- By Bornika Das
- Fri, 22 Aug 2025 08:32 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Kitchen Scrap Fertiliser: There can be nothing more beautiful than seeing a thriving garden filled with plants. To see their plants grow, people generally bring chemical fertilisers from the market, which can cause more harm than good. Little do people know that fertilisers can be obtained from everyday kitchen scraps. Daily cooking produces peels, shells and leftovers that mostly get into the trash bin. However, these simple kitchen wastes are full of nutrients and can be used in the garden to bring plants back to life and grow further. Instead of paying for costly chemical fertilisers, plant lovers can use kitchen scraps into a strong, organic fertiliser to enhance soil quality, promote plant growth and practice greener gardening habits.
Making natural fertilisers from kitchen scraps like eggshells, banana peels and others adds essential nutrients to the soil as well as the plants that help the garden to thrive. These organic fertilisers release nutrients like nitrogen, calcium, potassium and magnesium, ensuring the plants grow stronger, healthier and more resilient. These natural fertilisers made from kitchen waste can be used both in the small balcony garden or even in the backyard, making it both cost-effective and eco-friendly.
Best Kitchen Scraps For Garden Fertiliser
Eggshells
Eggshells are packed with calcium, which helps strengthen the plant cell walls and prevent rotting on blossom ends. The shells can be used by crushing them into powder consistency and sprinkling on the soil before planting or around the base. They are ideal for tomato, pepper, and aubergine plants.
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Banana Peels
Banana peels are rich in potassium and phosphorus, which help the flowers to bloom and the fruits to develop better. All you need to do is chop the peel into small pieces and bury near the root, or blend with water and use as a liquid feed. Natural fertilisers made with banana peels are perfect for flowering plants and fruit trees.
Used Tea Leaves
Used tea leaves as natural fertilisers act as a gentle nitrogen boost that helps improve soil structure and encourages leafy growth for plants. First, dry the used tea leaves and then mix them into the soil or compost to enrich it naturally. They work best for roses, ferns and camellias.
Natural Fertiliser From Daily Kitchen Scraps (Image Credits: Canva)
Coffee Grounds
Coffee grounds are slightly acidic and improve soil drainage and provide nitrogen for acid-loving plants. Coffee ground fertilisers are great for azaleas, hydrangeas and blueberries. Spread the fertiliser thinly over the soil or mix with compost to avoid mould growth.
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Vegetable Scraps
From carrot tops to potato peels, vegetable scraps can be used as natural fertilisers to enrich compost with a mix of nutrients over time. Add the scraps to the compost bin or bury them directly in the soil to decompose naturally. These are perfect for all garden plants.
If you’re using chemical fertilisers for your plants, then think twice. Instead of throwing the kitchen waste, you can easily make natural fertilisers from it, which will boost the growth of the plant by enriching the soil with nutrients. Do try these natural kitchen scrap fertilisers and let us know the result.