Home Composting Hacks for Your Garden or House Plants
Putting your scraps to good use.
BY BETH BEHNKEN
Using kitchen scraps as fertilizer is perhaps the easiest way to save money and improve the health of your plants. Quite simply, plants require specific nutrients that are already present in the food we eat. So why throw away your leftovers, when you can reuse them? Trying to find local organic fertilizer can be challenging, costly, and requires you to be a repeat customer. Fertilizer isn’t just one size fits all, it necessitates a careful decision to ensure that the needs of your plant are met. Using scrap food that you already have around the house is simple and won’t cost you a dime. There are many different ways to use food scraps at home, but these are what I’ve found to be the easiest and quickest methods. Exploring the individual nutrients that are necessary for plant function may help to understand how different foods will contribute to plant health.
Essential Elements for Healthy Plants
PNK is a commonly used acronym to remember the core nutrients that plants need. Depending on the plants in your care, they may need higher levels of nutrients such as calcium or more acidic soil. Balancing these three nutrients is key to having healthy happy plants. Humans and plants often depend on the same types of nutrients, therefore, we can find these nutrients present in our food scraps. Here are three forms of plant based “fertilizers” that I’ve used on my own garden and house plants!
Banana Peels
Banana peels are high in potassium and phosphorus. Soak a banana peel in a cup of water for 24 hours. Then, use this water next time they’re in need of a drink & they’ll get a boost of minerals. Potassium is a macronutrient that assists in the intake of carbon dioxide and in water uptake through the roots. Potassium assists the plant in performing all its living functions.
Does your plant need more potassium? Yellowing leaves may be a sign of potassium deficiency.
This is my ZZ plant after 3 weeks having used banana peel water on it.
Coffee Grounds
Most plants need slightly acidic soil, because it improves their ability to access vital nutrients. Azaleas, rhododendrons, and blueberry plants need especially acidic soil. Turns out plants love coffee too! Adding leftover coffee grounds to the soil of your plants will decrease the pH, increasing the acidity of the soil. If acid levels are too low, it can create an environment for unwanted aluminum which will stunt the root growth in your plants.
Pro tip, using coffee grounds can change the color of hydrangeas from blue to pink. Low pH will encourage more of a blue color, while high pH will demonstrate more of a pink color.
Does your plant need acidity? Yellow deteriorating leaves may be a symptom of low acidity in the soil. Slow root growth may also be a sign of this.
Dragon plant. A resilient and durable plant, but I added coffee to its soil just to give it a boost.
Egg Shells
Adding pulverized eggshells to the soil can provide calcium which the plant uses in the construction of cell walls. It can also assist in increasing the pH of your soil for plants that don’t need acidic soil.
Is your plant in need of calcium? Curling leaves and stunted growth can be an indication that your plant is lacking C.
This pothos has done incredibly well after I used egg shells in the soil. It needed some extra TLC when it fell off of a shelf last summer.
Using kitchen scraps will save you money on store bought fertilizers and increase the health of your plant through natural means, rather than synthetic. Home composting can seem daunting, but these simple hacks will help simplify the process. Scrap based fertilizer is one of the ways we can cut down on consumption and encourage a more natural and organic lifestyle.