Even our grandmothers knew the benefits of yeast. Not only for baking or for our well-being, but also as fertilizer in the home garden. You can find out everything about the production and application below.

In a nutshell

  • especially heavy consumers love yeast
  • Use as fertilizer, spray and compost accelerator
  • Administration as fertilizer every 14 days possible
  • Yeast only acts indirectly on plants
  • Yeast fertilizer can also be used for indoor plants

Contain important nutrients

Yeast is made from pure cultured yeast. These are unicellular yeast fungi. A gram of baker's yeast consists of up to a billion yeast fungi. Baking or brewing yeast contains important nutrients such as:

  • iron
  • folic acid
  • biotin
  • niacin
  • zinc
  • Vitamins B1, B2 and B6
  • magnesium
  • potassium and
  • different proteins

When using yeast as a fertilizer in the garden, it does not act directly. In other words, it is not the plants that are directly supplied with the nutrients, but the microorganisms living in the soil. By administering yeast, they are stimulated to break down the components of the soil more quickly and make them available to the plants as food.

Preparation of the fertilizer solution

There are two different ways to make a fertilizer solution from baker's yeast:

Fermented yeast solution

  • 100 g baker's yeast
  • 200 grams of sugar
  • 10 liters of warm water

Manufacturing:

  • Crumble yeast
  • mix with sugar
  • slowly pour warm water
  • mix well
  • leave to ferment for a week
  • Use diluted 1:10 with water

Unfermented yeast solution

  • a cube of baker's yeast
  • a liter of warm water

Manufacturing:

  • Crumble yeast
  • pour some lukewarm water
  • mix everything into an even mass
  • add remaining water, stir
  • leave to rest for an hour
  • can then be used

With both fertilizer solutions, rainwater or potato water should be used if possible.

Tip: Dry yeast can also be used. This should always be dissolved in hot water before adding cold or lukewarm water.

Heavy consumers love yeast

The fertilizer solution is completely organic, environmentally friendly and odorless. It can also be administered fortnightly to once a month from spring to the end of summer. Heavy consumers in particular benefit from this. The baker's yeast can either be worked into the soil or added to the irrigation water. Below is a brief overview:

Plants from A - F

Eggplant (Solanum melongena)
egg tree

  • loose, humus-rich soil
  • Prepare the ground well
  • enrich with compost
  • warm, sunny, sheltered location
  • regular watering
  • 14-day fertilization with nettle manure
  • alternating addition of yeast fertilizer

Strawberries (Fragaria)

  • full sun, sheltered from the wind
  • loose, not too heavy, deep, humus-rich soil
  • pH between 5.5 and 6.5
  • water adequately during dry periods
  • loosen the soil regularly
  • Mulching with dried lawn clippings
  • from May mulch layer made of straw
  • generally fertilization only after harvest
  • however, administration of yeast fertilizer in the spring

Tip: Fertilizer from baker's yeast has a beneficial effect on strawberry seedlings. These take root faster in the ground.

Plants from G - J

Geranium (Pelargonium)

  • popular in tubs and balcony boxes
  • nutrient-rich, loose soil
  • sunny location
  • Fertilize every 14 days from May to September
  • once a month additional yeast fertilizer

Cucumbers (Cucumis sativus)

  • heavy feeder
  • loose, humus-rich soil
  • Prepare the ground well
  • Enrichment with compost
  • sunny, sheltered place
  • annual change of location necessary
  • water and fertilize adequately
  • Fertilize every 14 days after flowering
  • Apply a layer of mulch
  • Fertilizer from yeast once a month

Planting from K - O

Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum)

Solanum tuberosum
  • medium-heavy, deep soil
  • Prepare the ground well
  • enrich with compost
  • sunny, warm place
  • Planting only every four years in the same place
  • adequate watering during dry periods
  • Avoid waterlogging
  • fertilize regularly
  • 14-day potassium supplements
  • in addition, use of yeast fertilizer

Cabbage (Brassica)

Red cabbage
  • deep, nutrient-rich, humic soil
  • should have good water retention
  • sunny to partially shaded place
  • heavy feeder
  • regular and sufficient watering
  • especially in July and August
  • Avoiding waterlogging
  • 14-day administration of organic fertilizers such as horn meal
  • also ideally suited nettle liquid manure
  • additionally water with yeast fertilizer
  • regular soil loosening
  • Apply a layer of mulch

Pumpkins (Cucurbita)

Hokkaido pumpkin
  • heavy feeder
  • nutrient and humus rich soil
  • good soil preparation
  • Incorporation of compost
  • warm, sunny, sheltered place
  • annual change of location
  • only plant every five years in the same place
  • water evenly
  • Mulching with dried lawn clippings or straw
  • 14-day fertilization alternately with nettle manure and yeast fertilizer

