Gardeners urged to keep hold of grass clippings - not for composting

Now that temperatures are rising, must take extra care of their garden spaces. The right food is essential for growth, as it provides the necessary nutrients for plants to be able to thrive and bloom, adding colour to our green spaces. As many gardening experts insist, using is the way to go.

Despite many gardeners opting for store-bought ready-made fertilisers, there are plenty of natural and organic options that are much more effective and cost-free. Plus, there are many benefits to making your own fertiliser, reports.

Erik Steffrud, soils and compost manager at Longwood Gardens, said: “Homemade soil amendments are a great way to reduce material that would otherwise go into landfills, address climate change through carbon sequestration, and build healthy soils all at the same time.”

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By keeping and using grass clippings as fertilisers, they’re super beneficial to the plants. Grass clippings have a lot of nutrients, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and micronutrients - and plants thrive out of them.

According to experts, there are two ways to use natural plant food. Dan Kemper, an expert trainer at Rodale Institute, an organisation that supports research into organic farming, said: “You can put grass clippings in your garden and then till them into the soil, where they’ll be broken down very quickly, releasing nutrients for your gardening crops.”

As per Martha Stewart’s , another way to do this is by sprinkling grass clippings on top of the soil, as it will act as a mulch layer to trap moisture and prevent weeds.

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However, gardeners can also go through the natural route by using food wastage, as long as the plants get the nutrients they need to survive and grow. Fertilisers consist of three elements: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Nonetheless, using ingredients that are high in calcium does benefit the plants. But to find out what the plants need the most, gardeners can do a soil test to identify their pH levels.

DIY soil test kits can be purchased at garden centres, or gardeners can send a soil sample to a lab test to receive a more detailed analysis.

By following these simple gardening tips, you can rest assured that your plants will be thriving and looking vibrant, not just for the summertime but all year round. The best thing about it is that doesn't cost any extra money, but a little bit of effort.