Planting tips you should know
Store-bought fertilisers are necessary for plant growth but the chemicals present in these fertilisers may have some side effects on the soil. Long-term usage of such fertilisers may harden the soil, eventually making them infertile, and over-fertilising your plant can actually kill seedlings and damage roots and leaves.
Amazing alternatives to store-bought fertilisers are home-made, natural ones! Here are three natural fertilisers that give your plants an extra boost of minerals and nutrients, which can be easily made by recycling food waste!
Rice water: Save the water used to rinse rice before cooking, making sure the water isn’t salted, and use this to water your plants. The starch content in rice water will add beneficial vitamins and minerals to the soil and help balance soil bacteria. It also keeps away plant pests, acting as an organic pesticide!
Banana peels: Add in strips or small bits of banana peel to your soil. These will gradually decompose and release plenty of potassium into the soil, along with small amounts of nitrogen and magnesium, which are all key to keeping your plant healthy.
Eggshells: You can either dry off the eggshells completely and then powder them to add in the soil, or crush the shells, bring it to a boil, and add the solution to the soil after it cools overnight. Eggshells release calcium which is important for strong cellular structure in plants.
More tips!
- Keep an eye on dried or dying leaves and cut them off
- Place a humidifier near your houseplants during the drier seasons as low humidity leads to browning of leaves
- Read or sing to your plants—the carbon dioxide we release boosts their growth!