For which plants can potato peelings be used as fertilizer?

Experienced gardeners waste almost nothing, especially a product such as potato peelings. They know that potato peels can be safely used as organic fertilizer, since they contain starch, potassium and other useful components.

The article will discuss how to prepare such fertilizer, what crops it is suitable for, and how to use potato peelings in the garden.

Composition and properties of potato peelings

Potato peelings contain a significant amount of vitamin C, so with regular use of this fertilizer for berry crops, you can get berries with a high content of ascorbic acid.

In addition to vitamin C, potato waste contains:

• starch - stimulates the growth of plant energy, currants and roses especially love it;
• organic acids – help the normal course of oxidative processes in the body, improve the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates;
• glucose – needed for protein production and maintaining vital energy levels in winter;
• mineral salts are part of plants; if they are deficient, the plant loses its immunity.

Plant Benefits and Benefits

Potato peelings perform several useful functions for plants:

• this is a good organic fertilizer - the starch contained in potatoes is necessary for crops during the growing season;
• this is an effective means of pest control - cleaning does not destroy pests, but they lure them into one place where they are easier to collect;
• Potato waste, decomposing in the ground, releases heat - not much of it, but enough for the development of plants.

The main advantage of this fertilizer is its cost-effectiveness. Potatoes are usually consumed in large quantities and approximately a quarter of the crop is wasted. Using them as fertilizers allows you to avoid spending money on purchasing nutrients for your garden.

Their cleanings are absolutely environmentally friendly; they do not contain nitrates or pesticides. There is no need to accurately measure the dosage, since an excess of such fertilizer does not cause adverse effects.

What plants are suitable for feeding?

Potato waste can be used as a top dressing for almost any crop in the garden. They are of great importance for plants, because during growth plants really need starch and glucose.

This fertilizer is necessary for currants, raspberries, strawberries, and melons. It is also useful for other crops, even indoor and garden flowers.

How to prepare cleaning for fertilizing

Under no circumstances should potato peels be used fresh. It will begin to rot, which will attract rodents and cause late blight infection of the plantings.

There are two preparation methods:

1. Drying. The peelings are either laid out in a thin layer in a well-ventilated area for about 7-10 days, or dried in an oven at 100°C for about 3-4 hours.
2. Freezing. Absolutely clean and dry peels are placed in the freezer.

The advantage of freezing is that the peel retains the maximum concentration of nutrients.But dried peelings are more practical, as they can be stored for a long time, while frozen ones should be used immediately after defrosting; they cannot be re-frozen.

Preparing potato peelings

The preparation procedure is quite simple. Before preparing potato fertilizer, the peels are thoroughly washed, squeezed and dried.

Recipes for fertilizers from potato peelings

There are three options for preparing fertilizer from potato waste: infusion, gruel, flour.

These techniques have been tested over the years and are considered the most effective when using potato peels.

Infusion

Suitable for indoor crops, berries, currants. To prepare it, the prepared raw materials are poured with boiling water and infused for a day. Dried raw materials are taken half as much as frozen ones.

Gruel

Can only be prepared from dried raw materials. The peelings are placed in a deep tank and filled completely with boiling water. The resulting mixture is left covered for about a week. During this time, the cleaning is softened and saturated with water. After a week, they must be mixed thoroughly. The result is a kind of mush.

Flour

It is obtained by grinding the peelings - the less, the better. Usually a meat grinder is used for this, but you can also use a coffee grinder. Before use, the resulting flour is brewed with boiling water.

Compost

The most harmless fertilizer, but with a long preparation time - the procedure lasts about one and a half years. Time can be reduced by regularly stirring the compost heap or adding various substances to it.

It is important to monitor the ratio of nitrogen and carbon components, otherwise the process of rotting may begin.25% nitrogen and 75% carbon are considered optimal.

Reference. If potato waste is piled fresh, then it will be considered a nitrogen component; if dried, it will be considered a carbon component.

