Fertilize Your Garden with Compost

by Bailey Sons – December 31, 1969

It is never too early to start working on next spring's planting season!

By creating fertilizer from household table scraps, old coffee grounds, or empty eggshells, you are taking economic and straightforward steps to improve your soil and have a beautiful garden next summer.

Adding table scraps to a new or existing compost pile and using this compost as fertilizer can save 90% of the money you spend on commercial fertilizers. There is an additional benefit of using no artificial ingredients, which is healthier for plants and insects.

Fruit and vegetable peelings create some of the best composting material around.

When baking homemade items, think about what scraps you can save. A homemade apple pie will generate a lot of apple peelings for your compost pile. Stews and pot roast dinners use vegetables like carrots, potatoes, and beets, which all create peelings.

You can also save citrus rinds for the pile and leftover leafy vegetables like lettuce, kale, and spinach. Instead of throwing the remains in the garbage or tossing them down the garbage disposal, save them for composting. Nearly all fruit and vegetable skins can be broken down as compost.

Used coffee grounds are an excellent garden fertilizer because they contain many helpful nutrients and nitrogen, which fast-growing plants and vegetables need to thrive. Sprinkle the grounds around your plants or work them into the soil. Tomato plants especially like the acids found in coffee grounds.

Eggshells add nutrients to your soil, especially calcium, essential for plant cell growth

In addition to offering nutrients, you can use eggshells to combat pests like slugs and cutworms by sprinkling coarsely ground shells in insect-prone areas.

Large pieces will take a long time to break down in soil or compost piles. When using eggshells for fertilizer, you should finely grind the eggshells. Roughly 30-40% of all your household waste can be used as fertilizer or converted into compost. Save money this season and create your fertilizer!

Sourcing Information on Creating Fertilizer

Products from the article

Black Eyed Susan - TN Nursery

Black Eyed Susan

Black-Eyed Susan: Rudbeckia Hirta Black Eyed Susan has vibrant yellow petals and dark, contrasting centers and is a popular and delightful addition to any landscaping project. This native North American wildflower offers a host of pleasing attributes that make it a sought-after choice for gardens and outdoor spaces. From its adaptability to its visual appeal and ecological benefits, it stands out as a versatile and attractive plant.  Black-Eyed Susan Plants Attract Pollinators Rudbeckia Hirta is a beautiful and popular flower that blooms each year in North America. With yellow flowers surrounding a dark circular center, this plant serves an aesthetic purpose in any landscape and draws in bees and butterflies. Due to its hardiness and versatility, the plant is suitable for growing in the garden for beginners and professionals.  This perennial is valued for ornamental purposes and contributes to ecosystem maintenance.  Features of the Black-Eyed Susan The perennial has bright yellow petals with a dark brown or black Eye in the middle, making it a vivid plant that would look great in any garden. This plant attracts bees, butterflies, and many other beneficial insects, so it should be included in any pollinator garden. It is relatively adaptable. It does well in arid conditions and simple soil types, making it a perfect pick for any low-maintenance garden.  Pollinator Favorites It prefers regions receiving full or partial sun exposure. Its growth habit is 2 to 3 feet tall and similar in width, enhancing the green appearance of areas where it is grown. Once established, this plant does not need much attention and usually grows well.  It is relatively immune to many garden pests and diseases. Growers of this plant can also contribute to habitat and care for one's patch of land by offering food for pollinators and other more valuable insects. Returns Every Warm Season Buy them and add these beautiful flowers to your garden, like our other popular ornamental plants, such as echinacea, shasta daisy, or coneflower plants. Growth Enhancements and Suggestions They do well in regions with full sun exposure. Ensure they are exposed to at least six hours of sunshine daily. They like well-draining soils and will grow in a range of soil types. These perennials symbolize encouragement, motivation, and justice. Their bright yellow color with a dark center is linked with positivism and strength, making them perfect for any garden.  Fertilizing Isn't Necessary, But Here are Recommendations They are native plants that do not require fertilizer, but you can use a slow-release fertilizer if you prefer it. Use it sparingly as they grow because these plants are not heavy feeders.  Maturity Height and Bloom Cycle  Depending on their type, they are perennials that can reach 1 to 3 feet. They provide great accents to borders and garden landscapes. Black-eyed Susan plants can take from 60 to 90 days to bloom after germination from seeds. The plants return year after year, blooming mid to late summer and continuing into early fall.
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Hepatica - TN Nursery

