How to Make Natural Garden Supplies

Create Natural Garden Supplies & Save Money

Are you tired of shelling out your hard-earned cash for potting soil, pest control, fertilizers, and other products for your backyard garden? I completely understand the frustration! Although I occasionally need to buy organic fertilizers and other garden supplies, I make most of mine from a few basic ingredients. This helps me save money, reduce my household waste, and customize the ingredients to fit my needs.

It’s not hard to make your own natural garden supplies from scratch. You just need to keep a few things on hand for mixing up homemade pest sprays and fertilizers. In some cases, you can even make supplies from kitchen or garden waste! So let’s take a look at some products you can create at home and the ingredients you’ll need.

Natural Garden Fertilizers from Scratch

If you have a compost pile you can save a lot of money on fertilizers for your garden. Vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers will all grow so much better with a bit of compost. Work some well-rotted manure, compost, or other organic matter into the soil before you plant. This will get your garden off to a great start!

Natural Fertilizer for Seedlings

After seeds germinate or you transplant baby plants into their garden bed, side-dress seedlings with more compost. This will give them a boost and help to reduce weeds, too. Compost is rich in nutrients that help seedlings establish a healthy root system.

Natural Fertilizer for Heavy Feeders

Side-dress plants with compost every couple of weeks to keep green leafy vegetables and other heavy feeders healthy and supply needed nitrogen. Pumpkins, squash, and corn all do well with regular applications of compost.

Natural Fertilizer for Flowers and Fruit

To fertilize flowering and fruiting crops, don’t overdo the compost because this will encourage more leafy growth. Once plants are established, add phosphorous to encourage flowers and fruit. Supply these nutrients with purchased fertilizer (use organic fertilizers to boost soil fertility and beneficial microbes) or sprinkle powdered eggshells on the soil surrounding your plants.

Natural Fertilizer for Root Crops

Root crops like a bit more potassium and will do well with the addition of kelp meal. If you live near the ocean you may be able to gather dried kelp to use in your garden. Those powdered eggshells will also give a little potassium boost for root growth. Composted banana peels are another good source of potassium. Whirl up some banana peels in a blender with water and pour this concoction around your veggie plants… you’ll create less waste and do your garden a favor.

You can also mix your own natural fertilizers for seedlings, flowering and fruiting plants, and green leafy veggies with the directions in my eBook, Recipes for Your Garden… keep reading for more information!

Natural Garden Pest Sprays from Scratch

Purchasing organic or natural insecticides and pest control measures can really put a dent in your budget. Reduce the need for these products by gardening organically and working lots of organic matter into the soil. This feeds plants naturally and increases beneficial microbe populations in the soil, which increases plant health and pest resistance.

Interested in starting an organic garden or switching over to organic methods? Check out ’10 Simple Steps to Switch Your Garden to Organic’ for sale on my Etsy Shop. This eBook is a step-by-step guide to increasing the health and vitality of your garden to reduce reliance on pest control and save some cash.

When you find insects feeding on your plants, the best option is handpicking. Flick pests into a bucket of soapy water. You won’t need to worry about harmful chemicals killing beneficial insects or increasing resistance in future generations of pests.

Control other pests with a quick blast of water. Knock aphids and spider mites off of leaves and stems with plain water sprayed from your hose. If this treatment doesn’t take care of the problem, make homemade soap spray with 1 quart of water and a few drops of plain dish soap. Test this solution on a few leaves and wait a couple of days to make sure the soapy water doesn’t cause any problems for your plants.

Check out my post How to Make Natural Pest Traps for Your Garden for more information about natural baits and traps you can make at home. You’ll also get a freebie to download and print out!

Recipes to Make Your Own Natural Garden Supplies

I’ve shared some ideas for reducing your gardening expenses by feeding the soil with compost and dealing with pests naturally. Of course, there are plenty of other ways to save money, create natural garden supplies, and grow an abundance of food without using synthetic chemicals on your plants. Over the years, I’ve tried quite a few homemade sprays, potting mixes, fertilizers, and other products in my garden.

I compiled many of my money-saving recipes and instructions to help other gardeners learn how to create their own products in my eBook ‘Recipes for Your Garden: Save Money and Create Natural Garden Supplies.’ This handy guide has recipes for pest and disease sprays and baits, critter repellant spray, natural fertilizers, peat-free potting mixes, fertilizer ‘tea,’ and even some recipes for sunscreen, hand salve, cooling body spray, and lip balm for gardeners.

Now, I’m a pretty frugal gardener and DIY is second nature to me. Creating my own products from basic ingredients helps me reduce plastic waste and exposure to synthetic chemicals. It also saves a ton of money! If you would like to garden more sustainably, Recipes for Your Garden is a great place to start!

Not sure you want to buy a digital product to help you reduce waste and save money? Please take a moment to check out the free recipe card samples I shared on my post How to Make Natural Pest Traps for Your Garden! You can snag a freebie and learn how to protect your fruit and veggie plants from slugs, apple codling moths, and other pests.

Do you like to create your own natural garden supplies from scratch? What is your favorite? Share in the comments!

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