When you buy a potting mix to fill up your pots, containers, or raised beds, it contains many nutrients that help to boost your plants’ productivity. As time passes when plants use these nutrients the potting mix depletes.
It is not easy to replace the potting mix every year so the best solution is that you can rejuvenate the old potting mix.
If you have grown tomatoes, cucumbers, or cabbage in a potting mix as they are heavy feeders they consume a lot of nutrients. Now the fertility of this soil is depleted so it is time to replace it or amend it.
Why Is The Fertility Of The Soil Important?
Healthy soil is very important for healthy plants. Nutrients play a very important role in keeping your soil healthy. Healthy soil is the best medium for growing your favorite plants.
If you are growing plants in raised beds, pots, or containers then you can easily maintain the fertility of the soil by filling them with high-quality potting mix.
Although potting soil contains all the required nutrients, sooner or later plants need more nutrients to survive. Some plants need more feed and some need less.
It depends upon the nature of the plants that you are growing. If your plants don’t get what they need they can’t adjust and soon they die.
MACRONUTRIENTS
The major macronutrients plants need are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. You see the letters NPK on the packet of most of the fertilizers, N stands for nitrogen, P for phosphorus, and K for nitrogen.
When your plants receive nitrogen they produce healthy and bright green foliage. It means nitrogen is essential for leafy green vegetables. For the production of fruits and flowers, plants need phosphorus.
For a healthy root system and prevention of many fungal diseases, your soil must have potassium. Root crops thrive well when they get potassium from the soil.
MICRONUTRIENTS
If we talk about micronutrients they are calcium, magnesium, and sulfur. Calcium helps your plants to protect them from blossom end rot and many fungal diseases.
Magnesium plays an important role in photosynthesis and the food-making process of plants. Sulfur is essential for seed development and plant growth.
Boron, iron, and zinc are also micronutrients but they are needed in smaller levels but still essential for the growth of plants.
Keep Reading
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How To Know The Fertility Of The Soil Needs To Improve?
Improving the fertility of the soil can be a cost-effective way but when you add organic material to the soil then the next crop will grow well. Before adding anything into the soil you must consider the following things.
WHAT DID YOU GROW LAST YEAR?
Different flowers need different nutrients for their growth so they consume them from the growing medium. For instance, potatoes, tomatoes, cabbage, pepper, and lettuce are heavy feeders.
On the other hand herbs, peas and carrots are light feeders. Beets, chilies, sweet corn, eggplants, chives, and broccoli are in the middle position to consume nutrients from the soil.
CHECK THE SOIL PROBLEMS
In case, your soil is affected by insects or any fungal disease then this infected soil should not be used for growing more plants. It is better to replace it.
WHAT’S YOUR SOIL LEVEL
When plants absorb a lot of nutrients from the potting mix. Gradually it comes down from the lip of the pot, container, or raised bed. In this situation, you have to top up with more potting mix to fill them.
CHECK THE pH OF THE POTTING SOIL
The pH of the soil is very important for your plant because it can affect its production. Some plants like to grow in acidic soil while others love alkaline soil.
You can buy a pH kit from any gardening store and check the pH of the potting soil. Before adding anything to the soil to improve its fertility you must perform the pH test.
The ideal pH of all potting soil for growing plants must be 6.4. If you want to raise the pH of the soil then you can use lime or gypsum for this purpose.
DO YOUR PLANTS LOOK HEALTHY?
The condition of your plant shows whether your soil is fertile or not. Discoloration of the leaves or the plants not growing quickly are symptoms that there is a problem in your soil.
If you are watering on time and the other conditions such as temperature, light, and humidity according to the requirements of the plants then there must be something wrong with the soil.
If your potting soil is 1 year old then it is better to add more nutrients so plants can get their proper feed from the soil.
Cheap Methods To Improve Potting Soil Fertility
If you want to improve the fertility of your potting soil then you can add the following cheap things.
1- ADD MANURE
Now we will tell you the best and cheapest method of making your soil richer. Manure has a great contribution to soil aggregation. It contains all the basic nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
You can use aged manure for great results. Avoid using the manure of humans, cats, and dogs.
Make sure after the application of manure you should harvest crops within three months to prevent contamination. You should avoid excessive use of manure as it can release more nutrients.
2- COMPOST
Organic waste is the best way of improving the quality of old potting soil that loses nutrients. You can make your compost because it will not affect your pocket.
