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Today I am going to show you an Easy homemade plant food that is SO affordable AND it’s actually effective. I will even tell you why it is.
The coolest thing about being a chemist would be the experimenting and research of chemicals. Chemicals are truly in everything. Food, beauty products, cleaning products, and especially gardening products like fertilizers.
If you read this blog often, you know Chemistry Cachet is all about making your life easier, healthier, and more affordable all through understanding chemicals.
Today, I want to share with you a really cheap option for feeding your plants. My easy homemade plant food was made for less than $4.00 and that was for all the supplies. Per batch, it is actually just pennies to make!
Head over to my instagram to see behind the scenes.
Easy Homemade Plant Food
Store bought plant food, like Miracle Grow, is great. It is very effective and just easy to buy, but the truth is, these products are massed produced. This means they have numerous chemicals that are unnecessary for your plants. They are really just fillers.
On the other hand, store bought Organic plant foods can get pricey. Especially for the good brands.
You can definitely get away with not feeding your plants any fertilizer, but potted plants this time of year can start looking pretty bad. This heat and lack of rain really suck the nutrients out of the soil, and potted plants don’t have a way to replenish that.
This post I shared about how I grow big huge roses talked a little about some organic options I love like egg shells and coffee grounds. These deliver great nutrients like calcium and nitrogen.
Using all types of these organic methods is still a great option, but they aren’t very potent and they can take a while to break down I the soil. That is the type of method I like for plants that are in flower beds.
Readers have asked, “How do I make my own homemade plant food that is potent like miracle grow?”
The trick for potted plants is an easy, fast acting nutrient dense food that acts like miracle grow!
Easy homemade plant food is the perfect option for any patio gardener. And like I said, it was a total of $4.00 for all these products and you will only use a very tiny amount of each one. So, this means you can get hundreds of batches out of this!
Find our great slow release plant organic plant food in Chemistry Hacks for Home and Outdoor.
Homemade Plant Food Ingredients
- 1.5 tbsp magnesium sulfate (Epsom Salt – MgSO4)
- 1.5 tsp sodium bicarbonate (Baking Soda – NaHCO3)
- 0.25 – 0.5 tsp Ammonium Hydroxide (Ammonia – NH4OH)***
- 1 gallon of water (H20)
In a water container, add all the ingredients. Top with one gallon of water and stir. I water about 5 or 6 big plants with this. You don’t want to add this entire amount to one plant. A little goes a long way!
***Many have asked why such a small amount of ammonia and why the variance in the amount. Ammonia can be potent, so a little tiny bit goes a long way. With hot summer temperatures, I usually go with the 0.25 tsp of ammonia. I don’t want to give the potted plant too much that may risk burning leaves. This is very unlikely to happen however. You can use up to 0.5 tsp of ammonia and the solution will be just fine. It will be a little stronger, but equally as safe for plants.
Let’s check out why this solution even works.
Chemistry Behind DIY Flower Food
Even though this solution only has a few small ingredients, there is a reason behind why we use it! These ingredients mimic things found in store-bought flower fertilizer, but on a safer scale.
Let’s look further.
Ammonia
The biggest part of this homemade flower food is the ammonia, also known as Ammonium Hydroxide. This is a household ammonia meaning it is a solution of ammonia in water. It isn’t pure ammonia (which you can’t find in a grocery store). It is strong, but much safer than most fertilizers. It is also cheap! This is responsible for the nitrogen source which feeds blooms!
Epsom Salt
Magnesium sulfate (Epsom Salt) is very beneficial for blooms. This adds sulfur to the soil which potted plants usually don’t get much, Magnesium also promotes healthy blooms.
Baking Soda
Sodium bicarbonate helps discourage mildew from forming in potted plants. I have tried this solution without using it, but I really like how healthy it keeps my potted flowers. It also helps discourage insects.
After using this solution, my potted plants are more vivid, bright, and healthier.
The plant below was a hibiscus that I brought into the garage over the winter. During the winter, it went dormant almost like it was dead. In the spring, I trimmed it back and started taking care of it with my easy hibiscus tips.
