One of the best things you can do for your garden plants is to create a natural fertilizer that is full of phosphorus. Using products found around your home that are biodegradable and organic can create your own homemade fertilizer without all of the added chemicals and ingredient found in garden soil from the store.
Below you will get an understanding of what phosphorus is and why it is important to having healthy acid loving plants. Also, get an understanding of what materials and ingredients you use regularly to assist you with making plant fertilizers so that your plant growth will continue.
What is Phosphorus and Why Do Plants Need Phosphorus?
Phosphorus is a natural element that is found and essential to the growth of plants. Biologically, this nutrient is used in an organism to grow the current tissues and divide healthy cells. Like the human population, plants and flowers require certain minerals and nutrients in order to remain as healthy plants. Phosphorus happens to be one of those necessities for plants.
Below are the different benefits that phosphoric acid does for your plants.
- Essential for photosynthesis
- Root development
- Maturing crop and blossoms
- Essential for plant reproduction
- Maintain healthy immunity
Essential for Photosynthesis
All plants must go through the photosynthesis process. In order to properly transfer energy and maintain quality respiration, phosphoric acid is required to move and store this energy.
Root Development
In order for your plants to be healthy and remain healthy until maturity, they need solid roots. The phosphorus that they are given in their organic fertilizer allows them to continue growing and developing their roots. Healthy roots are able to grow deep into the soil and gather all of the essential nutrients that are required.
Maturing Crops and Blossoms
When you add phosphorus to your garden plants, the crops on the plants will only grow to appropriate sizes with phosphorus. Without it, the fruit or the blossom if it is ornamental will be dwarfed in size. If you are noticing that your plants are not producing a lot of the crop or the flower blossoms that you are looking for, then it is probably due to a lack of phosphorus.
Essential for Plant Reproduction
If you are using your plants as ground cover or want them to reproduce, giving you more plants, then you need phosphorus. Going back to dividing and growing, phosphorus in your plant makes this possible so that the tissue and cells will continue dividing.
Maintain Healthy Immunity
While your plants are trying to grow and keep up with healthy crops, they also need to have a substantial immune system. When they are still growing and trying to achieve maturity, they are vulnerable to disease and infection. With a high phosphorus fertilizer, they are able to maintain their immunity and fight off these diseases.
How to Make Phosphorus For Plants: Homemade Phosphorus Fertilizer Recipe
Whether you already have a garden or are planning to add one to your property, you may want to have a soil test to check for nutrients. They will tell you what your soil is missing, usually between nitrogen phosphorus and potassium. These are the most critical of nutrients for plants and flower gardens. If you are looking to add more phosphorus to your plants and want to boost their overall health, you can do so with homemade phosphorus fertilizer.
There are several different ways you can do this fertilizer, based on how much soil ph you need to add and what types of plants you may have in your garden.
Simple Tea Fertilizer
It is important to note that creating a simple tea fertilizer can be done from 2-3 days, depending on how long you want to wait out the process. This process happens quicker and does require a compost tea brewer with the following ingredients:
- Rainwater, tap water
- Compost or worm casting
- 1/2 cup of fungi food source or liquid fertilizer
- 5-gallon bucket Burlap or other filter material
First, this process starts with water and then adding in the different materials that you are getting your compost from. Next, you will want to strain out the solid compost materials, and allowing them to deposit into the water. Let it sit for 24-48 hours, with the liquid gathering the nutrients that are being filtered from the compost. You also want to stir it daily so that air is getting into the compost. You do not want to keep it longer than 3 days or you may start to develop some unwanted bacteria. You can apply it directly to your plants after the third day, but give your plants at least 2-4 weeks before you apply again.
This fertilizer is concentrated by the time it is ready, so you do not want to burn your plants with excess fertilizer teas.
Homemade Fish Emulsion Fertilizer
If you are looking to really boost the nutrient levels in your plants, you may want to consider the fish emulsion fertilizer. This process is great for plants that are newly transplanted or mature plants that are being repotted after being in soil where the nutrients are drained.
First, you want to add equal parts water and fish parts to a blender. Break down this concoction so that it is blended and almost blended into a paste. You will need fresh fish as the canned fish will be packed with unwanted preservatives. Before adding it to your bucket, you want to fill it the bottom layer with dried seaweed, newspaper, sawdust, or even grass that can capture the smell from the miss. Add your pulsified fish and then top with molasses for additional smell control. This will also help with the decomposing of the fish and break it down. Top of the fertilizer with a layer of epsom salts and then close it up. For the next two weeks, stir this fish emulsion daily until it is ready to be used. Use it as a spray or dilute it in water with 4 parts water and 1 part fish emulsion.
