One of the secrets of gardening, and especially the care plants require to bloom, is getting the right fertiliser. There are many commercial products available, but you can also make your own liquid fertiliser at home, so you know exactly what you’re putting on your plants.
Within the world of homemade fertilisers, there are liquid formulas particularly aimed at flowering plants. The gardening expert Javier P. Pedraza suggests one that has caught our attention, as it’s made from a common kitchen waste that would normally be discarded—the skin of potatoes—and two spices you’re likely to already have in your store cupboard. It isn’t a generic growth fertiliser, but a preparation focused on stoking the flowering process when the plant is healthy and well rooted.
The best time to use your potato-based liquid fertiliser
Javier P. Pedraza (@huertoadictos on Instagram and YouTube) explains on his YouTube channel that this type of fertiliser makes special sense in spring and summer, when temperatures are favourable and plants are metabolically active.
In autumn and winter, growth and flowering slow down naturally, so it’s wise to adjust your expectations and the frequency of use.
The key of this mix lies in its richness in potassium and phosphorus, two nutrients directly linked to flower formation, along with other minerals that strengthen roots and improve uptake.
Potatoes as the nutritional base of the preparation
That the first ingredient is the potato, specifically its skin, is no accident. Javier emphasises that there’s no need to waste the interior, although the most interesting part for this fertiliser is the skin.
The potato skin contains a notable amount of potassium, along with phosphorus and small doses of calcium. Potassium is essential for the plant to form strong flower buds and sustain a prolonged flowering, while phosphorus contributes to energetic processes and the plant’s overall development.
To prepare the concentrate, the skins are boiled in water for a few minutes. This process draws out the water-soluble nutrients and turns them into a liquid base that can then be easily diluted in your watering can.
The clove as a natural stimulant
The second ingredient is cloves, a spice well known in cooking but with an interesting role in gardening. In Javier’s preparation, the clove is added towards the end of cooking the potato skin to preserve its properties.
The cloves contribute compounds that stimulate flowering and, moreover, help protect the root system against harmful fungi. They also supply minerals such as potassium and calcium, as well as vitamins and other compounds that strengthen the plant during periods of high energy demand, such as when it’s flowering.
This ingredient makes the fertiliser something more than a simple feed; it acts as a general support for plants that are about to bloom or need a boost after a period of dormancy.
The cinnamon, the finishing touch
Once the liquid resulting from the potato and clove has been strained, cinnamon comes into play. Javier incorporates it off the heat, mixing it directly into the concentrate.
In gardening and horticulture, cinnamon is known for its healing and fungicidal properties, but in this case its value lies in its magnesium and calcium content.
Magnesium is the essential component of chlorophyll, and is therefore vital for photosynthesis, as well as helping the plant to better assimilate the rest of the fertiliser’s nutrients.
Thanks to this ingredient, the fertiliser not only stimulates flowering but also improves the plant’s ability to utilise the fertiliser, making the effect faster and more visible.
How to apply it and which plants it works best on
This fertiliser is not used neat. Javier recommends diluting one part of the concentrate in three parts of water before watering. This avoids excessive concentration and ensures a gradual and safe uptake.
Applied once a week during the active growing season, it can be used on ornamental flowering plants such as anthuriums, orchids, geraniums, bougainvilleas, and many other species that flower repeatedly when conditions are right.
It is important that the plant is healthy before using it. A flowering fertiliser does not replace a good substrate, proper watering or adequate exposure to light.
An economical and easy-to-store fertiliser
One of the practical advantages of this preparation is its storage. The concentrate can be kept at room temperature for several weeks without losing its properties, provided it is kept in a clean, closed container.
This allows you to prepare a sufficient quantity and use it gradually, adjusting the dose to the number of plants and avoiding waste.
