Frugal organic Gardening

SOIL AMENDMENTS
EGGSHELLS
Adds slow release calcium to the soil
Large pieces help aerate the soil
Place a tablespoon of crushed or powdered eggshells into the hole before planting tomatoes, squash,
peppers and other vegetables that are susceptible to blossom end rot (calcium deficiency)
Slugs hate them. Crush by hand and place around plants to deter slugs.

WOOD ASH
Contains calcium, phosphorus and potassium.
Changes the Ph of the soil making it more alkaline. Apply directly to the garden in small amounts if you have
acidic soil. Can be used in place of lime. Make sure it is ash from wood, not burned garbage or glossy papers.
Add small amounts to compost to help maintain a neutral condition.

COFFEE GROUNDS (USED)

Contains potassium, phosphorus & nitrogen plus small amounts of copper, magnesium and calcium
Adds nitrogen
Earthworms love them and gardens love earthworms
Improves the texture of some soils
May be slightly acidic

DIY ORGANIC FERTILIZERS

BANANA PEELS
Banana peels are loaded with potassium. Plants that are grown for their fruits or flowers benefit from
potassium rich fertilizers. Feed potassium rich fertilizer to your fruits, tomatoes and squash plants! To unlock
the potassium in banana peels, simply place a banana peel in a mason jar full of water and cap it. Let it sit for
3 days and then use it to water your plants.

EGGSHELL FERTILIZER
Eggshells are full of calcium plus a little potassium. Crush clean eggshells and put in a mason jar full of water.
Allowed to set for a week or so then use on your plants. Houseplants and tomatoes love this stuff! In fact,
almost all plants need calcium. It may even help prevent blossom end rot. After you've used all your eggshell
fertilizer, toss the shells in the compost and use new ones for the next batch.

VEGETABLE COOKING WATER

Once your done cooking your veggies for dinner, drain the water into a bowl and allow to cool. This water
contains all the vitamins the vegetables lost during the cooking process. I dilute this about half and half with
water and give a splash to all my houseplants first, then head to the garden. This does not store well at all!
Make sure you use it up the first day or it will start to smell like rotted garbage. Anything left can be dumped
in the compost pile.

LEFTOVER BEER
Watered down beer will add nutrients and nitrogen to the soil to give your plants a boost
Give your compost a jump start by dumping beer on it. The yeast and sugar in the beer feed the beneficial
bacteria in compost to really get it cooking.

EPSOM SALTS
Epsom salts are high in magnesium and sulfur. Mix one tablespoon of Epsom salts with a gallon of water. I
use this as a foliar spray on my tomatoes, peppers and roses about twice a month.

FEATHERS IN THE WOODS

 Frugal organic Gardening
PANTRY STAPLES WITH GARDEN USE
CINNAMON
Cinnamon has anti fungal properties, by dusting cinnamon all over the garden mulch, it helps to control
mushroom growth.
Cinnamon gets rid of molds and mildew in house plants too. Simply sprinkle a bit of cinnamon on the soil.

GARLIC
If you're having problems with mold or fungus, crush 5 cloves of garlic in a garlic press and pour a pint of
boiling water over it. Let cool and strain. Dilute 1 part garlic solution to 2 parts water and spray on infected
plants.
Late blight is similar enough to a fungus that garlic seems to help control it. Using the same recipe for
fungus, spray on affected leaves lightly. I like to reapply this spray every two weeks
Pest spray: The garlic and water spray works to keep away ants, fruit flies, carrot flies, aphids, cabbage
loopers, leafminers, Japanese beetles and grasshoppers also. Spray on and around plants you want to protect
You can also sprinkle garlic powder around the perimeter of your garden to keep rabbits and squirrels away,
but it will need reapplied after a heavy rain

PEROXIDE
Mold and mildew: By applying the hydrogen peroxide solution to soils with bacteria, mold or spraying on
powdery mildew it can combat these common garden ailments. When dealing with a particularly stubborn
case I had to mix it twice as strong, but it worked without harming the plants. Reapply after rain.
Fertilizer: when properly diluted, peroxide provides that extra oxygen atom to plants at the root making it an
excellent fertilizer. Mix 1 tsp of peroxide per cup of water and water plant at the roots

DIY PESTICIDES
NATURAL HERBIVORE SPRAY
Critter control: rabbits, moles and deer don't like the taste of garlic at all! They also hate red pepper flakes so I
started mixing the two and found it very effective. Crush 3-4 garlic cloves. Put in a quart mason jar with 2
Tbsp red pepper flakes. Cover with hot water and allow to set for 2 days. Strain. Dilute with water 1 to 1 and
pour into a spray bottle. Spray on foliage to keep grazing animals away

MARIGOLD SPRAY
Put water and marigolds in a blender and pulse for just a few seconds. The mixture should still be
chunky. Place in a mason jar and let it sit in a cool dark place for 2 days. Shake occasionally. After the 2 days
have passed, strain the mixture out through a cheesecloth squeezing the cheesecloth to get the last of the
liquid out. Pour into a plant sprayer and dilute with about 6 cups of water. Spray on and around plants to
deter pests.
Store the marigold spray in the refrigerator. It should keep for at least 2 weeks.

PEROXIDE
Leaf pest spray: using a solution of 1 Tbsp peroxide to 1 cup of water, spray the infected plants foliage to fight
bacteria, fungus and pest infestations. This can help with aphids and spider mites.

FEATHERS IN THE WOODS