5 Organic Fertilizers You Can Make for FREE

DIY Solutions To Boost Your Soil Health & Feed Your Plants Organically

Whether you're new to gardening or a seasoned grower, one truth remains: healthy plants start with healthy soil. When your plants have access to complete, bioavailable nutrients, they thrive—producing lush growth, strong roots, and incredible harvests. 🌿

I’m James Prigioni, and today I’m sharing the top 5 organic fertilizers you can make at home, along with my pro system for keeping plants vibrant all season. If you’ve ever struggled with pale leaves, slow growth, or disappointing yields—this guide is for you.

Let’s dive in.

🍵 1. Compost Tea – Liquid Gold for Plants

This is one of the easiest and most effective DIY fertilizers. Compost tea delivers a boost of beneficial microbes and nutrients directly to your plants’ roots.

How to Make It:

• Fill a 5-gallon bucket with water (rainwater if possible)
• Add a few big scoops of finished compost (ideally homemade or worm castings)
• Aerate it using a simple aquarium bubbler for 12–24 hours
• Use immediately to drench your soil or as a foliar spray

👉 This boosts microbial life in your soil, helping break down nutrients for better plant uptake. It’s like probiotics for your garden!

🥚 2. Crushed Eggshell Fertilizer – Calcium Power

Eggshells are packed with calcium—an essential nutrient for preventing issues like blossom-end rot in tomatoes and peppers.

How to Use It:

• Rinse and dry your eggshells
• Crush or grind them into a fine powder
• Sprinkle around the base of your plants or mix into the soil when transplanting

📌 Bonus Tip: Eggshells also help deter slugs. Double win!

🍌 3. Banana Peel Potassium Mix – For Flowering & Fruiting

Banana peels are a rich source of potassium, phosphorus, and even trace minerals that support flowering, fruiting, and overall plant vigor.

How to Use It:

• Chop up banana peels and bury them near the roots
• Or blend peels with water and pour as a nutrient drink

Great for tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and flowers 🌼.

What Happens When Your Bury Banana’s Under Your Tomatoes? Find Out!

🐟 4. Fish Emulsion – Fast-Acting Fertilizer

Fish emulsion is a quick nitrogen source, excellent for leafy greens or early-season growth spurts.

How to Make It:

• Combine fish scraps, water, and molasses in a sealed bucket
• Let ferment for a few weeks (trust me, it smells)
• Dilute and apply to soil as needed

Prefer not to make it? No worries—check out our Team Grow’s Neem Bliss for a ready-to-use nitrogen boost option.

🍂 5. Leaf Mold – The Forgotten Soil Builder

Leaf mold is simply decomposed leaves. But don’t underestimate it—leaf mold improves soil structure, water retention, and microbial life.

How to Make It:

• Rake leaves into a pile or bin
• Let them break down over 6–12 months (turn occasionally)
• Use as mulch or mix into your soil

📢 It’s free, sustainable, and wildly underrated!

🔥 James’s Secret Fertilizer System: Easy, Effective, Organic

After years of testing and trial, I created my own formula—JP’s Secret Stuff™ All-Purpose Fertilizer—to deliver a full spectrum of nutrients in a simple, organic form.

Here’s how I fertilize for massive results:

🧱 Step 1: Build a Strong Base

Apply JP’s Secret Stuff™ (3-3-3) to your beds or containers before planting. It contains:

• 6 essential macronutrients: N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S
• Iron and trace minerals from azomite and basalt
• Natural ingredients: Fish bone meal, feather meal, alfalfa, kelp, dolomite, volcanic ash
• OMRI-listed and made in the USA 🇺🇸

🧪 Step 2: Customize Per Plant

Boost with home made solutions based on what you’re growing:

• Home-made fish emulsion for leafy greens (pure nitrogen power)
• Banana Peel + Egg Shell Powder for flowering/fruiting crops like tomatoes and squash
• Compost Tea for all my plants to ensure increase microbial activity in soil
• Bonus Myco Bliss™ Mycorrhizal Inoculant for transplant success by connecting roots to fungal network of the soil

🔁 Step 3: Top-Dress Mid-Season

Every 30–90 days, I top-dress with more JP’s Secret Stuff™ to fuel continued growth and support yields. Mix into topsoil and water it in—easy.

🛒 Grab JP’s Secret Stuff™ here →

🌿 Final Thoughts from James & Tuck

When I started gardening, I didn’t realize how important consistent, balanced feeding was. I’d transplant healthy seedlings into the ground—then see them struggle, fade, and underperform.

Once I started using a smart, organic fertilizer plan—everything changed. My plants are now vigorous, my harvests are bountiful, and my soil gets better every year. 💪

And the best part? These methods are sustainable, safe, and simple. Whether you’re feeding seedlings, greens, flowers, or fruiting crops, you’ve got the tools to grow stronger naturally.

🐾 Tuck approved too—especially the crunchy radishes.

🚀 Ready to Grow Like a Pro?

👉 Start with JP’s Secret Stuff™ – the all-purpose fertilizer trusted by thousands of Team Grow gardeners.

👉 Make your own free fertilizers, at home from our DIY list!

Share your results with us on Instagram, tag @TeamGrow.us, and join the Team Grow Community to connect with fellow gardeners!

📦 Shop Now: TeamGrow.us →

🎥 Watch More Tips: James Prigioni’s YouTube Channel →

Let’s grow something amazing, one backyard at a time.

🌱 James & Team