Most gardeners make compost piles in bins. You can also buy compost from any gardening store or local nursery. It will save you time and effort. Mix a layer of compost into the poor potting soil.
It will slowly break down in the soil and your plants continuously get nutrients. In this case, when you apply chemical fertilizer it releases nutrients very fast but it is not suitable for your plants.
3- EGG SHELLS
Another simple, easy, and cheap method of improving soil quality is using eggshells. Shells are a big source of calcium, zinc, and nitroAfter using eggs, rinse them with water and let them dry.
After a few hours, your shells are dry then you can make a powder and apply it to the poor potting soil.
4- RICE WATER
Another organic cheap fertilizer that is best for your poor potting soil is rice water. The presence of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and stretch in the rice water is good for the healthier growth of your plants.
These nutrients are essential for your plants and you can’t neglect their deficiency. If you use toxic fertilizer it will kill all the beneficial insects and pollinators that are not good for your plants. Organic fertilizers are cheap and best for your plants.
4- BANANA PEELS
Banana peels are easily available at home so you can use them as an organic fertilizer. This organic fertilizer is a great source of potassium which is a basic nutrient.
For fruit plants, it is better to use banana peels because, in the production of fruits, potassium plays a very important role. Potassium helps to build strong cell walls, improve the flavor of the fruits, and increase the yield.
You have to do nothing, just bury the banana peel in the potting soil to improve its fertility. These feelings slowly break down in the soil and nourish your plants.
5- COFFEE GROUNDS
Coffee grounds help to boost the growth of your plants when you add them to potting soil. Potassium and nitrogen are the basic nutrients that are needed by plants and coffee grounds are a big source of these two.
There are different ways through which you can use coffee grounds to improve the fertility of the soil. The first way is very simple: just sprinkle them on the soil.
The second way is to mix the grounds in the water fill this solution in a spray bottle and use it. If you don’t use coffee then you can visit your nearest local cafe. They will give you the wasted coffee grounds.
6- FISH TANK WATER
You will be surprised to know that the water of your fish tank can also be used as an organic fertilizer to boost the fertility level of potting soil. This water contains nutrients that feed your favorite plants.
Fish poop and plant matter mix to create a healthy organic fertilizer. Never use salted fish tank water as it can damage your plants.
7- WOOD ASH
After burning the wood, never throw the wood ash because it can be a great source of nutrients. Make sure you are using wood ash from non-treated wood.
If you use treated wood then it contains traces of chemicals that are not good for your plants. Never use black chunks of coal but the gray-colored ash at the bottom of fireplaces.
This is a big source of potassium that can improve the alkalinity of the soil. You can’t use this organic fertilizer for plants that love to grow in acidic soil because wood ash can increase the pH level of the soil.
8- LIQUID SEAWEED
This is another chemical-free organic fertilizer for your plants You can buy concentrated liquid seaweed and use it to improve the fertility of the potting soil.
If you are living near the sea then you can get seaweed easily and without spending money. Soak the seaweed for one week in the water to make an organic fertilizer.
Then you see the color of the water turn dark and it starts giving a strong smell. Then it is the right time to strain it, and make this solution more dilute by adding more water.
Now you can use this nutritious liquid fertilizer. The leftover seaweed can be buried in the garden soil as a slow-release fertilizer.
Keep Reading
- How To Make Potting Soil At Home For Container Gardening
- How To Make Compost At Home Using Kitchen And Garden Wastes
- 15 Simple And Inexpensive Homemade Fertilizers
Benefits Of Boosting Soil Fertility
When you maintain the fertility of potting soil mix then you will see many benefits. Any gardener aims to grow healthier plants. They do everything that is best for their plants. The following are the advantages of boosting potting soil fertility.
EXTEND THE LIFE OF POTTING SOIL
When you continuously amend your potting soil then there is no need for repotting and changing the soil. Some plants are very sensitive and they don’t like repotting.
If you do so they will die or their growth will be disturbed. It is better to maintain the fertility of soil because it will prevent hard work of repotting and at the same time, your plant will be free from stress.
SUPERCHARGE YOUR PLANTS VITALITY
Your plants will flourish well when they receive nutrients from healthy potting soil. Nutrient deficiency can lead to slow growth of your plants. When your appliance receives a consistent supply of nutrients then their growth will not stop.
MINIMIZING THE RISK OF DISEASES
Bacteria infections and insect infestation are a more significant threat to plants. If you want to avoid such problems then you have to maintain the fertility of soil.