How to Make Homemade Fertilizer for Fruit Trees

Start your own compost bin for long-term fertilizer production. Put the bin in an outdoor site with protection from wind, rain and direct sunshine. Organic material requires temperature and moisture control to produce compost. Keep the bin away from the house to avoid the odor.

Fill the bin one-third full of garden soil to form a gritty base. Turn nitrogen-rich ingredients into the soil, including fruit and vegetable leftovers, coffee and coffee grounds, leaves, grass clippings, egg shells, manure and hay. Fruit trees do best with a high nitrogen content in their soil. Maintain some balance with carbon-producing items such as peanut shells, paper, sawdust, ashes and cardboard.

Put a compost starter or scoop of blood meal into the mix to quicken the breakdown process, and mix the pile with a shovel or garden fork. Water the compost pile until it's moist throughout to start the breakdown.

Mix the compost pile once or twice a day to aerate it and keep it from rotting. The microorganisms in the compost need air for survival, and work harder with better aeration. Frequent mixing leads to quicker composting.

"Feed" the compost pile once a week for the most efficient compost. Water the pile every time you feed it to keep it moist, or water once a week in the absence of any feedings. The pile requires consistent moisture for breakdown, and stalls in its action if it dries.

Use the compost as a soil amendment when it reaches a dark, crumbly and soil-like consistency. Scoop out "ready" compost and leave the rest to continue cooking.

Add individual ingredients to the soil around the fruit trees for quicker results. Mix coffee grounds into the soil for a straight shot of nitrogen or use crumbled egg shells, dirty fish tank water, banana peels, apple cores or cider for balanced nutrition. The organic materials break down over time to add nutrition to the soil.