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What You Should Know Before Watering Your Plants With Milk
By MICHAEL ALEXANDER UCCELLO
While milk can’t quench a plant’s thirst like water, it can serve as a unique fertilizer that can also remedy garden issues like calcium deficiency, rot, viruses, and mildew.
Milk is highly concentrated with calcium, protein, vitamins, and sugars, which nourish plants to become big and strong. The milk can be fresh, expired, evaporated, or powdered.
A 100% milk regimen can lead to issues like mold growth due to sugar content or a bad smell as it decomposes, so use a diluted mix of half milk and half water.
A quart of milk nicely covers a 20 by 20-foot garden, while 5 gallons can be enough for an entire acre. You may encounter a post-milk application smell, but it’s only temporary.
If you only have small plants, use a spray bottle to prevent overwatering. Spray the soil as needed and then onto the foliage and remove any excess to prevent fungal problems.
It’s advisable not to mix chemical fertilizers and pesticides when supplementing with milk as it will upset the bacteria in the milk, which is needed to boost plant growth.
Not all plants react the same to milk, and some species may be particularly sensitive. Be sure to research how your specific plant might behave along with general care tips.