Fertilizers for flowering houseplants - an overview of additives. What is the best way to feed home flowers in winter

In conditions closed ground home flowers require additional nourishment, which can be provided by adding special substances to the soil. You don't have to buy houseplant food from stores. It can be easily made at home using, for example, a regular banana peel.

This article will tell you how to properly make dressings for indoor flowers with your own hands. In addition, you will find helpful tips and rules for fertilizing and signs by which it can be determined that a flower needs fertilizer.

Taking care of cultures on your own suburban area, we do not forget to feed them, but when it comes to caring for house flowers, we often remember that they also need to be supplied with nutrients. And although indoor pets are much smaller and do not bear fruit as abundantly as, for example, garden pets, however, the feeding area of \u200b\u200btheir roots is limited to a flower pot. Sooner or later, the soil in the flowerpot is depleted, and therefore it is necessary to periodically enrich it with useful substances.

Very often flowerpots have to endure heat and drafts, lack of sunlight or its excess. Some flower lovers practice regular transplanting in new ground, however, you should know that the supply of nutrients in a fresh earthy coma is only enough for two months. And if the culture at this time begins to grow actively or enters a flowering period, additional feeding is indispensable. Only those specimens that are in a dormant period do not need to be fed.

To houseplants always had a beautiful and healthy appearance, you need to know some rules for making useful substances(picture 1):

The optimal time for fertilizing is the period from early April to mid-October. Since most species are in a dormant period in winter, there are practically no top dressings at this time of the year.
All kinds of nutrients are applied to moist soil to prevent root burns.
You can not apply the same fertilizer at the same time for deciduous and flowering varieties because they have different nutrient requirements.
The drug must be strictly dosed. An excess of nutrients leads to a halt in the growth and development of the flower, provokes the death of the culture.

Figure 1. Types of pokkormok and methods of their introduction

As an additional procedure for root dressing, foliar application of the same fertilizers is carried out, but in smaller quantities. Foliar recharges also have their own characteristics. So, they are effective for young specimens with delicate foliage, but adult specimens absorb them much worse. It is impossible to foliarly feed plants with pubescent or glossy leaves that do not allow moisture to pass through (aloe, Kalanchoe, palm, saintpaulia, gloxinia, etc.). If the air humidity is insufficient, it is also necessary to spray clean water after each foliar feeding.

The video shows best fertilizers colors to use at home.

How to tell when plants need food

How to determine that indoor plants need to be fed? A number of signs will indicate this to you, among which are:

Slow growth and lack of flowering;
Weak elongated stems and pale small leaves;
The appearance of signs of disease: spots, yellowing and falling leaves.

As you know, the disease is easier to prevent than to cure, so let's get acquainted with natural fertilizers that will help keep your flowers healthy and strong.

Banana peel fertilizer for indoor plants

The influence of bananas on the human body is well known due to high content they contain a whole complex of vitamins and microelements. At the same time, nutrients are found both in the pulp itself and in the peel of this fruit. Therefore, banana peel is actively used for the preparation of various fertilizers.

It is used fresh and dried, as well as for the manufacture of tinctures and spray solutions (Figure 2).

Dried banana peel fertilizer

A pre-washed banana peel can be dried on a radiator, in the oven, in the sun, then ground into powder in a coffee grinder or simply folded into a paper bag.

Figure 2. Making a nutrient preparation from a banana peel with your own hands

Banana powder is mixed with the substrate in a ratio of 1:10 at the time of transplantation or used as a mulching material, which is sprinkled on the soil in a flower pot once a month. Banana fertilizer in the form of a whole dried peel should only be placed in the lower layers of the soil as drainage, since the peel begins to mold on its surface.

Fertilizer from fresh banana skins

Fresh skin is crushed into pieces with scissors and buried in the ground as deep as possible. However, it is often quite difficult to determine the exact number of skins that can quickly decompose. As for houseplants, the processing of potted banana peels is very slow.

Banana peel infusion

Banana peel infusion is used to saturate the soil with useful substances. To prepare it, the skins are thoroughly washed, crushed, placed in a liter jar for half its volume, poured with water and insisted for a day. Then the resulting infusion is topped up with water to a volume of 1 liter.

