Fertilizer provides the nutrients plants need to grow, develop a strong root system and produce fruit or flowers. In nature, deciduous and herbaceous plants drop leaves, which then decompose and nourish the soil. In our tidy gardens, however, leaves are raked up before they have a chance to decompose, and supplemental watering tends to leach nutrients from the soil.
You can make your own soil conditioner at home by recycling fallen leaves and grass clippings in the form of a compost pile. Dry leaves supply carbon, and you'll also need a source of nitrogen from green materials such as grass clippings and kitchen waste such as banana peels, carrot tops and coffee grounds. Never add meat, dairy products or fats to a compost pile. Add a handful of soil to the pile of debris to contribute bacteria to speed the process of decomposition. Add water, turn the pile occasionally to incorporate oxygen, and give the pile time to decompose.
Once you have finished compost, you can dig it into garden beds, use it as potting soil for container plants or use it as mulch.
Those who wish to use organic fertilizers have a number of options. Blood meal is a good source of nitrogen, with smaller amounts of phosphorous and potassium. Bone meal is a source of phosphorous. Organic nutrients not only supply nutrients to the plant but also improve the texture of the soil. Organic nutrients tend to break down slowly, unlike inorganic fertilizers, whose nutrients are immediately available to the plant.
Shredded or powdered seaweed is sometimes used as a fertilizer. Shredded seaweed improves soil texture and provides nutrients to the plant, whereas powdered seaweed may be mixed with water and applied as a foliar spray.
Cow, chicken and steer manure are organic sources of nutrients that feed plants and improve soil texture. Mushroom compost, the medium used for growing mushrooms, is also prized as a soil conditioner.
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