I started feeding it with some of this homemade plant food every few weeks since it is in a huge container. The plant started growing faster and is really dark green now! And it finally has some buds on it too. There hasn’t been any buds on it since last year!
Update: Here is another photos of this same plant after two applications of this plant food. I applied it once, then again about 3 weeks later. It has really enhanced the blooms and dark green color. I also added in phosphorous, see note below for this important tip.
Now for an important chemist tip.
What About the Phosphorous?
+I definitely want to point out that this easy homemade plant food is missing a chemical, phosphorus. Phosphorus is found in most store bought solutions and helps with root growth. It is harder to get in a household item compared to sulfur, nitrogen, and magnesium.
+ Phosphorus is going to be more important depending on your soil and especially in flower beds. From my personal experience, my potted plants do okay without since the potting soil I use typically contains it.
+To make this homemade solution even more amazing, you can buy these organic phosphorus rocks to add into the mix. Just a small amount.
+ For added calcium, just use crushed egg shells (read what I do in this post). Although I used to use them for my roses, I now add it to all potted plants especially after a long dry summer. It is the perfect addition of calcium for potted plants.
To Get Really Accurate:
You can also take it one step further and get your flower bed soil tested. When I took horticulture, we did some soil testing and discovered the area we lived in was not phosphorus deficient, so it wasn’t needed as much.
Again, this is just extra steps if you really want to get crazy. I have tested this out and it works good without the phosphorus on potted plants. It also works wonders on Boston Ferns. In fact, I have
I really love how chemistry and gardening go hand in hand. If you want to keep up with chemist tips on gardening, baking, and healthy living, please follow me below 🙂
FAQ
Do you have a solution for homemade weed killer?
I do! Visit my homemade weed killer post here and it also works for ants!
Is this homemade plant food for succulents?
No, this is not good for succulents.
What about the phosphorous?
Please read above for the phosphorus rock option.
What about calcium?
I also mention what I do for calcium.
Isn’t ammonia bad for plants?
Ammonia is what gives this nitrogen. Ammonia is also found in many organic options like manure, etc. In diluted small does, it will not harm plants. You may notice this is a very small amount of ammonia. I have found that it is just the right amount needed for potted plants.
Is there a homemade plant food without ammonia?
To mimic store-bought miracle grow, you must have ammonia. It is the only way to get the nitrogen source like this. If you can’t get ammonia or can’t use it, I recommend going for an organic option like the one in our eBook or this one ingredient plant food.
Should I water the leaves or the soil?
We have tested out both. Both work well, BUT in the summer, in extremely hot temperatures (like in Texas) it is best to not put directly on the leaves so it doesn’t burn. Many fertilizers can burn the leaves of the plant if used to much or in hot sun, so this is a good practice for other ones.
Can this work for vegetables?
I would test it. This is definitely made for flowering plants, but I have had a few readers use on vegetables with luck. Please always test first.
How Often Do I apply Homemade Plant Food?
Once a month for potted plants. At the most! Do not use this entire solution on one potted plant. Treat it like you would a store bought solution, so it will feed many plants.
Do you a dry plant food option?
YES!! I have developed one and finally completed it, it will be in my upcoming book. Stay tuned for details!
What if I live in an area without ammonia?
Many of our readers live in different countries where ammonia is not available. Unfortunately this is the biggest reason this solution works. Instead, try our free potted plant food idea or check out our eBook.
DISCLAIMER: I am a chemist and have studied horticulture in college. This is a simple feeding solution that can benefit plants that lack certain nutrients. It is not a complete plant food as mentioned above, but is great for potted plants and new gardeners.
ALWAYS TEST YOUR PLANTS FIRST!!
For Organic Slow Release Plant Food Check out Our Ebook Below!
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Yes! This is exactly what I needed to be reading this morning! I need this to help with my failing garden ASAP!`
This is a great extra little boost for plants!!
Do I use this just as the recipe or do I add water when I use it? I read another post that said to add 4 cups water to this concentrate when used. Thank you
Hi Carol, the recipe calls for 1 gallon of water. Just use everything as stated in ingredient list, it has the correct ratios 🙂 Let me know if you have other questions!
Can this be used on indoor plants?
I have never used them on indoor plants, but I have had many readers over the years write in they have used them with success on indoor plants. But I cant say for certain from personal exerience
I need to make this for my plants, sounds so easy! Thank you so much for sharing!
It really is so easy to mix up! And so cheap too 🙂 Have a great day!
Can you use this on indoor potted plants that are not the flowering type?
It’s not the best for indoor plants because they don’t have the sunlight and don’t require same nutrients. If you eliminate the ammonia, you can use it on indoor plants in small amounts
Oh I hafta try this, my plants need help!!!. Ruger looks taller? Love, mom
It works wonders! His back end is taller than his front end lol!! Buthe is also standing on the patio 🙂
Love this post! Your chem formulas jostled my brain to remember all those elements from high school! I can make a simpler food for my plants! Important questions: Can I use this on my herb garden, as I will use the herbs in cooking? Are ammonia and epson salts available in small containers? I think I only see them in large quantities… Look forward to playing garden chemist! Your egg shell/coffee grinds “food” is making my roses grow and look great, even in the summer! Thanks Alexis!
Thanks Laurie!! You can use small portions on herbs especially if you have them planted in the ground. It is a little potent for potted herbs so I would just use a little bit. I bought the smallest Ammonia I could find, it was only $0.98. The other bottle was really big! I have seen Epsom Salt in smaller containers, but I bought the smallest they had for a little over $1.00. I hope you have fun making this solution!! It is very chemist-y 🙂
You can get the ingredients at Dollar Tree for $1 each.
That’s great! They definitely have cheap options for that 🙂
Great tip! I keep meaning to buy some miracle grow for my plants and now I don’t need to!
Thanks so much! Hope you can get some good use out of it without having to buy some 🙂
I love the sound of this for the benefits and the cost! Thanks so much. 😉
Happy Thoughts of Home. Pinning.
It is definitely affordable! And it works so good too. Perfect replacement for store bought 🙂
Thank you for these tips. My potted plants look horrible right now, and I’ve thrown most of them away. This Arizona summer has been extra hot and dry. 🙁
Oh that’s the worst! I hate how the hot dry summers ruin all those pretty plants. I have lost many in Texas and also in the winter too! I hope this can help you 🙂
Awesome tips, I didn’t know about the ammonia I am going to pick this up for sure. So happy I found your lovely blog and enjoyed looking around. I would love for you to link up your post at a party I am co-hosting. I hope to see you there. Have a great week. http://diy180site.blogspot.com/2016/07/dishing-it-and-digging-it-link-party-107.html
Thanks Vanessa! I appreciate that! I just stopped by and linked up at your blog 🙂
Can this be used for tomato plants?
I dug through some horticulture books and it looks like this would probably be okay for tomatoes, but it is missing phosphorus. If you buy that in addition and add it, it will probably do well. My research mentioned that tomatoes need more phosphorus than nitrogen. I would also check your soil just in case. The soil where I lived isn’t missing much phosphorus, so it isn’t as important. If you want to use this, I would test it out on your tomatoes in small amounts and see how it does. Hope this helps!
Would you add the phosphorus rate into the liquid mix or add some directly to the soil? Because typically you treat soil with phosphorus prior to planting so I’m thinking of very very small amount in each batch of liquid? I know this is primarily Med for houseplants but I put it on my pepper plants a few weeks ago and they’ve doubled in size and just become absolutely vibrant and huge. I mean the growth was within 2 days after I used it it was absolutely amazing. I did use potting soil and some large pots to plant some peppers simply so I could move them around on a dolly into the sun. There are no good places add my property other than the very front yard to put a vegetable garden everything from the back of my house is completely shaded. So my property of is covered with ferns hostas and IVs. My roses exploded when I dumped a somewhat strong batch of this on them.