Spray Banana Peel Complex Fertilizer

For cooking complex fertilizer you will need powder from the dried peel of 4 bananas, 2 tsp. powder from eggshell and 20 g of magnesium sulfate. All ingredients are mixed, pour 900 g of water and shake until magnesium is completely dissolved. The resulting preparation is stored in the refrigerator and used to spray the soil and leaves no more than once a week. It can be supplemented with other nutrients, then the procedure will become more effective.

Iodine for indoor plants: how to feed

Although iodine is not a vital element for plants, its presence in the soil has a positive effect on all their life processes. You can spray flowerpots with water mineral fertilizers, which include iodine, or special iodine-containing complexes. However, if the iodine content exceeds allowable norms, then such a fertilizer can be detrimental to flowers. Therefore, you should know that the iodine content in the solution should be 0.1 mg per kilogram.

Figure 3. Using iodine to nourish flowers

Plants after feeding with iodine develop faster, bloom more abundantly and practically do not get sick. Experienced growers are advised to dissolve 2 drops of iodine in 2 liters of water and water the flowers with the resulting solution on wet soil no more than once a month (Figure 3).

Fertilizing indoor flowers with yeast

It is known that yeast contains fungi containing a large number of protein and amino acids, as well as many micro and macro elements. Yeast is very useful for plants, especially indoor plants (Figure 4).

Figure 4. The use of yeast to feed flowers

To prepare fertilizer for indoor flowers, you will need 10 g of dry yeast per 10 liters of water. Sugar, potato tops, hops are added to the resulting solution for a better effect in order to increase the nitrogen content in the fertilizer itself. The resulting preparation is infused in a dark place for several hours until the fermentation process begins. A liter of the resulting fertilizer is dissolved in 5 liters of clean water and the flowers are watered. The result of yeast feeding will be visible after a few days.

From the video you will learn how to prepare a top dressing for homemade flowers from yeast.

egg shell fertilizer

Eggshell contains many nutrients. It decomposes quite quickly in the soil and is used as a fertilizer for both garden and house flowers (Figure 5).

Note: You should know that eggshells lower the acidity of the soil, so species such as azalea, camellia, gardenia, pelargonium, hydrangea, pansies, ferns top dressing with eggshells is contraindicated.

Before preparing top dressing, it is necessary to thoroughly wash the shell, clean it of protein residues, then dry and chop with any accessible way. The resulting powder is stored in a paper bag (box) or in a glass container with a lid. Eggshells can be applied directly to the soil (powder or tincture) or used as drainage.

Figure 5. Using eggshells to feed flowers at home

There are several ways to prepare eggshell tincture. For example, it is recommended to pour one cup of crushed eggshells over 4 cups warm water and let it brew for 2 weeks, periodically shaking the liquid. Ready infusion to water the flowers once a month. You can also dissolve 2 tbsp. spoons of powder in 1 liter of boiling water. In this case, the solution should be infused for 5 days. Using pure egg powder, remove the top layer of soil in a flower pot, mix it in a separate container with 1 tbsp. eggshell and pour back into the pot.

Fertilizer Agricola for indoor plants

In addition to homemade dressings, you can use a long-term fertilizer for home flowers called "Agricola". This preparation is universal and suitable for feeding all kinds.

It contains a complex of all the necessary micro and macro elements, is economical, has an unlimited shelf life. For root dressing, a solution is prepared from 1 tsp. fertilizer and 2 liters of water. Top dressing is carried out 1 time in 7-10 days, and during the dormant period of the plant (from November to February), 1 such top dressing per month will be enough.

In this article we will tell you how and what to feed indoor flowers, which useful top dressing without chemicals exist that can be used as top dressing for house plants.

How to feed indoor flowers at home?

Man has always surrounded and will surround himself with plants.

Pots with indoor flowers are placed at home and at work.

They give comfort to the room, give aesthetic pleasure, and purify the air.

Someone prefers exotic beauties, and someone acts the old fashioned way, breeding pets from leaves or stems borrowed from friends.

Violets, orchids, crabsworts, cacti, palms, roses... they all need the help of their owner.

One watering is not enough, each room "resident" needs good nutrition. How, when and how to feed your pets, we will consider further.

Why feed indoor plants?

