Homemade Fertilizers for Roses & Tomatoes

Roses need the right mix of sun, water and nutrition to grow and bloom.

Roses and tomatoes are summer-blooming plants that require many similar conditions. Fertilizer is one of the top items on their list of requirements and it can get expensive in the market. Many gardeners make their own fertilizer using some common household items.

Fruits and Veggies

Fruits and vegetables contain organic matter that roses and tomatoes love. Gardeners can build their own compost bin and use the fruits and veggies there, or turn rotten bananas, apples and oranges into the soil around their plants. The phosphorous and potassium in bananas is especially good for roses.

Coffee

Coffee grounds and coffee itself give plants nitrogen, which is good for acid-loving plants like tomatoes and roses. Nitrogen encourages fruiting and blooming, so tomatoes and roses should get coffee grounds or coffee mixed 1 to 4 with water when they begin to bloom.

Organic Compost

Green-minded gardeners start their own compost bin with garden soil, newspapers, kitchen scraps and even steer manure to feed their plants. Compost is good as soil fertilizer, a planting aid and mulch during winter. Tomatoes and roses both enjoy lots of organic matter in their soil and benefit from organic compost at planting and through their growing seasons.

References

• University of Illinois Extension: Watch Your Garden Grow: Tomatoes
• All-America Rose Selections: Rose Care
• Gardening Online Magazine: Homemade Fertilizer Tips

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish