Towards A Better Environmental Legacy: Natural Fertilizer Proves Itself

As I was enjoying kumquats from the potted tree I planted some seven years ago I remembered a story I read recently about how a barren pasture was transformed into a lush native forest landscape by the addition of tons of agricultural discards, in this case orange peels and rinds. I have several potted citrus tree and two pots with 3 large pineapple plants each. I've maintained all of these for many years and have never added soil, insecticide, or man made fertilizer to them, yet all remain very healthy and productive. If you look closely at the bottom photo you can see what I do feed them, leftover vegetable matter: citrus rinds, banana peels, strawberry tops, wilting lettuce, pretty much anything vegetable. That along with crushed egg shell and the nutrients from my fish tanks from occasional water changes are all that have fed these productive fruit trees for years.

I have described in previous posts how production of man-made fertilizers is an energy intensive process, and how excess ammonia and phosphorus from fertilizer is harming our waterways, our oceans, and our health. This spring I will commence the second growing season in the garden at my new house utilizing Masanobu Fukuoka's methods. I believe our best chance for a healthy planet with our expanding population lies in weaning ourselves from the easy and addictive fixes like fertilizers and looking to research on sustainable methods that are based on the natural cycles of life.

https://www.princeton.edu/news/2017/08/22/orange-new-green-how-orange-peels-revived-costa-rican-forest