Nobody forgets about the fertilizer of garden plants, but about indoor plants, many people think that it is enough to regularly water them and transplant them into larger pots.

In fact, no pot can replace the nutrients necessary for the development of a plant.

Of course, if a new substrate is used during transplantation, then for some time its contents will be enough for the plant, but not for long, for about 1.5-2 months. After you need to use top dressing.

Not all plants need additional nutrition year-round, some of them have a dormant period, or simply put "wintering". At this time, it is not recommended to touch them, so as not to disturb the normal natural cycle.

When should you feed houseplants?

Plants are living beings and they themselves will show when they need feeding.

You can determine this by the following features:

development is significantly slowed down;
some stems grow rapidly, but they are very weak;
the plant loses its color brightness, becomes pale and drooping;
no flowering;
leaves fall off at the slightest touch;
in severe cases, spots and signs of various diseases appear;

Note!

Help your plants in a timely manner. If they do not have enough nutrients, immunity will decrease and there will be a risk of contracting fungi and infections.

To date, in specialized stores you can find quite a lot of ready-made fertilizers for indoor plants, but there are many proven ways to feed them yourself.

Sugar for indoor flowers

Sugar is one of the most popular means of feeding domestic plants.

Who discovered his abilities in this regard is unknown, but the fact that there is a result and it is simply amazing is an indisputable fact.

The secret of action is simple. Sugar breaks down into glucose and fructose. Plants do not need fructose, but glucose works real miracles.

It is a source of energy and really revives the plant. It begins to breathe more actively, absorb nutrients, etc.

And besides, with the help of glucose, active “building” of new cells begins. However, not all so simple.

In order for sugar to become a good top dressing and help a houseplant, a sufficient amount of carbon dioxide is needed.

If its deficiency is noted, everything will turn out exactly the opposite, and an ideal environment for the development of fungi, mold, rot, etc. will be created.

EM drugs are drugs that contain different kinds"effective microorganisms". They are successfully used not only for crop production, but also in agriculture, life, construction and even medicine.

Using sugar as a plant food is very simple. You can either dilute it with water (a tablespoon per 500 ml), or simply sprinkle the soil, and then water it.

The second method gives more visible results. Sugar dissolves gradually and is absorbed more efficiently.

You can use such top dressing no more than once a month, but it is better to draw up a schedule in combination with other folk or shop means and follow it, alternating nutritional components.

Take note!

Instead of sugar, you can also use glucose, which is sold in the form of tablets in any pharmacy. It is diluted at the rate of one tablet per liter of water. There are no other differences in use compared to sugar.

Coffee flower food

Brew natural coffee?

Do not throw away the grounds - this is an excellent fertilizer for houseplants. It is enough just to mix the coffee residues with the soil.

So it will become more loose and airy, the activity of beneficial microorganisms will be activated, the root system will begin to receive more oxygen.

Indoor plants respond gratefully to coffee top dressing, but this does not mean that you can pour thick uncontrollably into flower pots.

The fact is that this substance increases the acidity of the soil, and not every plant needs it, and even if it is necessary, then in a certain amount.

Favorite coffee grounds:

lilies and daylilies;
azaleas;
roses;
most evergreens, etc.

The rest of the coffee grounds must be collected in a hermetically sealed container and when there is enough of it, mix it with the soil in a pot in proportions of 1: 2.

Tea brew for feeding indoor flowers

This method is used much more often than coffee grounds. It is universal and suitable for absolutely all plants and flowers.

There are several options for using tea leaves as a fertilizer.

If tea bags are used, they are collected, strings and paper stickers removed, and then laid out in one or two layers on the bottom of the pot before planting. It turns out excellent drainage with an effective nutritional component.

The remaining tea leaves of large-leaf or small granulated tea are also collected. When will be about 10 table. spoons, you can start preparing top dressing. The tea leaves should be transferred to a liter jar, fill it to the top with warm water, mix and leave to brew for 3-5 hours. Then it remains to strain and you can use this liquid for irrigation.

After fertilizing with tea leaves, do not water the plants for a couple of days. If it's too hot, spray the leaves or wipe them with a damp cloth, but don't dampen the soil.

banana peel for flowers

Don't throw away banana skins.