So again with the Foster it’s just a pinch in each gallon of solution? One of my pinches is about 1/2 teaspoon
Crap I was using voice recognition that was supposed to say phosphorus
I add about 1/2 to 1 tsp into the the gallon of solution. That is usually all you need for this, and the plants love it!! My father in law uses it for all his vegetable plants and all through his garden, it has made such a difference for him! So it is great for all kinds of plants 🙂
But huge pepper plants won’t yield a lot of peppers. Too much nnitrogen, need more phosphorus for fruiting. Higher number is middle number example, 5-10-5.
Thank you for your quick reply. I’ll try a test on one of my tomato plants and let you know how it works.
You’re welcome! I look forward to seeing how it works for you!
I’ve been looking for something to feed my flowers thats homemade and easy! This is perfect! Thank you so much for sharing. I’m excited to give it a try 🙂
I hope you enjoy it! It is been a big hit with readers so far and works great!!
I’ve never made my own plant food. I’m trying to go organic and DIY on many gardening supplies. Thanks so much for sharing your plant food recipe with us at Merry Monday.
Thanks Sherry!! I hope you get to enjoy making it, it is such a great option!
Thanks for the info…I already use epson salt for my ferns now I’ll go one step further…by the way you might want to try kimberly queen ferns they far surpass bostons…they grow bigger and thrive even in less than ideal conditions unlike bostons i have had the most gorgeous large showey ferns in the neighborhood for the last three years
Hi Margaret, thanks for sharing your tips with us! Those ferns sound beautiful!
Thanks I will be making me up some soon printing this out to keep!
I hope you enjoy using it Deb! Thanks for stopping by today 🙂
Can it be used on orchids?
Hi Cher. I don’t have much experience with orchids, but I know they make specific plant food just for them. They really love acidity, so it may do well with them. If you try it out, I would just use a very small amount first. The store bought orchid food has high levels of nitrogen and potassium. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Do you have a recipe for outside perennial gardens.
Thanks Stormy
Hi Stormy, we do not have a specific recipe at this time for perennials. There are some organic options I have used if you are interested.
Great post and thanks. I didn’t read through all of the notes, but from other gardening pages, they recommend applying with a spray bottle (Dollar Tree or similar store) to the foliage itself rather than adding it directly to the soil.
I was curious if you do this as well. If so, please let us know. If not you might want to experiment with one set of plants where you water with it only and another where you also feed the foliage.
I know the surface spray is fine for veggies, flowers and herbs.
J.J.
Thanks again
Hi there thanks so much for your comment! We have done both and they both seem to work. However, in the extremely hot climate here (Texas) I don’t typically put directly onto foliage. We will continue to update this posts with tips, experiments and readers questions too, so feel free to check back anytime. Have a great day!
When spraying any type of plant directly on the leaves, please make sure you spray them very early in the morning or late in the evening, just before the sun comes up and after the sun goes down! Otherwise, the plants leaves will burn in the heat of the sun.
Yes, and we recommend not using any type of fertilizer or spray when temperatures are above 85 degrees. In our area, I stop using this in June, but resume in September or October depending on the weather
Does this raise the PH of the soil ?
It will very slightly raise it due to the baking soda and ammonia. But it is so diluted it isn’t by much. My soil is always a little acidic, so it helps neutralize it.
Margaret, thank you for your wonderful tips..How often should I use this mixture?
Hi Bridget, this is only meant to be used once per month 🙂
Love the information you have posted & have shared it with all my friends on FB.
Thank you Margaret!! Have a great day!
Hello again, Alexis! I read through the posts and saw that the plant food mixture can be used sparingly. I plant my herbs in an “earth-box” which you may know about — it’s about 3′ long and about 12″ wide, with a water chamber for self watering. There is a port for adding water and that’s where I have added fertilizer (MG). Any ideas on about how much of your recipe to put in and how often? Thanks much! Dee
I have heard of these, they sound awesome. I am not sure what would be best as far as adding it to that area. For herbs, I would probably start with using half of this solution for an area that size. Or even 1/4 of the recipe. Self watering is so good and goes straight to the root system, so I wouldn’t want you to add too much. It should do fine, but I like to be better safe than sorry. Let me know if you have other questions 🙂
Alexis, I live in Arizona. Can you use your plant garden recipe for all desert plants?
