Turning kitchen waste into garden gold: The power of potato peels
Potato peels are often considered waste and usually end up in the trash. Disposing of them in the compost bin might benefit the environment. However, you gain much more when you take action yourself. Ever since I discovered the wonders they can do in a home garden, I have stopped throwing away potato peels. They become especially useful in the summer; until then, you can store them in the freezer.
Potato peels are rich in valuable nutrients such as potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, sodium, iron, zinc, and manganese. For this reason, they are an excellent natural fertilizer for many flowering plants. Unfortunately, fertilizer made from potato peels is not practical in every case. So before you start watering your tomatoes with it, check which plants it benefits and which it might harm.
What to water with potato peel fertilizer?
Fertilizer from peels is recommended for strengthening raspberries, currants, gooseberries, and strawberries, as well as flowering and decorative plants outside the garden. Raspberries will particularly benefit from its valuable properties. The high potassium and phosphorus content will accelerate flowering, resulting in fruit.
Which plants should not use this fertilizer?
Potato peels are unsuitable for acid-loving plants such as blueberries, cranberries, or rhododendrons. They are also not suitable for watering vegetables from the nightshade family, such as peppers and tomatoes, because they can carry potato blight.
Storing potato peels for fertilizer
Before you prepare the fertilizer, you need to collect a sufficient amount of potato peels. You can store scraps in the freezer in sealed zip-lock bags. Another clever way to store leftovers is to dry the peels in the oven.
How to do it? Simply spread them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place them in an oven preheated to 100 degrees Celsius for 2-4 hours. When they become brittle, it's a sign you can take them out. Store the prepared peels in a dry and cool place.
How to make fertilizer from peels?
Pour boiling water over frozen or dried peels in a 1:10 ratio, meaning use 0.5 kilograms of peels with 5 litres of water. Let it cool, then strain it through a sieve and pour it into a bottle. Water plants with this fertilizer every 3-4 weeks.