This is an amazingly powerful natural fertilizer, it’s a pity that few people know about it yet.

Banana peel contains a lot of useful nutrients. They are used for gardening and indoor plants.

There are many ways.

The most common is to fill a jar or any other container with a third of banana skins, fill it to the top with water and leave until fermentation, and then, diluted in half with water, water the plants under the root.

The result, of course, is excellent, but this top dressing has a huge minus - the smell !!! It is difficult to take it out on the street, but at home it is completely impossible. Therefore, it is used quite rarely.

The easiest way is to cut banana skins and mix them with the soil, or, if you don’t want to cut, just spread them out in layers, sprinkling them with earth. This method activates the microorganisms that are in the ground.

Banana skins are a great treat for them. In this simple way, it turns out to restore the microflora and provide sufficient nutrition for plants.

In no case should banana skins be laid out on the surface of the earth. So they will restrict the access of air and can provoke rotting and disease.

Mixed with soil and baked banana skins or simply dried on a windowsill or battery. They are ground into flour.

A small hole is made around the plant, the resulting powder is poured there and added dropwise. With watering, nutrients will gradually be absorbed by the soil.

Citrus Fertilizer

Increasingly, peels of tangerines, oranges and other citrus fruits are used to feed indoor plants.

They are not thrown away after eating, but dried, put in a jar, filling it by about a third, and pour boiling water to the top. After a day, the infusion should be filtered, diluted by a third with clean water and watered with flowers.

There is another way. Citrus peels are mixed with sugar, poured with warm water and left for three weeks. After the mixture must be filtered, poured into a jar or bottle, put in the refrigerator. Use once a month, diluting a tablespoon in a liter of water. For greater effect, banana peel can be added to citrus peels.

Ash for indoor plants

How often the real treasure goes unnoticed. For example, wood ash. This is a real storehouse of nutrients for plants.

It contains phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, zinc and other microelements, which are very important for their full development. And most importantly, they are in the form that is best absorbed by plants.

The easiest way to use this fertilizer is to mix it into the soil at the time of planting. So it will turn out to make the soil more nutritious and loose, to destroy the pests that may be in it, to disinfect from infections.

You can feed the flowers liquid fertilizer from the ashes. To do this, it is diluted with water at the rate of a tablespoon per liter, mixed and watered.

Note!

Sometimes, if the plant begins to weaken or get sick, such top dressing is also used for the aerial part, spraying the leaves, flowers and stems. It works very well as an insect repellant.

Yeast for flowers

Yeast is a well-known growth stimulant. Their use significantly increases the activity of microorganisms in the soil, improves general state plants, stimulates its growth and development.

Numerous scientific studies have proven that yeast nutrition gives the same result as a full-fledged mineral fertilizer

To prepare a nutrient solution, you need to dissolve 10 g of fresh yeast and a table in a liter of warm water. a spoonful of sugar, leave for a couple of hours, dilute with clean water in proportions of 1:5 and use for irrigation. If "live" yeast is not available, dry yeast can also be used. Then for 10 gr you need 3 tables. spoons of sugar and 10 liters of water.

Many people prefer to make yeast decoctions from bread rather than from yeast. In this case, it is better to take brown bread crusts and fill them with water or grind them into powder beforehand.

Onion peel for fertilizing flowers

Another tool that has been repeatedly tested for effectiveness. Onion peel contains a lot of useful substances and trace elements.

Top dressing can be used for all types of plants. It promotes growth and active development, improves immunity, provides reliable protection from pests.

You can, like many others natural remedies top dressing, just mix it with the soil, or put it in the holes when planting, or you can prepare a magic decoction.

To do this, 50 grams of husks are poured with two liters of warm water and brought to a boil over low heat.

You need to cook for at least 8-10 minutes, then insist 2-3 hours, strain and use for watering or spraying.

Humus for flowers

Let's make a disclaimer right now. This organic fertilizer is not suitable for every plant, so you should not use it thoughtlessly.

They respond best to monstera humus, dieffenbachia, ficuses, palm trees and other large and fast-growing species. But they can only be used bird droppings. The mullein doesn't fit.

Dilute it with water at the rate of 10 g per 30 liters and mix thoroughly. The liquid should be cloudy and slightly greenish.

