To the great joy of foodies, strawberry season is approaching. If you want a good harvest this year, there is a natural and economical fertilizer that works wonders.
In many gardens, strawberry bushes are adorned with promising flowers in the spring. But when harvest time comes, disappointment often sets in: the fruits are small and not very sweet. However, there is no lack of care: regular watering, a sunny place, mulching … So what is the cause of the problem? The answer is often hidden under the ground, in the quality of the soil and especially in what we add to it – or do not add.
Over time, the soil becomes depleted. Strawberries, like all plants, take up the nutrients they need to grow, but these are not renewed in sufficient quantities naturally in soil tilled year after year. The result: plants bloom but struggle to form fleshy fruit. The solution doesn’t necessarily lie in expensive commercial products. Some experienced gardeners have found a simple, inexpensive and incredibly effective way to improve yields.
It’s a homemade fertilizer made from an unexpected ingredient: yeast.
For its preparation you will need 50 g of fresh yeast (or 1 teaspoon of dry yeast), 1 liter of warm water, 1 tablespoon of sugar. In a bowl, mix the yeast, sugar and warm water.
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Leave the mixture to rest for 24 hours at room temperature. After resting, dilute the mixture with water at a ratio of 1:5 (1 part of the mixture to 5 parts of water) and water each plant with half a liter of this solution. But be careful: not abysmally. The secret is to pour a tablespoon of the solution directly under each plant. This small gesture makes all the difference.
Why it works. Yeast is rich in B vitamins, protein and important minerals such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, which are essential for fruit growth. Sugar, on the other hand, feeds soil microorganisms that break down organic matter and make nutrients more available to roots. This beneficial cycle improves soil structure, water retention, and ultimately the overall health of strawberry plants. And the results are amazing: strawberries are larger, redder and more flavorful.
It also has the advantage of being environmentally friendly. Unlike some chemical fertilizers that impoverish underground biodiversity, this naturally stimulates beneficial microbial activity.
- This yeast-based fertilizer is not the only one that works wonders: there are other natural and clever recipes that are just as interesting.
- Old bread: Soak old bread in water and let it ferment. After 6-10 days, dilute the solution with 1:10 water and use it to water your strawberries.
- Nettle extract: fill a bucket of nettles with water and let it infuse. Use diluted with water at a ratio of 1:20.
- Sour milk: mix sour milk products with hummus and serve with strawberries. This helps to create an ideal environment for their growth.
- Chicken litter: use chicken litter diluted at a ratio of 1:10. Apply only before strawberries start to bloom to avoid damaging the plants.