Hi Bill, I think this would work fine for desert plants, but I would use it first without the ammonia. Extreme heat can sometimes make that too strong of a mixture. I would test a small area first to be sure.
What about azaleas which need more acidic soil? Have you a plant food for them?
Hi Tyna. We grew Azaleas years ago in horticulture. They did best without plant food. We occasionally used an organic, slow release type in the spring/early summer. They did well with that.
Do you have anything for grubs? We’ve planted sod twice and treated with Grub-X to no avail. It’s all dead again. Thanks
Hi Arlene. I haven’t had much of grub problem, but I have talked with some people who have used beneficial nematodes as an organic way to get rid of them. Here is an article that talks a little about it.
Wow! Thanks so much for your prompt response. We read the article and are going to give it a shot. Need to try your plant food recipe on my honeysuckle. Seems to have a bit of a fungus. Thanks again.
Thank you! Hope you enjoy using it, feel free to ask me any questions!
There’s also a bacteria that you can buy from Farm Stores that is very expensive that will kill them completely. What you’re better off doing is buying old 50 gallon drum made of plastic they can be found everywhere these days cut the lid off of it get a fish tank bubbler and throw a weighted line down to the bottom so it bubbles for a few days dump a bottle of the bacteria Intuit and throw some sugars or some other type of growth media in there like auger. You can buy all that stuff on eBay but it would be much cheaper to grow a 50 gallon pail of the stuff if you have much more than a very very small lot.
If I can find the name of this bacteria I will post it but it’s been a few years since I’ve done this. I believe it’s an enzyme that this bacteria releases? It’s been awhile
Bacteria is definitely beneficial for the soil and plant growth. Definitely let me know the name of it if you can find it!
What if my water has a lot of lime in it?
Hi Ann. I would try using distilled bottle water if you are going to using it on potted plants. It will keep this mixture with the right pH.
Alexis,
I only have a small kitchen window and in it, I have two orchids (that have not flowered this year) and I water them once a week or less. I also have various houseplants that I water once a week and I think there is not enough light in our house. I live in (Southwest of Houston) Texas, where it is hot most of the year. I am wondering would it be safe to leave my plants on a shaded porch? Also I am growing a (dying) aloe vera plant a good friend gave to me. The plant food solution; would it be safe on my orchids and my aloe vera plant? I have already killed my tomato plants I started and I don’t want to kill my orchids. Thank you for any tips you give me.
Debby in Texas
Hi Debby! I live in Texas too (north central) and man it is so hot. My plants really struggles even with good care. I have trouble with houseplants in my home since they don’t get much light. They will look fine, but don’t flower often. I have gotten to where I will put the in the cooler morning sun on the porch and bring them inside shortly after. Sometimes they need more sunlight for photosynthesis. I talked with another reader about this last week since she has orchids too. I researched a little and orchids really love acidic plant food. This homemade solution is not very acidic, it’s a little alkaline although not by much. They do make some plant food specifically for orchids you may try.
Aloe Vera does well in really dry soil with little water, they don’t like much fertilizer either. I like this article about caring tips for them. Hope this can help a little! Our extreme Texas heat sure does make growing plants hard! Have a great day!
Hi Alexis
I came across the post on Hometalk earlier today. Looking forward to testing the mix on some of my container garden plants that faired poorly this year because of the temperature and draught conditions we are dealing with. Hopefully your simple mix and a little extra tlc will bring them to life before the frost puts them to sleep.
I am also a member of a tractor club that plants and harvests potatoes and donates them to the food bank and a couple charitis. Purchased fertilizer costs about $1,200 dollars to cover 4 acres. Your mix could save the club a lot. Yes, some early testing will be done before applying. How far do you think a gallon will go? smiles.