Seaweed Fertilizer
There is a quick type of fertilizer you can use that is easy and full of phosphorus. If you are looking to invest in the immunity of your plants from phosphorus, consider using a seaweed fertilizer.
By adding seaweed and water in a five-gallon bucket, you can boost your chemical composition to include a variety of nutrients. The seaweed will start to decay in the bucket and release these different nutrients. Every few days or twice a week, open your bucket and give it a good stir so that some oxygen can get into the bucket and boost the decaying process. This needs to continue for a month or 30 days and the seaweed fertilizer will then be concentrated. At that time, you can add more water, diluting the concentrate so that you can add it to your plants.
Because this fertilizer is so potent, you will need to add it in a spray bottle with one part concentrate and 3 parts water. You can hook that spray bottle to your hose and give your garden a good bath with the fertilizer. Repeat this process once a month so that your plant soil is full of nutrients. This is very important for warm climates where the soil can dry out or even areas that get a lot of rain and some of the nutrients are washed away before they can be used. With a seaweed fertilizer they are able to provide the essential boost.
The Quick Fix Fertilizer
This fertilizer can be a combination of any of the above mentioned fertilizers. In some cases, fish emulsion and seaweed are mixed together to make a quick fix fertilizer that boosts your plants. This combination together is able to add more than just phosphorus and give a variety of nutrient options. It is important to not give too much phosphorus so that the soil is burned and the plants suffer from an overload.
What Are Phosphorus-Rich Fertilizers?
Not all fertilizers are made the same, and some put more emphasis on different nutrients. This is usually because your crops are lacking a nutrient and you are customizing a fertilizer to add that nutrient into the soil natural and balance the soil ph.
Fertilizers that are rich in phosphorus are based out of leftover food scraps and other materials that are full of phosphorus. When you add these different crops together in your compost, you allow the phosphorus nutrient levels to be higher than others. Some of these materials also have delayed release on the nutrients so they are able to deposit phosphorus right away and then add it later, making it a great plant fertilizer.
Sources For Homemade Fertilizer
Below are some of the most common homemade phosphorus fertilizer sources that you can make from what you have on hand. Based on where you live, your diet, and the products you use regularly, you have a variety of options to create a homemade phosphorus fertilizer option.
Aquarium water
Because of the seaweed and fish waste makes a great plant fertilizer that is organic and full of the necessary phosphorus. It can be used in place of rain water or tap water in the fertilizer process.
Bananas
While banana peels are known to house potassium, they also have a high phosphorus fertilizer level that is ideal for homemade fertilizer.
Blackstrap Molasses
One of the key nutrients in blackstrap molasses is phosphorus and it is a staple ingredient in many homes. It not only provides the necessary nutrition, but it aids in jumpstarting the decomposition process.
Coffee Grounds
Coffee grounds are found in a lot of homes and are ideal for breaking down a compost pile quickly. They add all of the essential nutrients of nitrogen phosphorus and potassium to any fertilizer.
Cooking Water
After you have boiled your vegetables and meats in cooking water, it may carry much needed potassium and other nutrients that are great fertilizer components. Add this to your fertilizer blend to increase your nutrient level.
Corn Gluten Meal
The corn gluten meal used in fertilizer is ideal for keeping weeds out of the compost pile, allowing it to compost quickly and efficiently.
Egg Shells
Egg shells are great for adding calcium to the fertilizer. This nutrient paired with phosphorus make it a great fertilizer combination for plants that need a quick boost.
Epsom Salts
Not only for the nutrients, but epsom salts is great for reducing the smell of your compost and keeping out unwanted pests.
Wood Ash
Wood ash is used to collect excess nutrients and unwanted juices that may develop when you are making your fertilizer at home. It gives your compost pile balance.
Gelatin
Made of nearly nitrogen, gelatin gives a great balance to a fertilizer that is packed of phosphorus. Make sure you are using it unflavored, however.
Green Tea
If you want to make a fertilizer tea, one of the best way to bind and balance your nutrients is with green tea bags.
How to Make Fertilizer With Lomi
If you want to really take advantage of the different components you have and start your organic fertilizer, then you should consider Lomi. This in-home composter makes it easy to start the breakdown process, working quickly and giving you a complete compost that your plants need. You can add in any food scraps and biodegradable materials that will break down and add the essential nutrients.
Final Thoughts
If you are looking to give your current plants a boost in the phosphorus department, you have several quick and easy ways to make that happen. With the help of Lomi, you will have a completely organic and balanced compost base that you can add and make the right fertilizer. Get started today by growing healthy plants that are balanced in nutrients today when you add Lomi to your collection.