I love starting a big bunch of seedlings every spring. 🙂

There is something so magical about watching plants grow and knowing that it’s the beginning of another harvest.

When my seedlings a few weeks old, I like to start fertilizing them every 2-3 weeks.  I always look for the most cost effective way, which usually means I use compost tea.  However, you have to brew your compost tea and there are times I’m rather lazy or want a quicker solution.

I need plant food NOW!

Then it dawned on me…what do some people eat as a spring tonic?  A free food that grows profusely and is full of nutrients…..Dandelions!!

So, I went foraging for dandelions in my yard and came up with a nice bunch for cooking.

I took the dandelions, dirt and leaves and put them in a big enamelware pot, half-filled with water and started cooking them down.

The end result looked like this!

I mixed this with some rain water and gave all my plants a good soaking.  The leftover cooked dandelions made their way to the compost pile.

I’m happy to report that the seedlings are looking like they’re loving it!

I’m also happy to report that I saved time, didn’t use any gas by driving to a store and saved money by making my own.

BENEFITS:

• Making do with what you have
• Saving gas
• Saving money
• Satisfaction of finding alternatives

Money saved by not buying commercial plant food:  $8.84!

🙂