Hi Phillip! So nice to hear from you. For using this as fertilizer on a large area I would also try to add in the phosphorous rocks in the solution to make sure a crop would get more nutrients. I haven’t tested it out on acres, but I would say 1 gallon would probably cover close to 12-15 square feet depending on the types of plants etc. It could be less though depending on the size of plants. I would definitely test a small portion of the area to see how well it does with a gallon per about 12 square feet. Then you can go from there. I hope it can help you some and let me know if you have any other questions! 🙂
Hi
Would this plant food harm the leaves of the plant?
My fern has seen better days it is difficult to able to water the plant without touching the leaves it is very dense.
Hi there! I use this on my boston fern and it loves it! I just pour it right into the base of it touching the leaves. Since this is only used once a month, it is a very mild treatment. Ferns really love epsom salt, so I also mix 2 tbsp of epsom salt with 1 gallon of water and do that every few weeks when it is looking a little weak.
How much of this solution should be used to water plants ? Specifically, how much of this solution should I add to the water I use for the plants, or can I use this plant food solution straight on a periodic basis ?
Hi John, this post should have all the details listed. This solution is for 1 gallon. You will add the epsom salt, ammonia, baking soda together then top with one gallon of water. This is a treatment that can be used once per month. I water about 5 or 6 potted plants with this one gallon solution.
Thank you so much ! I just wasn’t sure if this 1 gallon solution was too strong to add directly to plants. Thanks again !
No problem 🙂 Have a great day!
Hi. Can you use this on indoor house plants?
Hi Tashia! Some readers have used this on indoor plants with success. Indoor plants won’t need as much of this, so I would make sure to use a little bit and test it first.
Hi Alexis,
I was wondering if I can continue using 1 ounce of apple cider vinegar in the gallon of water with you’re formula? Would that be to much nitrogen? My ferns love it and are green green. I’m afraid they may be missing another ingredient they need.
You can keep using the vinegar if your plants enjoy it. It won’t mess with the solution. Vinegar is acetic, but it only has carbon, nitrogen and hydrogen (CH3COOH) so it is fine to use with this 🙂 Thanks for stopping by today, hope you enjoy it!
Excellent, thank you!
You’re welcome! 🙂
I am a new subscriber.
I couldn’t see the amount of each ingredient as down the left hand side of the screen was a banner with Facebook, Twitter etc.which blocked out your info.
Hi Helen, I’m sorry about that. I am not sure what could be blocking the information when you scroll down through the post. Here is the information:
1.5 tbsp magnesium sulfate (Epsom Salt – MgSO4)
1.5 tsp sodium bicarbonate (Baking Soda – NaHCO3)
0.25 – 0.5 tsp Ammonium Hydroxide (Ammonia – NH4OH)***
1 gallon of water (H20)
It should let you scroll all the way through the post even on mobile, I haven’t had issues before. Let me know if you keep having problems and I can email you the full post 🙂
Thank you for your prompt reply
Hi my name in Frank, a retired pharmacist. As you can imagine we were taught a LOT of chemistry. at St Johns University. As I remember Ammonium Hydroxide you recommended is a strong solution about 35%. This should not be confused with house-hold Ammonia which is probably less than 10% (did not have time to check the label).
I use the brand Miracle Grown. Its cheap, easy to use and has trace elements.
The solution I recommend and talk about is household ammonia! I even share the picture for it. Miracle Grow is mass produced and contains many unnecessary chemicals, so I prefer not to use it. I am a chemist, and studied horticulture in college, so it was amazing to learn details on these things.
Hello Alexis, Phillip here, I have a message for Helen. Dear Helen, when you get those nasty little boxes at the left of the screen. Take your mouse and run down slowly over the boxes. Each one will highlight when your arrow touches it. Don’t click yet! Just enjoy watching them light up because soon they will be GONE! When you get to the bottom of the line a magic arrow appears, click one those arrows and presto they are gone.
Thanks for writing us Phillip! I see what you are referring to, but those shouldn’t be on our side bar at all. Our IT team has changed the settings and it should be all fixed up. Thank you!
