Weekender Alicante North Issue 109

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26 FRIDAY 20TH SEPTEMBER 2019
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Charge your
home with the
power of the sun
How does your
garden grow?
EGGSHELLS, matches, and
human hair are amongst
some of the most surprising
household items greenfingered
gardeners can use
to help their plants grow.
Experts have researched
the unlikely things that you
can use as natural fertilisers.
From common food products
such as bananas and eggshells
to potato water, these
are items that can be found
in most people’s homes.
A spokesperson for GardenBuildingsDirect.co.uk,
who carried out the research,
says: “You might not think
your used-up coffee grounds
contain much in terms of nutritional
value, but they can
actually provide your plants
with vital antioxidants and
minerals like potassium
and nitrogen.
“Similarly, white vinegar,
coconut milk and banana
peels are all bursting with
important nutrients that
can help your plants grow
and thrive.
“Surprisingly, even human
and pet hair can be used
thanks to its high levels of
magnesium – so think twice
before vacuuming up your
pooch’s fur!”
Hair
Hair – whether sourced from
a human, dog, cat or horse –
works surprisingly well as a
natural fertiliser thanks to
its high levels of magnesium.
It can take up to two years to
break down, but when used
in compost, the hair can
provide structural support
for roots and help break up
thick or clay soil.
White vinegar
Mixed with water, this
makes for a great acid feed.
Mix a tablespoon of vinegar
into a gallon of water to feed
your roses and hydrangeas
once per season – but make
sure you test your soil before
doing this, as you don’t want
the PH to be too low.
Banana peels
Tossing banana peels right
into your garden will give
your plants a nice potassium
boost as they break down.
This will help to make your
plants strong and healthy,
allowing them to fight off
pests like aphids.
Eggshells
Dry eggshells out and add
them under your mulch
and they will slowly break
down and give your plants
calcium. For even quicker
results, you can grind them
up and place in a small
amount of vinegar overnight
to break them down
and make the calcium
ready to be utilised by your
plants. You could even give
them a whirl in a food processor
to sprinkle the eggshell
powder.
Coconut milk
Make a ‘tea’ containing one
tablespoon of dried coconut
powder to give gallons of
water, then use this mixture
once a week or every other
week to add electrolytes and
bacteria to the soil.
Coffee
Use coffee grounds to fertilize
your soil and provide
your plants with antioxidants,
potassium, phosphor
and nitrogen – but make
sure the grounds are dry, as
using wet coffee can cause
fungus to grow which will
harm your plants.
Potato water
The water you use to boil potatoes
can be used to water
your plants, as long as you
haven’t added any salt – so
think twice before tipping it
down the drain!
Green tea
Green tea is especially beneficial
for raspberry plants,
as they require a great
amount of iron which green
tea has stacks of. So instead
of throwing away the green
tea leaves you’ve used to
brew your tea, simply give it
to your plants.
Matches
Good, old-fashioned strike
matches are a great source
of magnesium, so simply
place the whole match in
the hole with the plant or
soak the matches in water
to use this as a fertiliser.
The magnesium will dissolve
into the water and
make application easier.