Homemade fern fertilizer: Simple oatmeal trick for lush plants

Intensely green, dense, and beautifully cascading from the windowsill, a fern is every amateur gardener's dream. Although this plant is not the most demanding, it does require some attention. Properly nourished, it will reward you with strong and lush leaves.

Homemade fertilizer from oatmeal wonderfully nourishes ferns. Oats contain many nutrients essential for this plant. Making such a conditioner is a piece of cake. Just scrape the leftovers from your breakfast plate.

Because oatmeal is a source of B vitamins, iron, magnesium, potassium, and fiber, it makes an excellent base for homemade fern fertilizer. These ingredients will improve the soil's condition, making it better able to retain moisture.

Additionally, a well-nourished plant will be stronger, more lush, and healthier, stop shedding leaves, and produce more new ones. Homemade oatmeal fertilizer for ferns will also increase the plant's resistance to diseases and pests. Importantly, when used on young plants, this fertilizer can speed up their growth by up to five times.

Homemade oatmeal fertilizer can be prepared in several ways. If you want to use breakfast leftovers, just transfer the oatmeal to the pot. The nutrients will slowly be released into the soil. You can also use oatmeal prepared in milk (not just water), as milk has acidic properties that help protect the plant from fungal attacks. Ideally, the oatmeal should not be previously cooked—high temperatures strip oats of many nutrients.

Homemade oatmeal fertilizer can also be made by soaking 3 tablespoons of oats in 1 quart of water. Mix everything and let it stand for about 2 hours. After this time, strain the mixture, and the resulting liquid fertilizer is ready to use. It's good to have a syringe on hand and apply 1 teaspoon of homemade fertilizer every 15 days for young plants. Mature and larger ferns should be fertilized every 30 days but in larger amounts—up to 32 ounces of fertilizer per plant.