Some of the best fertilizers available can be made and they are chemical free. If you’re an organic gardener this is a big plus. Plus the price is right. What I save by making my own garden plant food I spend on seeds. And a gardener can never have enough seeds!
I like fertilizer teas. My favorites are Compost tea and Manure tea. They are very easy to make.
I use a three pound coffee can and fill it with either homemade compost or manure. Any manure will do except for pet (cat and dog) manure. I make a bag out of cloth. Then I scoop the compost or manure into the bag and make sure it is sealed tightly. Usually I tie a string around the top and that holds it. .
Tie the bag to the side of a 5-gallon bucket filled with water and let set for a couple of days. Remove the bag and toss the leftovers into a compost pile. Store the fertilizer tea until you are ready to use it. I store it in a dark place, usually the barn or garage.
I put one cup of tea into one gallon of water, shake well, and apply it to my garden plants. I usually use the fertilizer before it can go bad but if the tea gets a smell, dump it in your compost pile and make another batch.
I have also used comfrey tea and casting tea, which is manure from earthworms. Casting make a great tea and I even add it to my potting soil.
Your homemade fertilizer tea will work as well as any store bought plant foods.
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