Every three days it is recommended to stir the contents of the pile so that oxygen flows evenly.

Feeding scheme and technology

The optimal time to apply organic fertilizer is autumn, immediately after harvesting. Over the winter it will partially rot and nutrients will be released into the soil.

For seedlings

Flour or gruel is good for seedlings. A small handful of fertilizer is placed in the hole and then sprinkled with a thin layer of soil. Then again fertilizer, then soil. After this, the sprouts are planted. These actions provide the seedlings with the necessary nutritional components.

For melons

When planting melons, for example, pumpkins, zucchini or cucumbers, fertilizing them with potato waste fertilizer will be completely useful.

Potato flour gruel is added to the bottom of the hole and sprinkled with earth. Then again fertilizer and another layer of soil on top. And then the seedlings are planted. This planting will provide the plant with nutrients for a long time.

Experienced vegetable growers also advise regularly watering potato peels with infusion. This will help the plant gain green mass and produce a good harvest.

For root vegetables, onions and garlic

For these crops, an infusion is more suitable. You can water the beds with it every two weeks from the end of May. Each bush is poured under the root separately.

Attention! There should be no fragments of potato waste left on the surface of the bed - they will attract insects and pests.

For raspberries, strawberries and currants

For berry crops, flour or infusion is more suitable.

Fertilizing currants or raspberries can be done annually in spring and autumn. At the same time, thanks to starch, the berries only become tastier and larger.

To make the fertilizing work faster, it is buried around the roots to a depth of 20 cm.

Strawberries are fed according to a different scheme: once every two weeks, the beds are generously sprinkled with potato flour or watered with infusion at the roots.

As compost

Adding potato waste to compost speeds up the fermentation process. For compost, peelings must be taken exclusively from healthy potatoes, otherwise pathogenic fungi will multiply there and instead of benefiting such fertilizer, it will only do harm.

As a pest control

A nutrient mixture based on potato peels reliably protects plants from pests. For insects, traps made from fresh peelings are laid out in several places to attract insects - for example, slugs or Colorado beetles. Pests need to be regularly collected and destroyed, and traps replaced with fresh ones.

For indoor plants

For indoor plants, prepare a decoction of potato peelings and boiling water, taken in a ratio of 1:10. The solution is cooled and filtered, after which it can be used to treat ornamental plants. Indoor plants are watered once every 3-4 weeks.

For flowers

For decorative outdoor flowers, the solution is prepared according to the same scheme as for indoor ones. Outdoor plants are treated once every two weeks.

This type of fertilizing is most effective for plants that reproduce by tubers. These are tulips, gloxinias, begonias, etc.

Reference. Gloxinia should be watered carefully, without touching the leaves, otherwise it will rot.

For fruit plants

For fruit trees, a gruel is prepared, which is diluted with hot water and left to infuse for several days. The soil around the trees must be loosened before applying fertilizer. The pulp is dropped around the trunks approximately 20 cm deep.

How to store fertilizer peelings

There is no shortage of such raw materials, but you can’t just put waste in a bag either.

Dry preparations are stored in paper or fabric bags in a dry and well-ventilated area. You should regularly check them in case of bugs or parasites.

Frozen preparations are stored in the freezer or in a cold cellar. They should not be allowed to defrost before use; they quickly begin to rot.

In what cases should you not use peelings as fertilizer?

Keep in mind that feeding from potato waste is not suitable for all crops. They should not be used when fertilizing nightshades - for example, peppers, tomatoes, eggplants. This is explained by the fact that they have a lot of common diseases with potatoes. After all, there is always a risk that even well-dried and treated with boiling water, living bacteria will remain.

Conclusion

Now you know which plants use potato peelings as fertilizer. Due to their numerous advantages and lack of disadvantages, they are gaining more and more popularity.

The use of this fertilizer improves the quality of the soil, increases the yield, and allows you to fertilize your garden or vegetable garden without the use of chemicals or money.