Water the plant a little a couple of hours before feeding, so the organic matter is better absorbed.

For the same flowers that the litter is not suitable for, you can use ordinary humus. It is ideal if these are rotted leaves, but food waste, which is buried in a hole and rots, is no less effective.

The resulting mass is mixed with soil. Humus significantly improves the composition of the soil, making it softer and looser.

Note!

The use of this method has a disadvantage - bad smell, which will be stored indoors for several days after top dressing.

Succinic acid for flowers

After the processing of natural amber, acid remains, which has a huge amount of useful substances and has long been used by humans as a dietary supplement.

The benefits of the substance for plants have also been proven.

Application succinic acid helps to strengthen the immune system, improve the composition of the soil and cleanse it of toxins, salts and harmful substances, increase the chlorophyll content in leaves and stems, accelerate the formation of ovaries and color.

Note!

Succinic acid is the best helper for a plant that endures stress associated with transplantation, illness, changing environmental conditions, etc.

There are several use cases. You can soak the seeds before planting or the roots of the plant before transplanting for 2-4 hours.

After you need to dry them and you can proceed to further work. You can spray or water, but not more than once a month. The solution is very easy to prepare. One tablet of succinic acid is diluted in a liter of water.

Iodine for indoor plants

The use of this feeding method raises many questions and doubts.

This component is necessary for all living beings on the planet.

Outdoor plants get it from natural rainfall, while indoor plants need to be fed.

Many make a mistake and prepare a solution on their own from ordinary alcohol iodine, sold in a pharmacy.

Do not be surprised if after a while the plant dies.

The fact is that the irrigation solution should contain only 0.1 mg per liter. It is quite difficult to measure the desired proportion on your own. And when the dosage is exceeded, the iodine solution becomes poison.

If you are not confident in your abilities, it is better to buy a ready-made solution containing iodine in specialized stores.

Urea for plants

Urea, or urea, is one of the best sources of nitrogen.

Top dressing quickly dissolves in water, is perfectly absorbed by the soil, stimulates the formation of buds, improves the color of the plant.

But using it more than three or four times a year is dangerous. This can cause an excess of nitrogen in the soil and lead to the death of the plant.

The use of urea for plant nutrition requires increased compliance with safety rules. Be sure to wear protective gloves and a mask when working.

The easiest way is to scatter the granules on the surface of the soil. So urea will gradually dissolve during watering and be absorbed by the roots of the plant. If tablets are available, then it is advisable to bury them as close to the root as possible. However, keep in mind that the effect of tablets is not as fast as that of granules, but it will be longer.

You can also prepare a solution for spraying the ground part of the plant. It is used for explicit pronounced signs nitrogen starvation. 400 grams of urea are dissolved in 10 liters of water.

egg shell for flowers

This tool is always at hand.

Egg shells are used to feed both garden and indoor plants. You should not think that it is rich only in calcium, it also contains a lot of protein, phosphorus and others necessary for the full growth and development of plants.

It is advisable to use shells from domestic eggs.

It is more useful, but if this is not possible, the remaining from store eggs will do, only there is a nuance here. After drying, the protein film must be removed from such a shell.

The shell must be dried for 3-5 days, then grind with a mortar, meat grinder or coffee grinder.

Store in paper bags. It will disappear in a jar or cellophane.

Shells can be used as fertilizer in a variety of ways.

For indoor plants, this is excellent drainage (the layer should not be more than 2 cm). Mixing the shell with the soil also gives an excellent result.

If you want results quickly, try making a tincture. To do this, a glass of powder should be poured with a liter of warm water and left for 10-14 days, not forgetting to stir regularly. After strain and use for watering once a month.

Other ways to fertilize indoor flowers

Every day, houseplant lovers learn new ways to nourish their pets.

So there is an opinion that the water from the aquarium can literally revive the flowers.

Indeed, it is soft and contains substances that stimulate the growth and development of plants.

But you can only use this water only in spring and early summer, it is not advisable to do this at other times of the year.

Note!

It is noted that with frequent use of aquarium water in the soil, the development of small algae may begin, and the soil will rot.

Many people use decoctions of vegetables for watering. Their effectiveness has not been proven, but it will not be worse from such a fertilizer either. But the water left after washing the fish and meat gives truly magical results. What is her secret is still not clear. But after watering, the plants come to life, become brighter and more lush.

