Have you just discovered a green thumb? Well, then you must want to ensure your plants grow up solid and verdant. Of course, you have to ensure that your plants get an adequate amount of sun and water. But despite your best efforts, your plants may not grow as robust and strong as you thought them. Here come the extra DIY hacks that can add the proper nutrients to your plant and ensure they grow powerful. When we say fertilizers, it does not mean only commercial fertilizers; you have nutrient-dense fertilizers right in your pantry that can do the needful. Look at the DIY hacks that can work miracles on your plants.
Wood Ash
Wood ash has excellent alkalizing properties that can neutralize acidic soil. If you are still skeptical about using wood ash for your plant's benefit, find out the PH levels of your garden beds, buy a pH testing kit and test your soil. Also, always ensure your soil is cool to touch before you start adding wood ash. If your soil seems perfect, then there you go. Wood ash is just the chemical-free fertilizer your plant needs.
Banana Peel
Stop! don't throw your banana peels just yet; chop them up and bury them deep into your soil and you'll have perfectly healthy plants such as green pepper, tomatoes, or rosebushes. The potash and phosphorous-enriched peels add the right degree of nutrients into the soil and make your plants strong enough to grow.
Compost Tea Fertilizer
If you have a compost pile, brew it into a solution with just the right amount of plant-benefiting microorganisms. A potent compost tea fertilizer is suitable manure to add to your plants. You can apply the compost tea directly to the soil in your garden beds. Next, transfer the tea to a watering can and water your plants accordingly. You can even substitute your watering can with a spray bottle.
Club Soda
Why should you use club soda instead of tap water? Because it has more macronutrients, which include carbon, oxygen, potassium, sulfur, hydrogen, and more, that offer more nutrients to your greenery. This truth has been substantiated by researchers who followed an experiment by watering a group of plants with club soda for ten consecutive days; the surprising thing is the plants watered with the club soda plants grew more than the control group. Take the fizz out of fizzy water before using them to water the plants.
Aquarium Water
This may seem surprising, but fish tank water is excellent for your plants. The remnants of the waste and bacteria in aquarium water aren't so great for the fish but the plants. Don't throw the old water out on your plants when you change the water in your fish tank. Ensure you use fresh water only and not salt water, and apply the same on the ornamental plants, but skip spraying the same on the edible plants.
Coffee Grounds
Old coffee grounds have tons of uses in your home, and the aromatic brew is also great for your plants. But they're particularly effective as plant boosters, chock-a-block with calcium, nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus content. Coffee grounds can acidify the soil, and are great for evergreens, rose bushes, and azaleas. Apply freshly ground coffee at the base of your plant or add them to the heap of the compost pile, where you can mix it with the other food scraps and leaves and enrich the soil considerably.
Eggshells
Eggshells have a rich calcium content, and when tossed in your garden, they do immense good to your plants. Ensure you give them a proper rinse, crush them nicely and add them to the plants. You can even grow your seedlings in eggshells. Then you can even plant the eggshells right into the shell, which will easily integrate into the soil.
These are time-tested hacks that have been able to grow plants in even a tiny place, such as a small porch or a big garden. Just use simple, inexpensive techniques and watch your plants grow and grow!