How to Make Homemade Fertilizer from Soybeans, Peanuts and Corn

Recently, while chatting with orchid growers at the Huangyan Yilan Center, this author learned from one orchid enthusiast who said that he used soybeans, peanuts and corn, boiled them until soft, and then watered his orchids with the liquid, achieving unexpectedly good results. For this reason, I believe this excellent method and experience is very valuable and worth sharing with the broad community of orchid growers. Basic method: Take half a jin each of soybeans and corn, and 1 jin of peanuts. After washing them clean, put them into a 24-inch large pressure cooker, add about 5 jin of water (that is, 2500 ml, or about up to the 8th mark of the pressure cooker). First bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer slowly over low heat until soft and mushy. After about 20 minutes, remove, pour off all the clear liquid from the top of the pot, then add water again in the same way as above, boil for 15-20 minutes, remove, and pour off the clear liquid again. Pour both batches of clear liquid together into a bucket containing 30 kg of water. After stirring evenly, it is ready for watering orchids. Generally, it can water 80-100 pots.orchids. On the second day after watering the orchids with the clear liquid from the soybeans, peanuts and corn, it is best to use a 1:4000 potassium permanganate disinfectant solution toorchidsrinse them thoroughly. Throughout the year, it only needs to be applied once in the first half of the year and once in the second half. The above method is both simple and easy to carry out, and has no side effects whatsoever. Observed results: This method was first developed by Mr. Dai Zhiyong, an orchid grower from Huangyan District, Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province. After two years of practical trials, it has indeed achieved unexpectedly good results. According to his account: First,orchidshave a well-developed root system, dense and thick, with an extremely strong jade-like quality, and no root rot occurs. Second, orchidFloralold pseudobulbs and seedlings are robust and steady, with new shoots large, sturdy and pushing out vigorously. New leaves are wide and thick, with a deep green and glossy color, with as many as 8-10 leaves, or as few as 5-7. Third, the rate of sprouting and propagation is extremely strong; ordinary plants generally can multiply severalfold, or even double. Fourth, flowering comes earlier; generally, after one year of propagation, two-pseudobulb plants can produce flowers the following year. The flowers are large, the flower form is well-proportioned, the flowering period is long, and they can rebloom every year. Nutritional analysis: Because soybeans, peanuts and corn are plant foods extremely rich in nutrients for the human body, after boiling, their clear liquid applied to plants is still an organic fertilizer rich in relatively high nutrients. From the perspective of plant nutrition itself, corn is a cereal food, rich in a large amount of sugar (about 70%-80%), protein, inorganic salts and B vitamins, and also contains a small amount of fat. Yellow corn also contains a small amount of carotene. Soybeans contain about 40% protein, and the composition of their amino acids is almost similar to milk protein and egg white protein. If mixed with cereal protein, it can raise the biological value. Soybeans contain a large amount of fat; soybean oil is a commonly used vegetable oil, rich in unsaturated fatty acids and lecithin, with extremely high nutritional value. Soybeans also contain abundant inorganic salts and B vitamins. Peanuts are also rich in protein, fat and B vitamins, and are an excellent food that provides essential nutritional value to the human body. When the three are used together, the nutritional value they produce can well be imagined. Precautions: When soybeans, peanuts and corn are used as organic fertilizer to topdress orchids, although there are no side effects, the following points should still be noted: First, the clear liquid poured out after boiling should be used after it cools; never leave it standing too long. Long standing will allow bacteria to attack it, causing it to spoil and turn sour and foul-smelling. If it is then used to water orchids, it will probably be harmful and disadvantageous to the orchids. Second, on the second day after watering, it is very necessary to rinse thoroughly with a 1:4000 potassium permanganate disinfectant solution, as it can both wash away residue stuck to the leaf surfaces and play a role in disinfection and anti-corrosion. Third, the concentration of the soybean, peanut and corn preparation must never be too high, because orchids need light fertilizer applied frequently. Once it is too high, although it will not cause plant death or collapse, it is still like having a serious illness, and it will affect future growth. The clumsy experience in this article is only for the reference of fellow orchid growers, and serves merely to offer a modest spur to induce others to come forward with valuable contributions, so that everyone can study and discuss it together. If interested, you might as well give it a try. Please kindly criticize and advise on any inappropriate points. Thank you! (Zhang Jinguo, Zhejiang) Unit: Huangyan District Science and Technology Association, Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province Address: No. 156 Qingnian East Road, Huangyan Telephone: 0576-4225271 Postcode: 318020