Hello. I was wondering where do you get the phosphorus rocks. How much are they and how many should be use. Where and how do you get the soil tested and how much does that cost and how often should it be done. I have three apply trees, and one pair tree. and one peach tree. I also have pine trees to close to them. I found out after planting them they get the rust from these trees. Have you any articles on this issue? I have been looking for some thing to use. I’d like to keep it natural with no more chemicals then needed. I also picked up some Pennington plant starter. They suggested it when I got the trees. Can this be used with your solution? The pine tree rust is a big problem I need help. Thank you.
I buy the phosphorous rocks on amazon. I have a link under chemist tips you can click on and see which brand I use. I always just go with the cheapest option for that. I have a soil pH meter I bought at Lowe’s for about $12 dollars. All you have to do is stick it in the soil and it will give a good reading. Once you test it, that reading is always good unless you alter your soil with fertilizer. Then I would probably just test it every few months.
I don’t have an experience planting those types of trees, but that is very interesting. I haven’t personally used this solution on trees, just flowering plants. Some of our readers have used it for the areas around trees with good results. Since this solution was created for potted plants, it is very mild chemically, so it should be safe to use with other things. I would need to check out the ingredients for this item before I could be certain though. But, this solution is best for flowering plants, it promotes healthy larger blooms. I hope this helps! Sorry I don’t have any personal experience with growing those trees. Have a good day!
I am going to purchase your PDF thank you for taking the time to put it together period
I am an amateur chemist myself I have a complete lab setup in my house completely with fume Hood. You’d be nice to see a version of your book that included additions that could be made through moderate home chemistry
Hi Jeff, hope you enjoy it! That is so great you are an amateur chemist! I just love getting to share my love of chemistry with others 🙂
Do you add this solution directly into the soil or spray the plants with it ?
I do both. It does well on the soil and leaves, so you can do either one 🙂
I like to have beautiful healthy plants (vegetable, flowers and bushes)
Healthy plants are the best!
Thank you for sharing this tip. I be doing this right away.
Thanks hope you enjoy it!
Hello: years ago you could get plain ammonium hydrate from a household cleaner such as Odex and such. I live abroad and the household cleaners all come with the addition of something called ‘ dodecylbenzene sulfonate’ aka, apparently an organic compund for use in detergents. Would it still be safe to use this stuff to water my plants? Or would it be harmful to them (hot peppers and a fichus) Thanks in advance.
Hi Chuck! I don’t like the idea of using anything with dodecylbenzene sulfonate because that is a surfactant. Surfactants chemically repel or push away substances from other substances. I am not sure what % it contains, so it may not be a big deal. But typically, you don’t want a surfactant in a nourishing solution because it can repel the beneficial chemicals. It would need to be a higher % to do this, but I wouldn’t want to take a chance on it.
Hello A.:
Note taken. From my years in chem class at school, I recalled it as an ingredient that would lower surface tensions ie: a wetting agent to help things ‘mix”, so to speak, particularly with water but I didn’t know it would chemically repell other substances from each other. My concerns were more in line with it being toxic to the plants. Thanks for your input.
It does lower surface tension and repels surfaces (surfactant), which is why it works so well in dish soaps or laundry detergents, repelling the dirt, grim, and other unwanted chemicals on clothes or dishes. I don’t think it would be toxic to plants in low quantities, but again, I would need to know the % to be sure on that. I wouldn’t want to recommend it if it could cause harm to plants.
Is there a way to mix the Epsom, baking soda, ammonia in bulk and then add a certain amount to a gallon of water rather than measuring the ingredients for each gallon?
You can mix the Epsom salt and baking soda separate, but it doesn’t last as long due to oxidation. The ammonia can only be added to this mix at each application since it will deactivate overtime. This solution is best to use fresh each time applied.
Gee Thanks for your tips. . My Father’s garden in February he would mix up a tonic for the soil. In a five gallon bucket mix 1 cup ammonia, 1 cup Crystal dish soap(just simple cheap stuff) , & 1 Big can of ? eer. ☺ stir it up by adding water, he had a pump sprayer to use, then apply it to rolled ground. He pept up his soil for planting, he’d do this 2 or 4 times over Feb.& March & till it into soil. He tested soil to determine the amount, We had a large garden 11/2 acers, ideally 3 or4 buckets would do.
