How to make homemade fertilizer for indoor plants

Updated: 6 Aug 2021

Fertilizer is basically food for plants. Plants need food, just like we need food. Food for plants are the essential macro and micronutrients and you can purchase an organic or inorganic chemical fertilizer to feed your plants.

 

You can also make DIY organic fertilizers at home and get these essential macro and micro nutrients using Banana Peels, Rice, Egg Shells, Ash, Aquarium Water and Hydrogen Peroxide solution.

Almost all plants need the main macronutrients and some plants need more/less of specific macro and micro nutrients. Which nutrients are needed by a particular plant, in what ratio and in what frequency - is something you need to check for each plant. It’s not just about providing your plant the essential macro and micro nutrients, but also the amount and the time. 

We will go step by step into each of the homemade fertilizers and you can pick the fertilizer based on the nutrients needed for your plant.

1. Eggshells🥚

Egg shells provide the following nutrients to the soil

• Calcium (34%)
• Organic matter (5%, inner white skin of shell)
• Magnesium (0.3%)
• Sodium (0.05%)
• Phosphorus (0.04%)
• Potassium (0.03%)

How to make Eggshells fertilizer

You can blend the shells into a powder form and mix them with your soil or add it in your compost bin.

 

You can even use the water after you have boiled your eggs. As a matter of fact, you can even use Pasta, Potato and any boiled vegetables wastewater.

 

Do not use the water if you have added salt or spices while boiling as high levels of sodium are toxic to plants.

 

When to use Eggshells in soil

Use only when your plants have a calcium deficiency. You will know your plants have a calcium deficiency if your fruits suffer from blossom end rot, your plant has stunted growth and/or the leaves of the plant are curling inwards. However, the main cause for blossom end rot is not necessarily the lack of calcium in the soil, but irregular watering that prevents the calcium in the soil from reaching the plant roots. Egg shells have low levels of sodium, but even low levels of sodium are toxic to plants. So practice caution when using eggshells.

 

2. Banana Peels🍌

Banana peels contain the organic form of Potassium (11%) with small amounts of Nitrogen (0.6%), Phosphorus (0.4%), Calcium, Sodium and Manganese as well. 

 

We mention banana peels as a homemade fertilizer as it is the most popular. You can also use Potato or Mango peels, as all fruits and vegetables are high in potassium, not just bananas.

How to make a Banana Peel Fertilizer

Here are the steps to make your own organic homemade fertilizer using Banana peels.

 

Ingredients

• 2 Banana peel
• Water (Rain water, if available)
• Bowl

 

1. Cut the banana peels into small pieces and put them in a bowl
2. Add water to the bowl and let it dry in a shade for 3 days.
3. On the third day, the color of the water will be brown.
4. Strain the peels from the water and use the water.
5. Use 50% of this fertilizer water, with 50% of normal water.
6. Try to use this fertilizer mixed with your water, once every week.

 

Alternatively, you can simply bury the banana peels into the soil and the nutrients will be slowly released into the roots as the peels break down.

When to use Banana peel fertilizer

Ideally water your plants once a month with this fertilizer mixed with normal water.

 

If you see discoloration of leaves, veins of the leaves turning yellow or most of the leaves are dying, it could be a Potassium deficiency. In such cases, your homemade banana fertilizer will be very beneficial in providing the much needed potassium.

3. Rice Water Fertilizer🍚

Rice water is a very mild fertilizer and it may provide small amounts of NPK to the soil. It is claimed that the starch in the rice water may also encourage the growth of beneficial soil bacteria.

1. Put some rice in water and let it sit for a few hours.
2. Drain the water from the rice.
3. Use this water for watering your plants

4. Fish Tank Water🐠

Fish water will contain nutrients from the fish poop that will add some nutrients into regular water. When watering, mix your normal water with some fish tank water.

5. Ashes ⚱️

If you have a fireplace, firepit or have access to ashes, they are good for fertilizing your plants too. It can lower the pH of your soil 

 

Ash will provide the following nutrients to the soil

• Iron
• Potassium
• Zinc
• Phosphorous
• Manganese
• Calcium

6. Hydrogen Peroxide

This is not really a fertilizer but a kind of soil aerator that you can use. It adds more oxygen into your soil and tends to kind of aerate it. It also helps in preventing pests as it is also used to wash off the soil to get rid of bad bugs out from your soil. It helps the uptake of nutrients and oxygen into the roots of your plants.

Hydrogen Peroxide as a spray

1. Take a tsp of Hydrogen Peroxide
2. Mix it in a gallon of water.
3. Use it as a foliar spray

Hydrogen Peroxide for watering the soil

1. Take a tbsp of Hydrogen Peroxide
2. Mix it in a gallon of water.
3. Use this water for watering your plant.

Which Homemade fertilizer to use?🤔

 

It is helpful to buy a soil testing kit to test your soil so you will know which of the homemade recipes to use more and which one to avoid depending on what your soil has and lacks.