Indoor plants delight their owners all year round and need at least a little attention.

Now knowing how to feed indoor flowers, use the considered feeding methods and choose the most suitable for your pets.

Just remember that for the first time such a procedure can be carried out no earlier than 2 months after planting the plant in a fresh substrate, for sick and weakened plants, the concentration should be half as much, and during the dormant period, fertilizing should be completely abandoned.

To date, specialized stores have a complete range necessary fertilizers organic origin. Unfortunately, not everyone knows that at home you can give vitality to flowers at no additional cost. Today we will look at how to feed indoor flowers in winter at home, as well as when and how to do it correctly.

When to Feed Flowers

Knowledge of certain norms and laws will allow you to grow a powerful and elegant houseplant:

Fertilization is carried out at the stage of active flower development. From April to mid-October, the home flower needs regular feeding. As for the winter period, the feeding of indoor flowers in winter should be minimized.
They begin to feed the plant already when green leaves begin to appear, stretching upwards towards the sun.
If the flower does not bloom for a long time, then most likely it should be fed.
If the buds are tied up and their growth has stopped. This indicates that the flower does not have enough vital energy and it just needs top dressing.
In the case when the flower, for no particular reason, began to shed its leaves.
The indoor flower is stunted and has a painful appearance.
The most important thing is to apply fertilizer correctly so as not to injure the root system. This means that top dressing is carried out only after watering the plant and not before watering. If you do not follow this sequence, then you can burn the root system. There is another principle to be followed. Each plant needs its own type of fertilizer and one type of fertilizer should not be fed to all houseplants.

According to experts, regular and correct top dressing contribute to the correct and timely development of the plant and ensure regular flowering.

Need to know! The flower needs feeding, but not overfeeding. Increased concentration or frequent, thoughtless top dressing can seriously harm home flower. Such an approach can lead to violations of the development process, the flowering process, and often even the death of the plant.

How to fertilize flowers?

Before thinking about how to feed indoor flowers in the winter at home, you need to decide what you need to fertilize them with. Many are familiar with the so-called complex mineral fertilizers, the structure of which includes several basic trace elements, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and others. Depending on the type of plant, the percentage of nutrients may be different. In this case, it is very important to know how to fertilize indoor flowers in winter at home, since decorative flowering plantations require more phosphorus, unlike decorative leafy ones, where more nitrogen is needed.

Mineral fertilizers are generally preferable to purchase in liquid form. The concentration must comply with the standards indicated on the package, and they are only applied in diluted form.

If you purchase preparations such as potassium sulfate, potassium chloride or potassium salt, then you can mix potash fertilizers yourself. For this, 1.5 g of the drug is taken and diluted in 1 liter of water. A similar approach allows you to get nitrogen fertilizers if 1 g of urea, ammonium nitrate or ammonium sulfate is split into 1 liter of water. It is possible to prepare a phosphate fertilizer from ordinary superphosphate if 6 g of it is mixed with 1 liter of liquid.

Winter: caring for ornamental plants

Caring for indoor flowers in winter is somewhat different from looking after them in summer. The fact is that most home flowers, when winter sets in, weaken or stop their development and growth. Only some of them, the flowering period of which falls on December-January, continue to develop actively. Some try to feed indoor flowers in winter so that they bloom more magnificently. At the same time, not everyone knows that winter feeding can harm the plant, because it does not absorb nutrients properly. It is best to prepare the plant for wintering, and feed it before the flower leaves for winter rest.

For some home flowers, winter top dressing can be carried out no more than once every month, and then at a lower concentration, then the question will not arise why indoor flowers turn yellow in winter. Again, you need to know well how indoor flowers behave in the winter (specific types) and only then proceed with the appropriate care.

Deciding on what you can feed indoor flowers in winter, folk remedies have a wide range of approaches to solving this problem. As far as is known, in any natural material there is a wide range of different substances needed. It is enough to pour, for example, the peel of bananas, lemons, oranges with boiling water and insist, then you can water the flowers in winter (naturally rarely), which will support them vital energy. There are other approaches, for example, some owners of home flowers water them with tea or coffee. Be that as it may, in winter you need to be very careful not to overmoisten the soil.

