sterile, so it won’t hurt your plants. But don’t line up your husband and sons and ask them to fertilize the garden, as urine is strong and can burn your plants. This is why grass tends to turn yellow or brown when dogs pee on it. Dilute one part of urine to 10 parts of water. So if you get one cup of pee, dilute it with 10 cups of water, then soak the plant roots, avoiding the leaves. This makes for the most beautiful roses you have ever seen!
  • Epsom salts: Although you should NEVER put regular table salt in your garden, Epsom salts are mostly made of magnesium, which is great for making your plants a deep green and encourages growth.  Just one or two doses of Epsom salts will give you beautiful flowers, bigger houseplants, and more tomatoes, potatoes and peppers. Mix one tablespoon of Epsom salt into one gallon of water. Spray the leaves for best results.
  • Human Hair: It’s true! Studies show that when human hair that had been discarded from Barber shops was added into the soil, plants grew at a substantially better rate. So collect that hair from those hairbrushes around your house and work it into the soil. Who knew?

Happy gardening friends!

References:

Livescience.com

Jrscience.wcp.muohio.edu

Ucanr.edu

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One Comment

  1. Gabe

    May 29, 2015 at 7:56 pm

    Powdered kelp is also a very good inexpensive fertilizer, rich in micro-nutrients. You can purchase it relatively cheap at, http://www.herbalcom.com/index.php3?session=de3efd134e527fdea1840cecd8006913