Turn potato peel waste into gold: Simple steps for a costless and eco‑friendly fertilizer

Potato peels are often discarded as they seem tasteless and unappetizing. However, this is a mistake as these scraps can be a valuable fertilizer for plants and flowers. They can be boiled, dried, or processed into flour. There are numerous alternatives available, choose the one that suits you best!

Households consume potatoes in various forms: boiled, fried, or baked, every day. This leads to an accumulation of potato peels in our garbage cans. A smarter and more sustainable approach is to convert these peels into homemade fertilizer, which can be utilized for indoor potted plants and outdoor garden plants. The process is quite simple!

In order to make this fertilizer, a sizable quantity of potato peels is required. Since it's unlikely that anyone would peel a whole bag of potatoes at once, saving the peels after each meal is advisable. To prevent them from emitting a foul odor, store them in a bag in the freezer. This will halt decomposition, enabling you to stockpile scraps until the bag is full. This is a great practice, especially in preparation for the spring growing season.

Drying is another option for storing peels. This can be achieved in an oven or by placing them on a heating device. The first method is quicker, but the latter is more eco-friendly and energy-efficient. Let the peels dry until they are crisp like chips. Afterward, store them in a tightly sealed container, allowing them to age before using them as fertilizer.

Once you've collected a substantial amount of peels, you can begin processing the fertilizer. The gathered potato peels should be placed in a large pot, covered with water, and boiled. Allow the mixture to remain untouched for 24 hours. Afterwards, dilute the resulting fertilizer with water at a 1:9 ratio (one part fertilizer to nine parts water). The final solution is ready to be used. Water all your plants with it, except ones susceptible to potato diseases like tomatoes.

The second option to utilize dried potato peels is to grind them into flour and add it to boiling water. You could also distribute some of the flour in garden flower beds, placing it under the top layer of soil. This will inhibit mold development and permit your plants to absorb all the nutrients from the natural fertilizer.