The lockdown made me think on a lot of aspects. It was also the time that I had delivered and I needed something to keep myself occupied and not get into PPD. That is when I stumbled upon kitchen garden.
Growing up I’ve always enjoyed watching Nigella Lawson use herbs in cooking from her kitchen. The sight of bright green tiny herbs that are brimming with freshness definitely could be felt even if I am watching it over television.
I did set up one in my balcony that had spinach, coriander, mint , chilli and mustard. I also did try and have some microgreens since I recently read about the benefits of consuming them, so I thought why not give it a try. I did and I succeeded. I had good yields but not for long. My plants needed something more.
What was it? Fertilizers. They help in boosting the growth of plants offering necessary nutrients to the soil. That is when I started my web search to understand more about fertilizers.
I also read about the harmful effects of pesticides and fertilizers that are being used to give quicker yields. The health hazards that are waiting to attack once you consume the yield made me think that if this is what we have been consuming all along.
These fertilizers though are being used to boost the growth to meet the rising food demand of the growing population. Though on one hand it is deemed to be a scientific evolution that fertilizers and GMOs can give you tremendous yield. The effects in long run on both the humans and on mother earth is definitely going to be of humungous amounts.
What are the effects on environment?
Poor quality of soil
Using too much of fertilizers can give you yield results in multiples but on the longer run the usage of the same oil will become a bigger question mark. On repeated usage of fertilizers the acid levels in the soil seem to be getting higher upon each yield. Acidic soil does not give any or much yields so in the longer run it would be of no use. So it is paving the way for slow depletion.
CHANGING WATER BODY BIOLOGY
The fertilizers used contain phosphates and nitrates which when combined in the sewers are released into the oceans. This results in increased growth of algae and decrease in oxygen levels. SO therefore we see a lot of destruction in marine life resulting in an imblance in the food chain.
HEALTH OF HUMANS
The nitrates and phosphates also contaminate ground water which the humans consume resulting in various health hazards. Not only ground water but also the vegetables and grains that are yielded with excessive use of fertilizers will lead to human body collapse involving the failure of multiple organs.
CLIMATIC CHANGE IN THE WORLD
The nitrates, phosphates, ammonia, methane and carbon dioxide have also contributed on a large scale to the emission of green house gases. The global warming and drastic weather changes are the end result of excessive fertilizer usage. So in order to satisfy the demand now we see to be digging ourselves and the world we live in into bigger problems.
Let’s take a look at using options at home that help make good fertilizers.
BANANA PEELS: Bananas are rich in potassium which make them the main reason for us to consume. The peels are rich in potassium as well. So they make great alternatives to potassium fertilizers. Simply burying them in the soil in a hole beside the plant gives you the needed benefit. This works best for roses. So as it grows you could bury on the layer at the top.
EGG SHELLS: Egg shells are great sources of calcium carbonate or lime as its commonly known. Its main benefit is to reduce the acidity of the soil. Plants do not grow in highly acidic soil. Next time don’t throw away the egg shells. Crush them and use it up.
COFFEE GROUNDS: Some plants like tomato only thrive in acidic soil. The use of coffee grounds is to increase the acidity in the soil. Or alternatively you could also pour in the decoction.
FALLEN LEAVES: Leaves which fall in have some trace minerals and also retain moisture and hold the soil tight. They also attract the earthworms which are known as the farmers friend.
KITCHEN SCRAPS: These include vegetable and fruit peels. You could add them to your compost
They release nutrients in a slow manner but yield good results. This does not require any application of fertilizer even up to a year. The compost also has moisture holding capability which is must needed for plants to make them thrive under the dry summer conditions.
WEEDS: Weeds are unwanted plants that grow alongside in the garden . Though they are deemed unwanted they are rich in nitrogen so its a reason to retain them to extract that benefit. So prepare a weed tea , by soaking the weeds in a bucket and fill up with water. After two weeks when it turns brown you could just use it on your garden.
Using these alternatives as fertilizers are small steps that we could take in order to bring in big changes.Lets hold hands and keep mother earth safe for future generations.
‘This post is part of #CauseAChatter with Blogchatter’.
That Madras Mom 