From the page: The seed that becomes pepper and garden
Idea 6
Living fertilizer with peel and seeds
Turning fruit scraps into fertilizer is one of the oldest practices in home agriculture: what the plant took from the earth returns to it. Papaya peels and seeds are rich in organic matter that, decomposed by fungi, bacteria and worms, releases nutrients slowly, truly feeding the soil.
What you need
- Peels and seeds from a very ripe papaya
- A pot, bucket or box with a drilled lid
- Common garden soil
- Dry leaves, sawdust or shredded paper (dry material)
- Water in a spray bottle
- Shovel or trowel for mixing
How to make it
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1
Chop the peels and crush the seeds into small pieces, because the smaller the exposed surface, the faster microorganisms can decompose the material.
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2
In the container, make alternating layers: a handful of soil, the papaya scraps, a generous layer of dry material on top. The dry material prevents strong odors and attracts the right decomposers.
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3
Moisten each layer with the spray bottle until it feels like a wrung-out sponge: damp, but not dripping, because too much water suffocates the good bacteria that need air.
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4
Cover and keep it in a shaded spot. Stir the mixture every 4 or 5 days to aerate it, since the decomposers breathe and need fresh air to work.
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5
In a few weeks the material darkens and becomes a homogeneous compost with the smell of forest soil — that's the sign it's ready.
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6
Mix one part of this fertilizer into three parts of soil before planting, or spread a thin layer on the surface of already-planted pots.
Finishing touches
papaya seeds germinate easily, so if little sprouts appear in your composter, it's a sign of great compost — and of free seedlings to give away or replant. If you'd rather speed things up, add red wiggler worms and you'll have humus in half the time.
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