Homemade fertilisers

It’s a liquid feed, usually made from plants, manure or homemade compost

Can refer to either home-made garden compost or seed/potting compost: • Garden compost is a soil improver made from decomposed plant waste, usually in a compost bin or heap. It is added to soil to improve its fertility, structure and water-holding capacity. Seed or potting composts are used for growing seedlings or plants in containers - a wide range of commercially produced peat-free composts are available, made from a mix of various ingredients, such as loam, composted bark, coir and sand, although you can mix your own. . Liquid is obtained by rotting down plants or steeping manure or homemade compost in water. This is then diluted and watered on as fertiliser to boost plant growth.

Feeds are organic (naturally based), since ingredients are derived from plant or animal matter.

Why use homemade fertiliser?

Homemade fertilisers are better for the environment than bought ones. This is because ingredients are collected locally and there is no industrialised manufacturing process or transport involved.

While the nutrient content is highly variable, depending on the ingredients used, homemade fertilisers support healthy growth.

• Plants: Use any with fresh green leaves and soft stems. At this stage they contain good levels of nutrients.
• Dried plants: Gather leafy material in mid-summer to early autumn and allow it to dry out, for making fertiliser later.
• Animal manure or garden compost
  Can refer to either home-made garden compost or seed/potting compost: • Garden compost is a soil improver made from decomposed plant waste, usually in a compost bin or heap. It is added to soil to improve its fertility, structure and water-holding capacity. Seed or potting composts are used for growing seedlings or plants in containers - a wide range of commercially produced peat-free composts are available, made from a mix of various ingredients, such as loam, composted bark, coir and sand, although you can mix your own. : Use homemade or locally sourced material. This is soaked in water to extract the nutrients.
• Wormeries and bokashi bins: Use liquid drained off these.
• Avoid: Shiny evergreen leaves or woody prunings.

Which plants are best?

Use whatever is abundant and close to hand. Ideally, collect “green” plant material from mid-summer to early autumn when nutrient and mineral content is at its highest. Popular plants for making liquid feed include:

• Comfrey (Symphytum spp.) – ‘Bocking 14’ is a popular cultivar
  Gardeners often use the word variety when referring to a specific plant, but the correct botanical term is 'cultivar'. Whichever word you use, it means a distinctive plant or plants, given a specific cultivar name and usually bred to enhance certain characteristics, such as flower or fruit size, colour, flavour or fragrance, plant size, hardiness, disease resistance, etc. Additionally, it is worth knowing that, botanically, variety has another meaning - it refers to a naturally-occurring distinct plant that only has slight differences in its looks. For example, Malva alcea var. fastigiata differs from typical plants by having an upright habit. because it's sterile, so won’t spread by self-seeding. Comfrey is usually high in potassium, especially when grown in clay soils.
• Nettles(Urtica spp.)– abundant in gardens and elsewhere. Wear gloves when collecting to avoid being stung.
• Weeds – collect annual or perennial
  Perennials are plants that live for multiple years. They come in all shapes and sizes and fill our gardens with colourful flowers and ornamental foliage. Many are hardy and can survive outdoors all year round, while less hardy types need protection over winter. The term herbaceous perennial is used to describe long-lived plants without a permanent woody structure (they die back to ground level each autumn), distinguishing them from trees, shrubs and sub-shrubs. weeds such as groundsel, sow thistle and bindweed from your garden.
• Bracken(Pteridium aquilinum)– grows widely across the UK on field boundaries, waste ground and commons. Avoid deliberately growing it in your garden since it can be invasive
  Invasive plants are those that grow vigorously, spread rapidly and can out-compete other plants. Native, non-native and cultivated plants can all be invasive. . Gather bracken fronds in spring and early summer before it produces spores.
• Grass clippings – plentiful during the growing season
  The period of time when an individual plant is in active growth. This will depend on the local climate and light levels, and can vary between different plants, although it is broadly from spring to autumn. if you or a friend have a lawn.

