You probably have milk in your house. But have you ever thought about using it in your garden? As a matter of fact, many gardeners swear by using milk as a fertilizer. However, this method still isn’t widely known. If you want healthy plants and a great harvest, you don’t want to overlook something that can do your garden good. Here’s a bit of the how — and why — you might want to use it.
1. Calcium
Just like people, plants need calcium to grow. Unpasteurized (or raw) milk has especially high levels of calcium and can provide this vital nourishment. It also supplies B vitamins, sugars, and proteins that plants need.
2. Pests
Using milk in the garden can also help reduce pests, especially those equally annoying and damaging aphids.
3. Disease
One of the best uses for milk in the garden is to prevent certain diseases, one in specific is called mosaic leaf viruses. Milk can also provide anti-fungal properties and can help treat powdery mildew.
4. What Kind of Milk to Use
Believe it or not, you can use up that expired milk by feeding it to your garden plants. You can also use fresh, powdered, or even evaporated milk. Pretty neat, huh? Whatever milk you use, don’t use it full strength. Dilute it 50/50 with water. If you want to use organic, raw or unpasteurized milk, check with your local farmers’ market or health food store.
5. As a Spray
You can use your 50/50 solution as a spray by adding it to a spray bottle and applying it to the leaves. However, some plants, such as tomatoes, are prone to fungus if it stays on the leaves too long. If you don’t think it’s being absorbed quickly enough, wipe down the leaves with a damp cloth or spray with plain water.
If you want to use milk over your whole garden, you can dilute it even more and use your garden sprayer. You’ll want to use about 5 gallons of milk per acre, or 1 quart for a 20 x 20 garden area. Allow it to soak into the ground. You can use this treatment once at the start of your growing season, and again in the middle of the season.
6. The Pour Method
If you just want to treat certain plants or have a small garden, you can simply pour your diluted milk mixture at the base of your plants, so the roots can soak it in. Just mix it up in a pitcher or watering can.
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