A beautiful garden with healthy plants doesn’t grow accidentally. To grow them in the pink and make them dense, one needs to feed plants with proper water, sunlight, and nutrients. If you love gardening or want to have an attractive backyard, the trick is- do not stop at the planting stage. For successful gardening, you must ensure that the garden is flourishing. 

In our previous week’s blog, we have already discussed some of the effective ways to grow your garden faster. You can consider this blog to be the continuation of the previous one, as here, we will discuss a few secret ingredients (mostly natural fertilizers) to maximize your plants’ growth and have the best garden of the season. 

• Wood Ash 

If your yard’s soil is highly acidic, wood ash is a natural substance that can help you in balancing the pH of the soil. As this secret ingredient has high alkaline content, it effectively neutralizes the acidic soil. Before application of wood ash, remember to test the pH of your garden soil using a pH test kit. Also, before adding this ingredient, ensure that the ash is completely cool to touch. 

• Banana Peels

Banana peels are great sources of potash and phosphorous. While planting tomatoes, green pepper, rose bushes, etc., chop up banana peels and mix them with soil for the best result. This natural ingredient when gets mixed with the soil enriches it and strengthens the plants. So, next time you eat a banana, do not throw its peel. Rather, bury them in the soil for your plants’ healthy growth.  

• Aquarium Water

Do you have a fish tank at your home? If yes, do not dump the old water down the drain while cleaning and refilling your tank. The aquarium water contains fish wastes and bacteria that are beneficial for a plant’s growth. However, the only limitation with this secret ingredient is that the water has to be fresh. Saline water can be harmful to most plants. Also, be particular about pouring aquarium water only over ornamental ones, not the edible plants. 

• Compost Tea 

Steep compost in water for more than a day to make a nutritious solution for your plants. Compost tea is an ingredient that contains aerobic bacteria, nematodes, fungi, and other helpful microbes that can help your plants grow faster. When sprayed over the plants of your garden, these healthy microbes improve the health and vibrancy of your plants. 

• Club Soda

Club soda or carbonated water contains come truly beneficial nutrients like carbon, oxygen, phosphorus, hydrogen, sulfur, etc. that can benefit your plants in many ways. These ingredients make plants happy and help them to grow taller and greener. According to researches, club soda is more nutritious than regular tap water. However, before its application, ensure that the fizzy water gets flat. 

• Coffee Grounds

After brewing your morning cup, store the old coffee grounds for your garden. Coffee is a good source of calcium, potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorus, that maximizes your plants’ growth. However, as the coffee seeds are acidic in nature, ensure a soil test before its application. So, if your soil’s pH is on the higher side, exclude this secret ingredient from your list. Also, while mixing coffee grounds with the compost, ensure that its content should not be more than 10-20% of the total compost volume. A high percentage of coffee might kill the good microbes in the soil. 

Most property owners dream of a thriving and healthy garden. With the above-mentioned ingredients, you can grow your garden plants quicker than you think. All the tips and techniques mentioned in this blog are time tested and can benefit your garden at no extra cost to you. As most of the ingredients discussed here are readily available at your home, instead of throwing them away, repurpose them, and enjoy your own healthy and beautiful garden all season long.