Leek (Allium porrum)
leek

  • humic and nutrient-rich, deep, moist soil
  • good soil preparation
  • enrich with compost
  • sunny to partially shaded place
  • regular soil loosening
  • water regularly
  • pile up
  • thereby shafts whiter and smoother
  • with winter leeks at the same time protection against freezing
  • every 2 to 4 weeks alternating administration of nettle manure and yeast fertilizer

Planting from P - R

Paprika (Capsisum annuum)

  • loose soil rich in nutrients and humus
  • good soil preparation
  • Incorporation of compost or horn meal
  • warm, sunny place
  • additional fertilization with nettle manure
  • from mid-June to the end of August
  • two to three times during this period
  • Mulching with dried lawn clippings
  • once a month administration of yeast fertilizer

Petunia (Petunia)

  • heavy feeder
  • popular balcony plant
  • special iron-rich petunia soil
  • pH 5.5 ideal
  • alternatively half normal potting soil and half bog soil
  • sunny, sheltered place
  • water copiously
  • Don't spray plants
  • clean regularly
  • Fertilize every 14 days
  • additional gift of baker's yeast

rose (pink)

  • loose, nutrient-rich, humus-rich, well-drained, loamy-sandy soil
  • sunny. airy place
  • water copiously during dry periods
  • Avoid waterlogging
  • Fertilize in March/April
  • further fertilization in late summer
  • Use of rose fertilizer
  • clean regularly
  • once a month yeast fertilization

Planting from S - T

Celery (Apium graveolens var. dulce)

  • heavy feeder
  • loose, humus-rich, moist, sandy to loamy, calcareous soil
  • good soil preparation
  • Incorporation of compost
  • sunny to partially shaded place
  • water regularly
  • water occasionally with potato water
  • 14-day administration of potassium
  • plus yeast fertilizer
  • several administrations of horn meal
  • nettle manure once a month
  • diluted 1:10 with water

Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum)

  • loose soil rich in nutrients and humus
  • good soil preparation
  • Incorporation of compost
  • Sunny place protected from wind and rain
  • water regularly
  • Avoiding waterlogging
  • 14-day administration of potassium

Notice: Yeast fertilizer should not be too strong. Half a teaspoon of baker's yeast in a liter of water is perfectly sufficient. Fertilization should always be done every 14 days, alternating with other organic fertilizers such as nettle manure.

Plants from U - Z

Lemon tree (Citrus x limon)

  • popular container plant
  • slightly acidic substrate
  • consisting of peat, compost and normal garden soil
  • Mix in expanded clay
  • Full sun, sheltered from wind and rain
  • outdoors in summer
  • water infrequently but pervasively
  • The layer of soil must have dried 3 cm deep
  • Avoiding waterlogging
  • needs a lot of nitrogen and phosphate
  • Fertilize with green plant fertilizer or special citrus fertilizer
  • before sprouting every two weeks
  • weekly from June to September
  • once a month yeast fertilization

Zucchini (Cucurbita pepo subsp. pepo convar. giromontiina)

  • heavy feeder
  • loose, humus-rich soil
  • good soil preparation
  • Incorporation of compost
  • sunny to partially shaded place
  • water sufficiently and thoroughly
  • Avoid waterlogging
  • Potassium fertilization promotes flowering
  • Fertilize every 14 days until harvest
  • additional administration of yeast fertilizer

Sweetcorn (Zea mays)

  • deep, nutrient- and humus-rich soil
  • Application of compost before sowing
  • 3 l compost and 70 g horn meal per m²
  • sunny place
  • ideal northern bed edge
  • so no shading of other plants
  • second dose of horn meal by mid-July
  • 70 g per m²
  • water when dry
  • Avoiding waterlogging
  • Mulching with dried lawn clippings and leaves
  • Give yeast fertilizer once a month

Notice: Orchids also love baker's yeast. They should be treated every two to three weeks before and during the flowering period. This stimulates growth and increases resistance. This generally applies to all indoor plants.

frequently asked Questions

Can you over-fertilize with baker's yeast?

No. The fertilizer is fully biological and there is only indirect fertilization. The plants do not immediately receive the nutrients, but they serve to feed the beneficial microorganisms living in the soil. These then decompose the ingredients present in the soil and make them available to the plants in the form of split nutrients.

Can baker's yeast only be applied via the irrigation water?

It is also possible to incorporate the baker's yeast directly into the soil. This is chopped up and spread evenly on the floor. It can either be worked in with a rake or it is dug under. The best time for this is autumn. In addition, the baker's yeast can also be added directly to the compost heap. The yeast fungi accelerate the formation of compost. Unused irrigation water with yeast should also end up on the compost.

Can baker's yeast also be used elsewhere in the garden?

In addition to being used as a fertilizer, it can also be used as a spray against pests and diseases. This requires 100 g of baker's yeast, 500 ml of milk, 10 l of water and 1 tablespoon of soft soap. The baker's yeast is crumbled in warm milk and then the warm water and soft soap are added. This allows the plants to be carefully hosed down. This mixture provides protection against late blight, gray mold and potato powdery mildew.

Category:

Garden maintenance