7 Homemade Flower Fertilizer Methods Your Family Will Never Complain About the Smell Again
Composting Used Tea Leaves
Composting Method
Keep a small bucket on hand and pour your leftover tea leaves into it. You can also toss in leaves and branches trimmed during pruning. Then add some soil and pour in water, making sure the water covers everything.
After that, just place the bucket on the balcony and leave it alone. Once the water has completely evaporated, the soil is ready to use. Do not throw high-protein items into the bucket -- seafood, meat or animal organs will definitely make it smell.
How to Use
When using it, soak it in water to break it up, mix it into the soil, and plant your flowers with it. Odorless, scent-free, and rich in nutrients.
Rice Water + Yogurt + Beer Compost
Composting Method
Composting rice water with just water is simple enough, but the stench is absolutely unbeatable. However, when rice water is composted together with yogurt and beer, it does not smell. It even gives off a faint milky-beer scent.
Pour the rice water into an empty yogurt bottle, swish it around, then add a little beer, seal it, and place it on a windowsill or balcony to ferment. During fermentation, open the lid occasionally to check on it and let it breathe. Because the yogurt contains beneficial bacteria, this method greatly shortens the fermentation time -- in summer it takes basically 1-2 weeks.
How to Use
This fertilizer is especially suitable for acid-loving flowers (such as: gardenia, camellia, and Aglaia odorata). Each time you fertilize, dilute it with water before use. Use more water than fertilizer -- for beginners, the thinner the better, and it is safe!
Sunflower Seed Shells and Peanut Shells Compost
Composting Method
Leftover sunflower seed shells and peanut shells can be placed at the bottom of flower pots. Not only do they help with drainage, but over time they will slowly weather and decompose into excellent flower fertilizer.
Alternatively, you can crush the shells, mix them with soil, and let them ferment and decompose -- no odor.
Fallen Leaves Compost
Composting Method
It is autumn, and many broadleaf trees along the streets are starting to drop their leaves. This is a good time to pick up some withered yellow fallen leaves and take them home to make flower fertilizer.
Making fertilizer from fallen leaves is very simple. Collect the fallen leaves and cut them up -- the smaller the pieces, the better. Then spread the shredded leaves on top of the potting soil, and using a tool, slowly work the shredded leaves into the soil. Be careful not to damage the plant's root system. When you are done, sprinkle a little water and that is it!
Eggshell Compost
Composting Method
Save the eggshells left over from boiling eggs. After crushing them, put them in a bottle with water and soak for 7-10 days -- that makes a great flower fertilizer. Or you can simply mix the crushed eggshells into the soil and plant your flowers in it. It is an excellent long-lasting phosphorus fertilizer, and it is safe and odorless.
Note
If you are using fresh eggshells, you need to first rinse off the egg liquid inside before making fertilizer.
Chinese Herbal Medicine Residue Compost
Composting Method
Take the leftover Chinese herbal medicine residue, dry it in the sun and grind it into powder. When planting flowers, place it at the bottom of the soil and cover it with another layer of soil as a base fertilizer. Alternatively, put the residue and soil together in a vat, pour in some water, and let it compost for a period of time. After it decomposes into humus, it can be mixed with soil and used.
Orange Peel Compost
Composting Method
Take leftover orange peels, dry them in the sun, and cut them into small pieces. Then use a tool to loosen the topsoil around the potted plant, insert the orange peel pieces along the edge of the pot, and cover with soil. After that, water as usual, and the orange peels will slowly decompose into fertilizer -- no smell!
Dear readers, have you learned how?
If you have a better composting method, feel free to share it with everyone in the comments!