Make your own liquid fertiliser

creating your own liquid fertiliser is quick, easy and can be ready in just a few weeks. this tonic is great for general garden use and can be used for pot plants and indoor plants too.

the main component of your liquid fertiliser is green waste from your garden. the green waste can be made up of almost anything (including plants that have gone to seed, as the seeds will rot away), but ideally the green mix should include dandelions, nettles and comfrey as they’re all high in nutrients. Any leftover green waste from the garden can be used: twitch, convulvulus, chickweed, dock – you name it.

the magic ingredient, however, is seaweed, especially kelp. it is high in magnesium, potassium, nitrogen and phosphate so it will give your plants a good boost of nutrients. there is no need to wash the seaweed as the salt content is minimal and some plants, such as asparagus, actually enjoy a bit of salt. As an added benefit, seaweed can help protect your plants from some pests and diseases.

Method

1. start by gathering green waste from your garden into a bucket that has a lid: the more variety the better.

2. Once the bucket is full of green waste, add enough water to cover the greens and put the lid on the bucket. this will ensure insects (and children) are kept out.

3. Give the mix a stir every now and then. it will be ready in a few weeks’ time, but can be left for up to one year.

4. Once the green waste has turned to sludge, drain the liquid from the bucket into containers (old plastic milk bottles work well). the remaining sludge can either be placed on your compost heap or topped up with water and another helping of fresh weeds and seaweed. 5. the resulting liquid fertiliser should be diluted with water before use, until it resembles a weak tea in colour. it is ready to be used immediately, but it will keep for a few months – if it lasts that long! 6. use a watering can to pour your diluted liquid fertiliser onto gardens and houseplants – it can be put on both leaves and soil.

TIP

the tonic shouldn’t develop a nasty smell as it matures, but if it does it may have become anaerobic (lacking oxygen) and may have grown the wrong kind of bacteria. if this happens, it can be tossed out onto the compost heap. (to avoid this occurring, give your brew a stir every now and then. it should only ever have an earthy smell.)