Do-It-Yourself Fertilizers

Comfrey Fertilizer

• 1

  Take a clean, 13-gallon trashcan outside to serve as your container for preparing comfrey fertilizer. The smell won't be pleasant. Keep the can far from the house.

• 2

  Fill half the trashcan with comfrey leaves.

• 3

  Pour water into the trashcan until there is enough to cover the comfrey leaves. Put the lid on the can. Wait three to six weeks while the leaves steep.

• 4

  Scoop the comfrey tea out of the trashcan to water your plants instead of using plain water.

Coffee Fertilizer

• 5

  Spread a thick layer of newspapers on a counter. Save the grounds after brewing one pot of coffee. Spread the coffee grounds on the absorbent newspaper to dry.

• 6

  Spread a 1/4-inch layer of dried coffee grounds around the base of blueberry bushes, rhododendrons, and other acid-loving plants. Work the grounds into the soil gently to prevent root injury.

• 7

  Place leftover coffee grounds in a lidded jar for later use. The coffee has to be completely dry for storage to prevent mold.