Thanks! It is amazing how many household chemicals can be used for the garden 🙂
Would this work for veggie & fruit gardens?
I have readers who use it for fruits and vegetables and my father in law does for his, but I have not personally used it for that type of gardening. I only use it for flower gardens 🙂
Do I need to give a thorough watering afterward?
You don’t need to, but if the weather is hot, it’s a good idea to water after too.
I live is Australia and we don’t have basic ammonia available anywhere. What can I use as alternative?
There isn’t a very good substitute for ammonia. It has the highest nitrogen source. You can try just using coffee grounds around your plants for nitrogen. Here is a link for more details:
Where is the link?
This is the link for the coffee grounds usage.
Hi JJC I too live in Australia Coles supermarket sells liquid ammonia in the cleaning isle.
In the recipe you don’t specify the % concentration of ammonia used.
What % concentration?
Regular household ammonia (ammonium hydroxide). Whatever type is in the cleaning section of the grocery store 🙂
Just thought I’d send a note as to how well this works but gosh you have lots of confirmations! This really does work! Thank You!
Thanks Sue! Glad you enjoyed using it!
Will this recipe work on lawns?
This is best for flowering plants, but we do have a homemade lawn food here. 🙂
I’m wondering if you can use the sprayer you suggest for your lawn spray?
Yes you can 🙂 It won’t hold the full gallon, but you can do it in parts if needed
Do you think this would help grass grown greener? If done once a month?! TIA
This shouldn’t be added to grass, but we do have a homemade lawn food recipe you can try.
I won’t be buying rock phosphorus. as with many things, Canadians have to pay so much more ($80Cdn) for the one you mentioned. The only other option on Amazon.ca is from a seller with a 2 Star rating *sigh*.
Hi there, you don’t need to use phosphorous for this solution. That is completely optional 🙂
Alexis thank you for all of the good information.
Can I use this with English Boxwoods? I have some English boxwoods that are 20 years old.
Hi! English boxwoods don’t like much fertilizer because their roots are so shallow, but they do like nitrogen which this DIY plant food is mainly compressed of nitrogen. You can do a small treatment of this, but I wouldn’t do more than that. Here is some more good tips on their nutrition needs.
BTW, Love your book. Great recipe! I hopped on your website to see how much phosphorous to add to the recipe. Do you recommend 1 tsp or less?
I wouldn’t do more than a 1 tsp in a regular pot. Most of the bags I have purchases will have a dilution mentioned on the back since they can vary in potency…but generally 1 tsp or less. If you are using potting soil for a potting plant, I would not add any phosphorus.
How could I apply this homemade mix to an acre? What would my amounts be for tank mixing in a sprayer?
Thanks
This solution is best for potted plants, it shouldn’t be applied to large areas. If you want a solution for grass, I would use the homemade lawn food instead.
These are all amazing! They are definitely easy to prepare and very affordable. Thank you for sharing.
I’m so thrilled to find this recipe and can’t wait to try it! I only have lemon ammonia. Do you or anyone else know if that’s safe to use in place of the regular ammonia? Thanks for sharing!
If it is just lemon and not “cloudy ammonia” which contains soap, this is fine to use. If it contains soap, then I would try to use another one. Thanks!
Hi Alexis! Will this also work for plants that do not have blooms (e.g. monstera, umbrella tree, pothos, ivy, etc.)? Thank you for everything you share.
It can definitely work for other plants! We have readers use it on vegetable plants too. I would test it out once every 2-3 weeks and see how it responds. With that in mind, it definitely enhances blooms more than it does anything else
How much phosphorus do you add to this mixture?
Depending on which phosphorous you use, I typically sprinkle about a teaspoon of it around the plant. Many phosphorous brands will give directions on the back on how to dilute it or what ratios to use, so I would follow the directions if it has them listed.