In the era of COVID-19, gardening has grown in popularity. Families are embracing the bounty of a lush victory garden as they take in some fresh air and enjoy a refreshing distraction in nature. A pristine, green lawn is a point of pride for those spending a lot of time at home. Tending to the land or to roomy planters filled with plump veggies and aromatic herbs brings great happiness. Plus, according to the National Gardening Survey, most adults garden as a way to stay busy, keeping stress at bay. Avid gardeners will say that you don't need a survey for those facts. Gardening is a refreshing hobby, one that brings relaxation and personal fulfillment.

You certainly don't want your garden to cause you stress. Weak plants, brown tips and dull leaves are frustrating developments after all of that digging and planting. After purchasing and planting hardy seedlings, taking great care in spacing and watering, it's important to keep them healthy through proper fertilization.

*Should You Make Your Own Fertilizer or Purchase a Ready-Made Bag?

Making your own fertilizer can be a low-cost endeavor if you use grass clippings, coffee grounds, bananas and other organic materials you have on hand. When you begin composting, though, you may want to make some initial investments on a compost bin, pitchfork and compost additives. So, the cost will probably even out when you're comparing purchased and do-it-yourself fertilizers. Some bags of branded fertilizer can be on the pricy side, depending on where you get it. "After the initial layout of money for the compost bin and assorted tools, over time, we really were creating great fertilizer for free," says Deanna Kline, home gardener.

*How Do You Get Started Making Fertilizer?

"While composting is not a difficult activity by any means, it does require a basic understanding of how and why organic materials break down," says green living blogger and author Sophie Uliano. "In order to decompose plant matter, microbes and beneficial bacteria, you need four key ingredients: carbon, nitrogen, water and air."

"Carbon is released by what (are called) 'brown' materials," including dead leaves, dry twigs and thin cardboard such as toilet paper rolls, paper and lint. "Nitrogen is released by 'green' materials," such as damp grass clippings, vegetable and fruit waste from the kitchen, coffee grounds and other organic matter.

Keep your compost bin or lidded buckets at 3 parts brown carbon to 1 part green nitrogen. Add water to moisten the pile when you add new organic matter, and regularly turn your pile to encourage worms, beetles, bacteria and other organisms to do the work for you.

*Is There an Easier Way?

An easier way to learn composting is to take an inexpensive, in-person composting course through your local adult education center or through a garden center that offers classes. Some classes are free. Community centers may offer the opportunity to volunteer your time in building and maintaining the compost pile on the center's property, and you will then get first dibs on taking a share of the compost.

If you do wish to invest in all of the products and materials you will need to set up your own compost bin, take the time to first view YouTube tutorials and blogs. Your garden center will be an excellent free resource for finding the best online material, as their staff is invested in helping you become the best gardener you can be. Staffers will often watch tutorials on their own and are well-versed in the best online experts.

There are also excellent books on green living and gardening, which will have standout material on how to make fertilizer and what to look for on fertilizer packages to help you troubleshoot and prevent your own gardening challenges.

Home gardeners usually combine several points of expertise through books, online resources and in-person guidance to give their garden investments the best chance at turning out wonderfully.

Gardening edibles, from vegetables to fruits to herbs, is a growing trend in this era when food supply is important, and people enjoy the idea of knowing where their food comes from and how it's grown. "Growing is an activity that we all can do together," says home gardener Ari Henry. "My little ones love playing in the dirt; my older kids love the science aspect of composting; and my husband just likes being able to pick a fresh, plump tomato or pepper off the vine. Plus, we're not paying for most of the food we grow, and we can share or donate extras. With good compost, we get a lot of extras."