Homemade Fertilizer Series Part 2 - Starch Water

Hi everyone !! 

Do you have plants stuck for fertilizer due to lockdown?? 

Yesterday we talked about homemade NPK fertilizer, today we will talk about what more your plants need. So here goes our second homemade fertilizer for plants, STARCH WATER. 

Starch water is basically the residual water left after rinsing and boiling eatables like potatoes, rice, macaroni, or pasta. The white residual water is a rich source of Starch. The next time you boil or steam some vegetables on the stovetop, don’t pour the water down the drain. Once the water has cooled, pour the vegetable water in your garden or planting containers to “fertilize” your plants instead of wasting it.  

Detailed Process: Cool down the starch water if it is boiled water. Leave it in a jar or a bowl for 5 to 6 days to ferment. Also, cover the jar or bowl with cotton cloth, allow air to pass through. After 5 days shake it, take 1/10 of this fermented starch water and mix with 9/10 portion of mil and again leave this for 5 to 6 days to ferment. After the complete process takes this mixture and mix with 20 parts of water and pour them to your plants.  

Benefits: Starch water mainly has lactic acid and very minimal NPK qualities. Starch water + Milk + Time = Lactic Acid Bacteria. It creates lactic acid bacteria, which significantly improves soil health by decomposing any organic matter and reducing any chance of unwanted pathogens associated with decaying material. It will also remove foul odors associated with composting and manure. This starchy water will allow the growth of indigenous bacteria. Milk will be used to isolate the desired bacteria needed for the best fertilizer possible while the unwanted bacteria will die off. 

Questions

1) Can we use it directly without fermentation?
Ans: Yes, one can pour this starch water without the fermentation process, but only after cooling and dilution.

2) What should be the quantity and how frequently one should give them to plants?
Ans: Quantity is similar to the amount you pour water to plants. Frequency should be twice a week. 

3) I usually add little salt while boiling macaroni. Can I use this starch water?
Ans: Never use salted starchy water as it may harm plants.

Thanks for reading !! 
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Home Made Fertilizer Series Part 1 - Tea/Coffee Grounds

Hi everyone!! Do you have plants stuck for fertilizer due to lockdown?? 

Tada!! This series is for you, as we will be discussing 7 homemade fertilizers, which shows very good results in a little time. 

Plants need three things to survive and thrive: Potassium, Phosphorus, and Nitrogen. That's why people buy NPK fertilizer, mostly to enhance the growth of plants. I have never been a fan of chemicals in the environment. In fact, I do organic whenever I can, and that includes the fertilizers that I use for my plants. The great thing about organic fertilizers is you don’t have to worry about your plants containing harmful chemicals plus, it saves your money. Most of them can be made with things that you already have. What is garbage in your kitchen can actually turn into treasure into your garden. DIYing your fertilizer is a great idea, and we all love to DIY, right? 

The first and the easiest is the tea/coffee grounds leftover or used tea leaves. We all prepare chai/tea/coffee in the morning and always throw the chai patti after we are done, but little we know that it is the best fertilizer for plants. So next time when you make chai, take the used chai patti to fertilize your plants. 

Benefits: Tea/coffee grounds leftover or used Tea leaves are a rich source of Tannin and other nutrients like Nitrogen, Phosphorous, and Potassium. Tannin generates tannic acid, which maintains the PH level of your soil and acidic soil loving plants love it. Nitrogen generally helps in the photosynthesis of plants. They also help in weed suppression. Adding iron/calcium tablets or eggshell residue with tea residue will be a lot more beneficial. 

Detailed Process: Collect your tea/coffee grounds, leaves, or bags for a week in a vessel. Rinse this leftover 2 to 3 times in water to remove the milk and sugar from it. Dry it in the sun for 1 to 2 days. Now one can use it on plants like tomatoes, roses, blueberries, or acidic soil loving plants. 

Some Common Questions

1) I usually add ginger and cardamom in tea, so can I use that tea powder for plants?
Ans: Yes, one after rinsing the residue 2 to 3 times in water can use it.

2) What should be the quantity and how frequently one should give them to plants?
Ans: 2 to 3 spoons for medium-sized plants and 4 to 5 spoons for big plants. The frequency should be twice a month.

3) Will increasing the frequency of this fertilizer will enhance growth?
Ans: No, this will ultimately reduce the growth as it will increase the acidity of soil which plants might not support and eventually die.

4) Can we give only for acidic soil loving plants like tomatoes or roses etc.?
Ans: No, this can be given to all types of plants but give in a very small amount.

5) Can we give unused tea leaves or tea/coffee grounds directly to plants?
Ans: Tea/Coffee leaves or grounds contain tannin in them. It is reduced once they are "cooked" (the brewing process) which is believed to make it less harmful to the plants. So never use it directly.

6) Can we use it in the potting mix?
Ans: Yes Tea/Coffee leaves or grounds can be used in the potting mix as a replacement of per-lite. 

Thanks for reading!! 
Comment below if you have any more queries. Do follow us for future updates
Stay home Stay safe Stay connected. 
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