Time to review some tips on fertilizing your garden. We’ll try and go over some cheap and cost efficient ways to do this to save you time and money.
The first step is to loosen and aerate the soil so that the roots can grow and the good creatures, IE earthworms, can get through the soil. This can be done by hand with common tools or if you have access to a rototiller that can be an invaluable time saver. However be careful with any tools so that you do not damage any roots or local wildlife which can be helpful to a garden, such as the toads mentioned in another article. If you have back problems I’d recommend a pitchfork style tool, just be gentle when lifting and turning the soil as to not damage the roots again.
One of the highest rated rototillers which works great for me:Sun Joe TJ600E Tiller Joe Garden 14-Inch 6.5 amp Electric Tiller/Cultivator
There are several different fertilizers that can be used. Depending on your situation we can should be able to come up with a free option for fertilizer! If you have kids you may have small animals such as a Rabbit. Rabbit droppings work well, make sure they are dried however and not fresh. If you live near a ranch or know of a horse field nearby you could ask the owner for some of the horse manure. If you live in a colder area and have a wood burning stove or fireplace, collect some of the ashes and spread them in the garden in a thin layer. Do not over use ash or it will cause more harm than good, which is true with all fertilizing agents.
Create a compost heap with old grass clippings. A compost heap can contain some or all of the above as well as eggshells, some coffee grounds, and any other natural clippings such as leaves and branches which are mulched up of course. There are also many different containers you can use for this. One of the cheapest being a large trash can. The large “rubbermaid” kind you will find at any local store. Drill holes in it however for the air to permeate it, several on the bottom would be good. And of course do not leave it sitting on your concrete patio or you can expect to find some nice stains at some point. Some also use circular chicken wire cages out in a corner of their yard. This can be easily built with some posts and chicken wire and is relatively cheap as well. Or if you have the resources you can build a wooden storage bin which may mesh better with the look of your garden area. Many are just visual preferences and do not have much bearing on the compost itself.
With all the natural and home waste options available for fertilizer you should be able to come up with something on a very small budget! Enjoy and get that garden started!
I agree 100%