Whether you have an outdoor eco organic garden or grow plants in flower pots, you may want to give them a boost once in a while with an enzyme-rich inoculation that will enrich the soil and help the plants grow faster and healthier. But instead of buying fertilizer, you can make your own natural growth enzyme using kitchen food waste.
This recipe is used at Navdanya Biodiversity Farm in India where they have been saving heritage seeds and researching and practicing organic farming techniques used by peasant farmers for thousands of years before the Green Revolution. Because the recipe uses scraps from the kitchen that would normally end up in the garbage, you are also helping to make your green home go zero waste.
Natural Organic Garden Fertilizer Recipe:
3 kg. Organic fruit and vegetable throwaways. These may also include spoiled fruit and veg but never ones that have been cooked. Also, do not use onions, tomatoes, or garlic.
1 kg. Molasses, honey, or unrefined sugar. In India, jaggery is used in this and many other compost recipes, which is unrefined sugar made from sugar cane. The sugar helps feed beneficial yeast and speeds up the fermentation process.
7 Liters filtered water. The water must also be unchlorinated because chlorine will kill the beneficial bacteria and yeast that you are trying to grow.
Chop the organic vegetables and fruits into small pieces. Put everything into a large container that has a lid. Mix everything and leave closed, away from sunlight, for three months.
Every 15 days, open the lid to release built-up gasses.
This process is very similar to making fruit wine so the liquid should smell sweet and fermented with some alcohol.
At the end of three months, strain the liquid through a clean cloth. You may put any leftover debris that was filtered into your compost.
You may now use this all-natural, eco-friendly solution as a growth enzyme for your organic garden. Dilute 200 ml of this solution in one liter of filtered water and place in a spray bottle to spray onto your plants or directly onto the soil.
This natural fertilizer is completely chemical-free so it's safe to use and make with your kids and spray in all outdoor spaces. As an added benefit, the farmers who teach this recipe said that they also use it to treat skin disorders like psoriasis, eczema, and dandruff! Simply apply and leave the diluted solution on the affected areas for a few minutes and rinse off on the shower.
Written by Jan Dizon
About the Author
Jan is a travelling yoga teacher and writer who advocates spiritual growth while leading a conscious, earth-centered lifestyle, as close to nature as possible. She currently lives on an island in the Philippines surrounded by tropical jungles and white sand beaches. She and her partner conduct sound meditations and journeys while advocating sustainable and organic gardening practices.