Hepatica Plant

Hepatica Plant - Acutiloba Americana Hepatica is an attractive perennial wildflower that blooms early in the spring and needs little attention. Ideal for woodland gardens or shady spaces, it adds sophistication and unobtrusive beauty to naturalized landscapes. Ease of Planting and Maintenance For the Hepatica  It is extremely easy to plant and maintain, which makes it a fabulous plant for any beginner gardener. It is preferentially shade-tolerant, preferring humus-rich, well-drained soil. Sow by loosening the soil, burying the roots just below the surface, covering the plant lightly with soil, and watering thoroughly. It needs minimal upkeep once planted, aside from occasional irrigation when dry and incorporating organic mulch to keep moisture in and enrich the soil. Seasonal Blooms and Color Early in the spring, the flowers are often seen before other plants come into bloom from their winter slumber. Its little star-shaped flowers, which vary in color from white and pale pink to lavender and blue, provide an attractive splash of color. The blooms last several weeks and are followed by shiny, lobed green leaves that recur throughout the growing season. The foliage can turn bronze or red in autumn before dying back for the winter. Shape and Longevity  It spreads in dense clumps and grows 6-12 inches tall, making it suitable for borders, rock gardens, or woodland ground cover. As a perennial, it blooms year after year and brings long-lasting beautification with very little work. Hepatica is carefully planted and shipped at TN Nursery as healthy, bare-root specimens ready for planting. These hardy plants spread quickly, giving you magical flowers and leaves season after season. Plant It in your garden and be sure of its timeless appeal for years!

From $8.99
From $8.99
Black Eyed Susan - TN Nursery

Black Eyed Susan

Black-Eyed Susan: Rudbeckia Hirta Black Eyed Susan has vibrant yellow petals and dark, contrasting centers and is a popular and delightful addition to any landscaping project. This native North American wildflower offers a host of pleasing attributes that make it a sought-after choice for gardens and outdoor spaces. From its adaptability to its visual appeal and ecological benefits, it stands out as a versatile and attractive plant.  Black-Eyed Susan Plants Attract Pollinators Rudbeckia Hirta is a beautiful and popular flower that blooms each year in North America. With yellow flowers surrounding a dark circular center, this plant serves an aesthetic purpose in any landscape and draws in bees and butterflies. Due to its hardiness and versatility, the plant is suitable for growing in the garden for beginners and professionals.  This perennial is valued for ornamental purposes and contributes to ecosystem maintenance.  Features of the Black-Eyed Susan The perennial has bright yellow petals with a dark brown or black Eye in the middle, making it a vivid plant that would look great in any garden. This plant attracts bees, butterflies, and many other beneficial insects, so it should be included in any pollinator garden. It is relatively adaptable. It does well in arid conditions and simple soil types, making it a perfect pick for any low-maintenance garden.  Pollinator Favorites It prefers regions receiving full or partial sun exposure. Its growth habit is 2 to 3 feet tall and similar in width, enhancing the green appearance of areas where it is grown. Once established, this plant does not need much attention and usually grows well.  It is relatively immune to many garden pests and diseases. Growers of this plant can also contribute to habitat and care for one's patch of land by offering food for pollinators and other more valuable insects. Returns Every Warm Season Buy them and add these beautiful flowers to your garden, like our other popular ornamental plants, such as echinacea, shasta daisy, or coneflower plants. Growth Enhancements and Suggestions They do well in regions with full sun exposure. Ensure they are exposed to at least six hours of sunshine daily. They like well-draining soils and will grow in a range of soil types. These perennials symbolize encouragement, motivation, and justice. Their bright yellow color with a dark center is linked with positivism and strength, making them perfect for any garden.  Fertilizing Isn't Necessary, But Here are Recommendations They are native plants that do not require fertilizer, but you can use a slow-release fertilizer if you prefer it. Use it sparingly as they grow because these plants are not heavy feeders.  Maturity Height and Bloom Cycle  Depending on their type, they are perennials that can reach 1 to 3 feet. They provide great accents to borders and garden landscapes. Black-eyed Susan plants can take from 60 to 90 days to bloom after germination from seeds. The plants return year after year, blooming mid to late summer and continuing into early fall.
From $8.99
From $8.99
Hepatica - TN Nursery

Hepatica Plant

Hepatica Plant - Acutiloba Americana Hepatica is an attractive perennial wildflower that blooms early in the spring and needs little attention. Ideal for woodland gardens or shady spaces, it adds sophistication and unobtrusive beauty to naturalized landscapes. Ease of Planting and Maintenance For the Hepatica  It is extremely easy to plant and maintain, which makes it a fabulous plant for any beginner gardener. It is preferentially shade-tolerant, preferring humus-rich, well-drained soil. Sow by loosening the soil, burying the roots just below the surface, covering the plant lightly with soil, and watering thoroughly. It needs minimal upkeep once planted, aside from occasional irrigation when dry and incorporating organic mulch to keep moisture in and enrich the soil. Seasonal Blooms and Color Early in the spring, the flowers are often seen before other plants come into bloom from their winter slumber. Its little star-shaped flowers, which vary in color from white and pale pink to lavender and blue, provide an attractive splash of color. The blooms last several weeks and are followed by shiny, lobed green leaves that recur throughout the growing season. The foliage can turn bronze or red in autumn before dying back for the winter. Shape and Longevity  It spreads in dense clumps and grows 6-12 inches tall, making it suitable for borders, rock gardens, or woodland ground cover. As a perennial, it blooms year after year and brings long-lasting beautification with very little work. Hepatica is carefully planted and shipped at TN Nursery as healthy, bare-root specimens ready for planting. These hardy plants spread quickly, giving you magical flowers and leaves season after season. Plant It in your garden and be sure of its timeless appeal for years!

From $8.99
From $8.99
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