The Frugal Homemaker

(This is a sponsored post by  Central Garden & Pet.  See full disclosure statement below.)

It is Spring and hopefully you are enjoying getting some yard work done.  We have had some gorgeous days, and I am loving it!  I need to do a post and update you on some progress in the yard but today we are going to talk about some other plants – HOUSEPLANTS!

I love houseplants almost as much I do having flowers in my yard.  For one because I get to see and enjoy them a lot more since we are indoors a lot.  Houseplants are a great way to add some color and life to your décor as well as a good way to keep the air in your home healthy and clean.

So when Central Garden & Pet sent me the next product they wanted me to try out, I knew exactly what I was going to do with it.   Alaska Fish Fertilizer 5-1-1 is an all-purpose deodorized fish emulsion and can be used on all types of indoor and outdoor plants.   Yep, it is made of fish!  If you think back to what you learned in elementary school, remember how the Indians taught the Pilgrims how to catch and then add fish into the holes that they were planting their corn to make it grow better?  This is the same type idea!!  It contains nutrient rich fish and kelp plant food which enriches the soil, and enhances the strength and vigor of plants.

Alaska® Fish and Kelp Fertilizers are highly effective, natural organic alternatives to synthetic fertilizers.   I loved that they were a NATURAL choice since I was going to using this indoors where we and our cat would be exposed to it.

Here’s my houseplants all drug outside.   See, this is what I didn’t tell you.  I highly neglect my houseplants .  Oh, I water them once or twice a week, but other than that I don’t do anything to them.  And you can definitely tell that my lack of care is taking its toll on some of them.

Here’s the smaller plants.

I love to watch at garden centers (especially Wal-mart garden center) for clearance plants.  I pick up most of my plants this way.

My plants may look ok, but let’s take a closer look.  Yep, this what the roots of the plant on the left look like.  It had gotten tipped over and the dirt was loose so the dirt got all vacuumed up and all that was left was the root ball.  Yet this plant has stayed alive and green for days weeks.

And my tropical palm tree was really starting to see better days – was starting to yellow and droop.  No wonder why??

It is 2-3 years old and I have NEVER repotted it… and you can tell.

So I had some work to do with these plants before I could even start to use the Alaska Fish Fertilizer.  I repotted this palm tree into a much bigger pot and gave it lots of fresh potting soil.

And I also added new soil to the other plants as well.

Then came time to water.  The instructions on the Alaska Fish Fertilizer say to use 2 teaspoons per quart of water.  It is a thick liquid that you pour into the water and then make sure to stir it well.  And you can reapply it every few weeks.

I do have to say… this is made of FISH.   And I am sure you know what fish smell like, much less DEAD fish.  It in no way smelled completely like dead fish but there was a definite fishy type scent to it.  But that smell went away quickly.

I made up 8-9 of those pitchers and watered all my houseplants and my outdoor potted plants with this.  And I barely used any of the bottle since it is such a strong concentrate.

I have always wanted to show you how I use houseplants in my home and in my décor so today you get a peek into where I put them back into my house.  And they sometimes move around my house just like other décor depending on what areas I am working on decorating or where they look best.

This little guy is on my entryway dresser on a tray right now.

This small potted plant usually stays behind my sink to add some color.

The larger peace lily is on the landing on my stairs and the smaller one is in my dining room.

This Janet Craig Dracaena plant is on my hearth right now but it usually is on a nightstand upstairs.

And this little guys is by the bathroom sink upstairs.

I am hoping that my palm tree will perk back up with his new soil and with the help of the fertilizer too.

I will definitely be using the Alaska Fish Fertilizer throughout the summer on my plants to keep them fertilized and get them back to looking nice and green and healthy.  It will be really easy to just add it in to my pitcher and water my plants as normal.

I have created a Pinterest board to document all things home and garden this spring and summer.  You can find that board and follow or repin from it here and even create your own Home and Garden board on Pinterest.  (Share the link to your board or Pinterest profile in the comments and I will come follow you!)

Now here’s the fun part, you have the chance to win a $25 gift card!  Use it to buy some houseplants to add to your home, some soil or pots to repot the ones you already have (ahem!), some fertilizer for your yard or plants, or whatever you heart desires.

Here’s how to enter:

This giveaway will be run through the Rafflecopter widget below.  If you are reading this post through email or reader you will need to click here to be taken to the actual blog post to enter.

You MUST answer the question given in the widget and leave your answer in  blog post comment for any entry to count – that is a MANDATORY ENTRY. Giveaway closes Thursday, May 23rd at midnight and winner will be notified.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure Statement
Central Garden & Pet partnered with bloggers such as me to help educate us all about their products. As part of this program, I received compensation. They did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about the use of the products. Central Garden & Pet believes that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. Central Garden & Pet’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations. A winner will be chosen by random and gift card fulfillment will be handled by a third party.