Creating a natural summer fertilizer from fruit skins is a simple and sustainable gesture, perfect for giving new life to waste and making the vegetable garden bloom even in the hottest months. And do you know what the best part is? No chemical product is needed.
With the heat that accelerates everything, nature also seems to be in a hurry. The fruits ripen first, the leaves ask for more water and the ground … well, it is empty of nutrients quickly. But there is good news: this season offers the perfect opportunity to create a home fertilizer, at no cost, which really works. Strange tools or mysterious dust are not needed. Just a little creativity and some waste that would normally end up in the dustbin. You must not be expert gardeners or fanatic composting. Just start. And often it turns out that it is enough to obtain surprising results.
This home mixture adapts to everything: vegetable gardens, pots on the terrace, abandoned flower beds or plants that seem to have lost some determination. And in addition to nourishing the roots, it is also good for consciousness. Because taking care of the plants, after all, is a way to take care of yourself too.
Natural summer fertilizer: fruit skins, a treasure hidden in the wet bin
There are gestures that are almost without thinking about it. How to peel an apple and throw away the peel. But those same skins, if you stop for a moment to reflect, are a concentrate of elements that the ground loves: potassium, calcium, magnesiuma pinch of natural sugars. Everything you need to give a boost of energy to the green of the house. Banana skins are a classic, but apple, fishing, apricot are also fine … better avoid citrus fruits, especially if treated. And be careful also to the fruit too waxed: not everything that glitters is good for the soil.
The heat, in this case, is a precious ally. It helps fermentation and in a few days transforms waste into an amber liquid, a little pungent but full of benefits. Just water or spray on the leaves to see the difference. And no, the smell is not the best. But those who love plants also learn to endure certain perfumes … alternative.
How to prepare a natural summer fertilizer in a few steps
Preparing it is easier than it seems. And yes, at the beginning it may seem one of those things from “self -production blog”, but once proven we no longer go back.
It starts by collecting the skins (better if from organic fruit), they are roughly cut and put themselves into any container, with a lid. They cover themselves with water, closes everything and leaves it in the sun. Every now and then a mix, just to give movement. After a few days – usually 3 or 5 – the liquid is filtered and dilutes it with water.
- Cut the peels into small pieces (preferably organic)
- Put everything in a jar with lid
- Add water to cover the skins
- Let them rest 3-5 days in the sun, mixing occasionally
- Filter and dilute: a part of fertilizer, three of water
The result? A kind of energy herbal tea for plants. To be used within a few days, to avoid too pushed fermentations or excessive smells. The leaves shine, the flowers sprout more decisive, and the vegetables also seem more fit. Everything starting from something that would normally end up in the bin.
Other creative ways to use fruit skins in the garden
Those who do not like liquid fertilizers (for smell or for convenience) have several alternatives. And the beauty is that no one is wrong: you experience, try, adapt.
An option is to let the skins dry in the sun and then reduce them to crumbs or dust, to be spread in the ground. Or they can simply be interrupted near the roots: over time they will decompose and nourish the soil slowly. For those who have compost, needless to say: add them is always a good idea.
There are also those who freeze them and add them a little at a time, thus avoiding strong smells. And who, more creative, mixes them with coffee funds or egg shells to create real natural “nutritional bombs”. No written rule, only common sense and desire to do.
The beauty of all this? It is not just about nourishing plants, but of learning to look at waste with different eyes. To find value where before there was only one refusal. And to enjoy the growing green, one day after the other, also thanks to these small gestures.
Have you ever thought that the peels of your snack could become the best ally for your plants? Maybe it’s the right time to try.
So much, the summer has just begun.
Photo © Stock.adobe
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