{"id":64264,"date":"2026-04-06T20:03:33","date_gmt":"2026-04-06T10:03:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tomgrimshaw.com\/tomsblog\/?p=64264"},"modified":"2026-04-06T20:03:33","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T10:03:33","slug":"natural-fertilizer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tomgrimshaw.com\/tomsblog\/?p=64264","title":{"rendered":"Natural Fertilizer"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Natural<\/p>\n

\n
Most gardeners know about compost \u2014 but some of the best fertilizers are already in your kitchen, hiding in plain sight.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
\u00a0Six household sources and what they feed:<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
– Wood ash \u2014 rich in potassium and calcium. A light dusting around the base feeds garlic, carrots, lavender, and clematis. Avoid using it near acid-loving plants like blueberries \u2014 it raises soil pH<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
– Epsom salt \u2014 magnesium sulfate that supports chlorophyll production. A tablespoon per gallon of water can help roses, tomatoes, peppers, and strawberries \u2014 especially in soils that tend to run low in magnesium<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
– Cooking water \u2014 the starchy mineral-rich water left from boiling pasta or vegetables is a gentle liquid feed. Let it cool completely, then pour it over basil, ferns, lettuce, or houseplants<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
– Seaweed \u2014 fresh or dried, it delivers trace minerals that most garden soils lack. Lay it around potatoes, corn, fruit trees, or dahlias as mulch, or steep it into a liquid tea for a concentrated feed<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
– Fish scraps \u2014 heads, bones, and skin break down into a nitrogen-rich feast. Bury them about twelve inches deep near heavy feeders like cabbage, sunflowers, squash, and sweet corn. Deep burial keeps animals from digging them up<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
– Spent mushroom compost \u2014 growing medium from mushroom farms is loaded with slow-release nutrients and improves soil structure. Spread it around asparagus, rhubarb, herbs, and perennial flower beds for steady feeding all season.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Every kitchen already produces plant food. It just takes knowing which source feeds which root.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Most gardeners know about compost \u2014 but some of the best fertilizers are already in your kitchen, hiding in plain sight. \u00a0Six household sources and what they feed: – Wood ash \u2014 rich in potassium and calcium. A light dusting around the base feeds garlic, carrots, lavender, and clematis. Avoid using it near acid-loving plants … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Natural Fertilizer”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[137,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-64264","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-gardening","category-general-interest"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tomgrimshaw.com\/tomsblog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64264","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tomgrimshaw.com\/tomsblog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tomgrimshaw.com\/tomsblog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomgrimshaw.com\/tomsblog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomgrimshaw.com\/tomsblog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=64264"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomgrimshaw.com\/tomsblog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64264\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":64266,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomgrimshaw.com\/tomsblog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64264\/revisions\/64266"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tomgrimshaw.com\/tomsblog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=64264"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomgrimshaw.com\/tomsblog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=64264"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomgrimshaw.com\/tomsblog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=64264"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}