Regular fertilizing is an important part of houseplant care. Some use multi-component fertilizers from a garden store, while others prefer to use homemade products.

Those who independently prepare fertilizers for indoor flowers at home are guided by the following facts.

"Purchased" fertilizers contain substances in high concentrations, so there is a risk of error in the preparation of the working solution. Even a slight overdose of the agent can adversely affect the condition of the plant.

Manufacturers often use synthetic components of dubious origin, such a composition can harm not only a green pet, but also environment and residents of the home.

Since in flower pots there is a limited amount of substrate, its structure can change in the process of improper feeding, which is fraught with consequences.

How to feed indoor plants?

The best fertilizers for indoor plants at home are common products that make up the contents of the refrigerator or shelf in any kitchen. Below are the most effective means and how to use them.

Mineral water. Use mineral water as a nutritional compound for your houseplant. In this case, it is necessary to take into account:

water, ideally, should be highly mineralized and not carbonated, but it can also be used in a slightly carbonated version;
You can fertilize home flowers with mineral water once a week.

Advice: despite the fact that this substance contains minerals in low concentrations, the soil should be pre-moistened with ordinary water to eliminate the risk of root burns.

Vegetable decoction.The water in which the root vegetables are boiled contains a significant amount of nutrients that are useful for the active growth of your flowers. Make sure that the decoction is unsalted, and water your green pets with it 2 times a week.

Coffee.If you have ferns, heather, camellias or azalea (acidophilic), then fertilize them with coffee grounds. This natural product is considered the best organic food for them, because:

acidophilic plant species are grown on dense soils, and fertilizers for indoor flowers at home with potassium, which is contained in coffee in significant quantities, favorably affect the structure of the substrate;
the same substance (potassium) activates the flowering process.

Coffee grounds are applied a couple of times a month in a dry or wet form and lightly mixed with top layer soil.

Advice: after drinking an invigorating drink, coffee grounds must be dried on an open surface and only then put into a special container. Otherwise, mold may appear, and this thick can not be used as top dressing.

Tea.Tannins, which are rich in tea leaves, contribute to the development of the root system of green crops. Tea leaves gradually decompose in the soil, in the process, the nutrients necessary for the plant are released. It also increases the breathability of the substrate.

Such organic fertilizers for indoor flowers at home, they are applied to the soil, mixed with the top layer. The procedure is repeated every month. A tea infusion is used once a week, alternating watering with plain water.

Eggshell. It is a source of nitrogen and calcium carbonate. The shell is valued as a top dressing for flower crops that live in an alkaline or neutral pH environment. It is crushed in a mortar to a powder state and mixed with a small layer of soil. Watering with infusion of shells is no less effective.

Banana peel. The increased content of useful elements allows you to make fertilizers for indoor flowers from banana peels at home. To do this, it is placed in a container, filled with water and insisted in a dark place for 3-4 days. It is recommended to use glassware.

A napkin is used instead of a lid. If watering with ordinary water is systematically alternated with this infusion, then an improvement in the condition of the green culture can be observed. In this case, the soil is enriched with nutrients.

The peel can be dried and crushed into crumbs. This bait is used monthly, mixing it with the top of the substrate.

Herbal infusions. An infusion of medicinal herbs. You can use a mixture of nettle, chamomile, dandelion, sage and other representatives of this category, you can also use each herb separately. Herbal infusions It is recommended to water the flowers once a week. They nourish the plant, disinfect the soil, fight pests.

Advice: if you want to increase the number of buds, feed the plants with valerian infusion.

Coal.Orchids and other epityphs from the tropics react positively to the presence of coal under their roots. It is included in medium fractions in the composition of peat and bark. Charcoal is also useful for other indoor crops as a fertilizer and disinfectant. It is introduced into the soil in the form of crumbs, it is treated with roots (before transplanting) and stems (after pruning the shoots).

Interesting about useful:

It is useful to water ficuses and other flowering crops with beer diluted with water in proportions of 1: 3. Such bait is carried out a couple of times a month.

Ivy and ferns respond well to milk. They can fertilize home flowers every month. To do this, take milk in equal parts with water.

