lovesouthernsocial.com

Food waste can be used to make a quality organic fertilizer for your plants.

Image: Maarten van den Heuvel on Unsplash

Skins, stalks and bad parts of food do not need to be discarded after preparing your meals. It is possible to use these food wastes to make organic fertilizer, either by composting or using a simpler version of the composter. If you have a backyard with a little left over, you can also bury the leftover vegetables and wait for them to decay before mixing the material with the rest of the garden.

In more urban spaces, composting appears as a more viable option, as it does not require the presence of land. There are several sizes of composter, according to the needs of each family. Adhering to composting is a way of reducing its environmental footprint, as the biological process values ​​organic matter, transforming food waste into fertilizer, humus. It is a natural process in which microorganisms, such as fungi and bacteria, are responsible for the degradation of organic matter.

After taking all possible precautions to reduce food waste at home, it is still possible to take advantage of the nutrients present in parts of the food that are no longer suitable for ingestion. Using compost is a way to make organic fertilizer with leftover food.

organic fertilizer

Compose? It may seem and indeed it is an amazing process to see your organic waste turned into humus, a rich compost for odorless plants with a texture similar to that of the earth. You can place in the composter the remains of fruits, vegetables, vegetables, seeds, coffee grounds, leftovers from cooked or spoiled foods (no exaggeration), eggshells, tea bags, sticks and even used napkins. The process is simple and hygienic.

In addition to the compost bin, another way to make organic fertilizer with leftover food is to use a kind of mini compost bin – a smaller and more homemade version, for those who don't have as much space or disposition. With two ice cream jars you can simulate a compost bin and produce some organic fertilizer for your potted plants.

• What is compost and how to make it

Step by step

Drill several drainage holes in the bottom of one of the pots, cover with a little earth and add the shredded vegetable and fruit skins - you can blend them in a blender, but drain the excess water before putting the skins in the jar. of ice cream.

Then cover all the shells with earth, cover and that's it, just wait. After about 40 days you will have made an organic fertilizer from your food waste.

Also drill some holes in the lid to increase oxygenation. Place the second pot under the pot you filled with the rest of the food. It will serve to collect the leachate that runs off during the food decomposition process.

This liquid is also a great fertilizer and natural pesticide for your plants - to use as a fertilizer, dilute one part slurry with 10 parts water and use to water the plants as usual. In case of use to combat pests, dilute the leachate in water in a proportion of 1 to 1.