Stop Throwing Out These 3 Kitchen Scraps - Use Them to Garden Instead

Bagged potting mixes and fertilizers often include a guaranteed analysis showing an NPK ratio for nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. These nutrient levels can decline over time, so soil amendment is important for maintaining a productive garden. A kitchen-based approach can supplement soil using egg shells, banana peels, and coffee grounds. Egg shells provide calcium, which is an essential element for plant growth and development. Calcium supports plant cellular structure and can help reduce pests and disease. Calcium deficiency can cause symptoms such as gelatinous leaf tips, poor root growth, and death of growing points, while roots may turn black and rot.

"When it comes to the bagged stuff, companies such as Miracle-Gro are required at the state level to display on their labeling a guaranteed analysis, according to ClassAction.org. In the analysis, you'll see an NPK ratio that looks something like 24-8-16 denoting the soil's nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium ratio. While those numbers will decline with time, proper soil amendment is key for a fruitful garden."

"There are plenty of fertilizers on the market to help adjust accordingly. But, whether I'm using a fresh bag of potting mix or amending some from the last growing season, my favorite way to continue nourishing my little sanctuary starts in the kitchen by using egg shells, banana peels, and coffee grounds."

"Calcium is "an essential element needed for growth and development of plants," per one study on the subject published in Frontiers in Plant Science.Calcium helps promote the plant's cellular structure and can help ward off pests and disease. Without calcium, the young leaves and the growing points of shoots on plants can develop symptoms of calcium deficiency like gelatinous leaf tips, poor root growth, or the death of the growing point."

"Roots can turn black and rot, says the Alabama Extension, an outreach organization for land-grant education in the state. Each shell of a chicken's egg"

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