How To Feed A Plant Without Buying Anything

Question

I’m wondering how one can feed a plant with ingredients/substances already found in most homes, without buying some commercial plant food or having to wait weeks on composting organic matter, etc. I want to be able to go to the fridge/cupboard/pantry whatever and use “a little of this, a little of that” and manufacture a simple food to use for a potted houseplant. How would you do that? In case you need a specific plant to help with the question let’s pick an easy one, say…an airplane plant (Chlorophytum comosum). (PS, I marked ‘send private email’ but please also post to website as I think many people might want to know the answer.)

Answer 1

Many people overuse fertilizer when it isn't needed. For example, not all houseplants need fertilizer. Schefflera, for one, does not need added fertilizer. Some do benefit from light fertilization, such as spider (airplane) plants, and commercial fertilizers are easy to use and consistent. Getting a pinch of this and a pinch of that may be adding unnecessary ingredients (only a soil test could verify), which may not be beneficial and could be harmful. Most of us don't have products around the home that include nitrogen, phosphorus or potassium. And how would you know how much to use? Some people do like to add things like Epsom salts for a magnesium deficiency or hydrogen peroxide to their plants, but it would be difficult to provide all the needed macro and micro nutrients needed with household products.

You can, however, start a worm farm in your kitchen and fertilize houseplants with worm castings or a "tea." It's faster than a compost pile outside. Also, adding an organic mulch to your houseplants can improve the soil as it degrades.

Among the fallacies that exist regarding using items in the kitchen for plants include:

Used coffee grounds will increase soil acidity. Truth: It does not. Only unused coffee grounds can increase acidity. Used coffee grounds will add organic material to the soil, however, which is a benefit.

Egg shells added to soil will increase calcium. Truth: it does not. It would take shells years to break down. The shells would need to be pulverized to be beneficial. However, boiling eggshells and using the resulting cooled water for plants can add a small amount of calcium and potassium to soil.

These articles should help:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/schefflera/schefflera-plant-care.htm

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/spider-plant/fertilize-spider-plants.htm

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/milk-fertilizer.htm

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/using-shellfish-for-fertilizer.htm

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/using-hydrogen-peroxide-in-garden.htm

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/composting/vermicomposting/indoor-worm-farm.htm

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/soil-nutrients-everything-you-need-to-know.htm

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/synthetic-fertilizer-alternatives.htm