If several metal elements with rust are placed in a container with violets, this will ensure the rapid development of plants and their abundant flowering. At the same time, the duration of flowering increases, and the color of the petals will delight with brightness and juiciness.

To increase the immunity of indoor crops in the winter, when there is no sunlight, and the air in the rooms is relatively dry, it is necessary to feed them with aspirin. To do this, once every couple of months we dissolve a certain amount of salicylic acid in water (a tablet per glass of liquid) and water the flowers.

Yeast - universal fertilizer for indoor flowers at home

The yeast solution contains a significant amount of nutrients, along with B vitamins and phytohormones. They perform the following functions:

enrich mineral composition substrate;
activate the properties of beneficial microorganisms;
stimulate the processes associated with cell division.

To prepare a yeast solution, you should take 2 cups of lukewarm water + 1.5 tsp. sugar per 10 g of live yeast. After a couple of hours, we dilute the finished substance with water 1: 5 and proceed to feeding indoor plants.

Want to have a beautiful home garden? We studied a lot of literature, recommendations and rules about proper care and maintenance of indoor plants? Even novice florists know that during the growing season it is necessary to feed houseplants. What to do in winter time year when most of flowers is in a dormant stage, stops in growth and development? Do houseplants need to be fed in winter? You will find the answer to this question in this article.

Do houseplants need to be fertilized in winter? Expert opinions are polarized. Some florists strongly recommend that you completely stop feeding the flowers and let them rest, while others advise periodically fertilizing. What to do? What would be the right decision?

According to most experts in the field of home floriculture, the issue of feeding indoor plants in winter should be decided individually. Those flowers that are in the dormant stage do not need additional nutrients. Let's look at an example room lily. In the winter season, the flower rests and recovers. The upper part of it is cut off, and the pot with the onion is placed in a dark place. Accordingly, during this period, the lily does not need fertilizer.

However, there are many home flowers that do not stop growing and developing in winter, but, on the contrary, delight with beautiful flowering and juicy foliage. These are Violet, Azalea, Decembrist, Spathiphyllum, Orchid, Anthurium, etc. Such flowers must be periodically fed, while the frequency of procedures and the amount of fertilizer applied are set individually for each individual plant species and variety.

What can you feed

Is it possible to fertilize indoor flowers in winter? This issue has been dealt with. Yes, you can. And immediately another dilemma arises: how to feed houseplants in the home garden? What will be useful for flowers, and what is better to refuse?

The first rule: give up drugs that stimulate growth. The second rule: you need to significantly reduce the amount and frequency of fertilization. And the third rule: you must first water the flowers, otherwise you can burn the root system of the plant.

Specialized stores sell universal nutritional complexes used to nourish flowers at home. If you do not like combined mixtures, then you can choose a certain type of fertilizer (in particular, for citrus fruits, for violets, for orchids, for rhododendrons, etc.).

If you still don’t know how to feed home flowers in winter, use proven folk methods. Feed the plants in indoor garden Can:

infusion of citrus peels or pomegranate seeds (1 liter of warm water per 100 grams of orange peels or pomegranate seeds) - 1 time in 14 days;
diluted aloe juice (for 1.5 liters of water you need 1 teaspoon of juice) - 1 time per month;
water from the aquarium, where there is a lot of biohumus;
sugar water (dissolve 1 tablespoon of sugar in 0.5 liters of water).

You can also feed indoor flowers in winter with an infusion of tea leaves or coffee grounds; water that remains after washing the cereals; diluted and low-concentration chicken manure.

The main rules of winter dressing

Compliance with a number simple rules and more recommendations experienced flower growers will help to properly organize year-round care of the home garden:

flowers that are at rest in winter do not need to be replenished with mineral or organic substances;
the amount of fertilizer applied and the frequency of application should be calculated specifically for each individual species and variety of indoor plants;
due to the fact that in winter the daylight hours are short, while the process of photosynthesis slows down significantly, frequent flower feeding will not be needed. It will be enough to fertilize once a month so that the plants feel comfortable and they have the strength for further growth and development;
nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium - necessary elements for the full development of a flower garden at home. Nitrogen has a beneficial effect on the growth and improvement of the condition of the deciduous mass, phosphorus contributes abundant flowering and potassium protects against stress.