Method:

1. Place freshly harvested or dried plant material into a lidded water butt, large bucket or container.
2. Press it down firmly, so you can cram in plenty.
3. Add water if needed (see below).
4. Replace the lid to prevent material drying out and rainwater getting in.
5. Check the container weekly – your fertiliser will be ready to use when the material has rotted down and dark liquid is present.
6. Drain off the liquid using the water butt tap or strain the material through a sieve. Bottle and label the liquid. Add the remaining solid residue to the compost
   Can refer to either home-made garden compost or seed/potting compost: • Garden compost is a soil improver made from decomposed plant waste, usually in a compost bin or heap. It is added to soil to improve its fertility, structure and water-holding capacity. Seed or potting composts are used for growing seedlings or plants in containers - a wide range of commercially produced peat-free composts are available, made from a mix of various ingredients, such as loam, composted bark, coir and sand, although you can mix your own. heap.
7. Dilute accordingly (see below) before using in the garden as plant feed.

Do I need to add water?

Fresh green plant material is already around 90 percent water, so it’s not necessary to add additional water. Just remember to cover the container to prevent the mixture drying out.

With other materials, such as dried plants, hay, comfrey pellets and lucerne pellets, adding water helps to speed up decomposition and release the nutrients. Fill the container with water so the contents are just covered.

How long before I can use it?

The decomposition process can take a few days to several weeks, depending on temperature and what material you’re using. Once the liquid is a dark, murky ‘soup’ colour it’s ready to use. The contents are often strong smelling, so wear gloves and prepare in a well-ventilated area.

Can I store the feed for later?

Use the resulting liquid straight away or store it in a container until needed. Aim to use it up within three months, although in a cool dark place, it can store for up to a year in a rinsed milk or juice container with a lid. If the container bulges, release built-up gases by slowly unscrewing the top, then resealing.

Feeds made from homemade compost or manure shouldn’t be stored and are best used once they’re ready.

Applying:

Homemade plant-based feeds are weaker than bought fertilisers, so apply them liberally and frequently. Homemade manure-based fertilisers are stronger, so you don’t need to use these as often.

Dilute your homemade fertiliser with tap or rainwater before applying it with a watering can. Drench the roots of annual bedding, plants in containers, as well as fruit and veg. Established trees, shrubs and perennials

Perennials are plants that live for multiple years. They come in all shapes and sizes and fill our gardens with colourful flowers and ornamental foliage. Many are hardy and can survive outdoors all year round, while less hardy types need protection over winter. The term herbaceous perennial is used to describe long-lived plants without a permanent woody structure (they die back to ground level each autumn), distinguishing them from trees, shrubs and sub-shrubs. don’t need regular liquid feeding.

Diluting:

• For plant-based feeds made WITHOUT water, use a ratio of 1:20 (one part collected liquid to twenty parts water).
• For plant-based feeds made WITH water, i.e. those made from dried material, use a 1:10 ratio (one part collected liquid to ten parts water).
• For feeds made from manure, use a ratio of 1:10 (one part collected liquid to ten parts water).
• For wormery liquid, use a ratio of 1:10 (one part collected liquid to ten parts water).
• For bokashi bin liquid, use a higher dilution rate 1:100 (one part collected liquid to 100 parts water, e.g. 10ml in one 1 litre of water).

The nutrient content of feeds will vary, but aim for a liquid that when diluted appears the colour of weak tea.

Wood ash – add small quantities of wood ash to liquid feeds to boost potassium levels. Potassium is highest in ash from young wood like coppice prunings. Add around 100g of sieved ash per 10 litres of homemade fertiliser concentrate, then dilute (see above). Don’t use on ericaceous (acid-loving) plants such as rhododendrons, camellias and blueberries.

Fresh seaweed has long been used by coastal gardeners as a soil improver

Any substance dug into the soil to improve its structure. This is usually organic matter, such as well-rotted manure, garden compost or leafmould, but could be an inert substance such as lime or gypsum. and plant feed, but there is no public right to collect seaweed, unless you own the beach and it's not a designated site of special scientific interest or a special area of conservation. If you plan to gather seaweed, it's always advisable to check with the landowner and the local council first.

Urine – when fresh, human urine is sterile and safe to use. Depending on diet, it contains nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Dilute with water at a ratio of 1:5 or 1:10 and use immediately. Do not store.