How to Make Homemade Plant Food 

Learn how to make homemade plant food and watch as your garden grows.

Is there anything more satisfying than growing your own plants from scratch? Not only do you get to watch them grow, but you can also take pride in knowing that you’re providing them with all the nutrients they need to thrive. 

Healthy plants need food to grow, just like people do. Homemade plant food is an easy way to give your plants an extra boost, and it’s easy to make! 

You can make your own plant food right at home using ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry! Homemade plant food is not only better for the environment, but homemade fertilizer is also cheaper and more effective than store-bought.

You can use in your organic plant food in a vegetable garden, on your outdoor plants, potted plants and with your indoor plants.

What’s in Homemade Plant Food? 

Your homemade plant food recipe contains 3 main ingredients that will bring essential nutrients to your plants: 

Baking Soda 

Baking soda helps protect plants from fungal diseases and is great for boosting plant growth.

Epsom Salts

The magnesium and sulfur in Epsom salt help plants absorb nutrients from the soil, which increases their chlorophyll production and even makes green leaves healthier!

Ammonia 

Household ammonia helps to promote healthy root growth in your plants. For best results, use with no added fragrances or cleaning additives. 

Keep reading for a simple recipe that will help your plants thrive.

How to Make Your Own Homemade Plant Food

Makes 1 gallon

• 1 gallon fresh water
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp epsom salts
• ½ tsp ammonia 

Directions:

1. Pour one gallon of water to a pitcher or large watering can.
2. Add baking soda, epsom salts, and ammonia.
3. Stir to mix well.

How to Use Your Plant Food:

• Transfer the homemade plant fertilizer to a watering can or spray bottle and keep at room temperature.
• Pour water around the base of the plants into the potting soil, so that the roots can absorb the nutrients.
• Use a small amount about once per month. 

Pro Tip: Create a compost pile or use a compost bin in your home! Compost is a type of plant food that is made from organic matter that has been decomposed and broken down into a nutrient-rich garden soil amendment.

Compost is a natural way to improve the quality of garden soils, promote plant growth, and help reduce the need for chemical fertilizers.

Household items like banana peels, coffee grounds, grass clippings, egg shells, fish waste, vegetable scraps are examples of organic waste that can be used as an organic fertilizer.