Gardening can be an expensive hobby, but it doesn't have to be. Weeds in your garden can help other plants grow.
A gardener has taken to social media to share a tip on how to save money on fertiliser by using pesky weeds he finds in his garden.
scoop
Sara (@saraonthefarm) regularly posts gardening tips for her Instagram followers, offering her best advice on how to keep your plants strong and healthy.
In June, she revealed to fellow gardeners that making fertiliser at home allows you to recycle weeds and use them to benefit other plants.
“No need to buy fertilizer with this simple method,” she captioned the post.
Making fertilizer is easy. To get started, all you need is some plant material, like weeds, grass clippings, and grass. Next, place these materials in a bucket with a sealable lid. Next, the gardener scoops a handful of “fertile soil” into the bucket.
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Sarah explained that this fertilizer works best when the soil has evidence of mycelium (root-like fungi that branch widely in and on the soil).
All you have to do is fill the bucket with water, close the lid, and let it sit for at least two weeks.
“The longer you leave this fertilizer in, the stronger it gets,” Sarah said.
How it helps
Making your own fertilizer at home has many benefits for both your wallet and your backyard ecosystem.
The cost of fertilizer varies depending on the size of your yard or lawn. Large bags can cost $30 or more, but you can find it for as little as $10 less at big box stores. If you buy bags of fertilizer every week or month, making it at home could save you hundreds of dollars in the long run.
Reusing weeds and plant clippings is also a great way to reduce the amount of waste that comes from gardening. This fertilizer production method reuses plant material to feed the fruits, vegetables, and native plants in your garden, which are important for protecting pollinators and other wildlife. Additionally, this method helps reduce the demand for mass-produced store-bought fertilizers, which release toxic air pollutants during production and shipping around the world.
Overall, gardening has been shown to support people's mental and physical health by reducing stress and increasing physical activity. Making your own fertilizer at home is another way to get out in the garden daily or weekly and keep yourself and your plants strong.
What everyone is saying
Hundreds of gardeners raved about the fertiliser tip, with one person commenting: “Thanks for the tip!”
“I'd love to know how to put backyard weeds to good use,” another user wrote. “Thanks!!!”
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