What You Should Be Feeding Your Indoor Plants Right Now
As we bond with our plant friends during these intimate times at home, you might have asked yourself, “Is my plant buddy hungry? Has he ever craved a snack?” (as I walk to the fridge for the 28th time this morning). And the answer is YES!
Artwork by Sara Shakeel
All indoor plants are outdoor plants somewhere on Earth. Decaying plant and animal matter usually find its way into the soil to feed the wild plants. To keep our plant buddies just as happy indoors as they are outdoors, we simulate these conditions with fertilizer. Otherwise, they get hangry and stubborn and refuse to grow. Poor hangry plant buddies!
Compost tea or aquarium waste and waste water are the easiest ways to naturally feed your plant buddies, if you already compost or maintain a fish tank at home. You can also order pre-made fertilizers, if that’s your thing.
Here’s two simple recipes to create your own indoor plant natural fertilizer if you don’t have compost or a fish tank nearby. I like to use water-soluable fertilizers (instead of granular or sticks or anything else) because the plants are less likely to burn (from too much of a good thing) and it’s easy to apply (just water with the fertilizer mix instead of regular water).
Outdoor plants like roses, tomatoes and pepper plants are also known to enjoy an epsom salt fertilizer, so feel free to try out your new mix outside too!
Tag me on Insta @rosewaterfloral with your happy and not hungry plant buddies and DM or email me with any qs, thoughts, or fertilizers that you like to use! xxNatasha
RECIPE #1: EASY Indoor Plant Fertilizer
Tools + Ingredients needed:
1. Repurposed 1-gallon jug (like a milk or water bottle)
2. Measuring spoons
3. 1 teaspoon Epsom salt
4. 1 teaspoon Baking powder (optional)
5. 1./2 teaspoon Ammonia (optional)
6. 1 teaspoon Saltpeter (not salt!, also optional)
Recipe:
1. Rinse out your 1-gallon jug so it’s clean and relatively sterile and label “PLANT BUDDY FOOD (DO NOT DRINK)”.
2. Measure out 1 teaspoon of baking powder and pour into your clean jug.
3. Repeat with Epsom salt and saltpeter.
4. Fill up the jug with reverse osmosis, filtered, or tap water (whatever is available to you).
5. Measure out 1/2 teaspoon of ammonia (definitely not more!) and pour into the jug.
6. Seal and gently shake or set aside in a cool, safe area (away from kids, pets, and illiterate housemates) until the salts are dissolved.
7. Test the mix by pouring 1/4 cup or less into a plant container and wait 24 hours to see what happens.
8. If the test plant shows no signs of shock (or if you’re impatient and brave, like me and skipped step 7), water all your indoor plants as if you would regularly but with your fertilizer mix instead.
9. Store your fertilizer mix in a cool, safe place and repeat feeding every 4 weeks until/through Fall when the days begin to shorten and nights get cooler. (Your plant will probably start to sleep a little more, grow a little less, and not be so hungry by then.)
RECIPE #2: EASIEST Indoor Plant Fertilizer
If you have Epsom salt only, your plant buddies might still feel better with a boost in magnesium and sulfur. Here’s the easiest recipe for that:
Tools + Ingredients needed:
1. 1-gallon spray bottle (or portion down the recipe for a smaller bottle size) or repurposed 1-gallon jug (like a milk or water bottle)
2. Tablespoon or large spoon
3. 1 Tablespoon Epsom salt
Recipe:
1. Rinse out your spray bottle 1-gallon jug so it’s clean and relatively sterile and label “PLANT BUDDY FOOD (DO NOT DRINK)”.
2. Measure out 1 tablespoon or a heaping regular spoon of Epsom salt and pour into your container.
3. Fill up the container with reverse osmosis, filtered, or tap water (whatever is available to you).
4. Spray the leaves of your plants or pour the fertilizer solution as you would normally when watering.
5. Store your fertilizer mix in a cool, safe place and repeat feeding every 4 weeks until/through Fall when the days begin to shorten and nights get cooler. (Your plant will probably start to sleep a little more, grow a little less, and not be so hungry by then.)