We recently posted on our Instagram about how to fertilize your plants with your period blood. Here at Pixie Cup, we are all about periods and period hacks and this was new to us! In light of the time of year and everyone starting and tending to their gardens, we did some digging. Quickly, we realized how popular this method was as a green-living ritual from feminists and plant lovers alike.
Is it ok to use period blood to fertilize your plants?
While studies haven’t been specifically done on it, we can look at the chemical breakdown of menstrual blood and see that some things make sense. Blood contains three primary plant macronutrients—nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. So, if you’re a gardener and menstrual cup enthusiast, you may want to try to use your next cycle to help your plants!
Nitrogen. Put simply, nitrogen promotes plant growth. It’s the star of the show and makes your plant bushy, leafy, and promotes growth! Nitrogen is part of every protein in the plant, so it’s required for virtually every process—from growing new leaves to defending against pests. Nitrogen is part of the chlorophyll molecule, which gives plants their rich green color and is involved in creating food for the plant through photosynthesis. Lack of nitrogen shows up as yellowing (chlorosis) of the plant.
Phosphorus. Phosphorus is responsible for transferring energy from one point to another in the plant. Energy from the stem can be transferred to the tips of the leaves with the help of phosphorus! It’s also critical in root development and flowering.
Potassium. Potassium helps regulate plant metabolism and affects water inside and outside of plant cells. It is important for good root development and for these reasons, potassium is critical to plant stress tolerance! When you repot a plant it disturbs the root system and can cause shock. Potassium helps the plant bounce back and re-establish its roots in the new soil and new pot.
Using a menstrual cup will make fertilizing your plants easier
If you want to give period blood fertilization a shot, using a menstrual cup will help make that easier! A menstrual cup is a cup-shaped device made of medical-grade silicone. It is inserted into the vaginal canal and creates a seal. It collects menstrual blood for up to 12 hours, safely. When you go to empty your menstrual cup, be sure to pinch the base or slide a finger up one of the sides to “break the seal” which makes removal quick and easy.
What if I use reusable menstrual pads?
Great point! We actually had a reader comment saying she did this exact thing. Soak your reusable menstrual pads in a bucket or container and use the liquid that comes from the soaking to fertilize your plants. This is a great method as it’s already diluted for you and ready to go. As a precaution, if you intend to use your soaking water on your plants, do not allow it to sit/soak for longer than a few hours. Bacteria can grow if left stagnant for too long.
PLEASE NOTE: You cannot soak a disposable pad. This is only for reusable period pads
HOW TO:
It’s not recommended to pour period blood directly onto the soil to fertilize your plants. The concentrated fluid could cause an odor as it dries and could attract insects. It’s best to dilute and make a watering solution! Empty your menstrual cup right into a half-gallon container and fill with water. This dilution is fit for daily watering. It’s also not an exact science so more water is fine too if you need to make it stretch to feed your garden!
PLEASE NOTE: menstrual blood should be used right away and not stored. It is a bodily fluid that contains bacteria and could become a hazard the longer it ages.
Maybe watering your plants with blood has a deeper meaning
More than nourishing plants, maybe this practice also nourishes women’s relationship to their periods. This is crucial because traditionally society has taught us that the natural, healthy experience of menstruation is embarrassing and a source of shame. We whisper for a tampon. We log our periods on a locked app on our phones. We apologize to our significant other for the “inconvenience.” Maybe using something from us to feed something else, connects us to ourselves and to the earth. Our periods are a perfect time to focus on self-care and adding gardening and tending to our plants could be a great addition.
Do you have a routine during your period? Do you think fertilizing your plants with your menstrual cup would be a good addition? Let us know if you have tried this before! If you don’t have a menstrual cup, head over to our store for a variety of styles and sizes.
I water my plants with my menstrual blood every month and my plants trhrive on it! I water my veggies and trees and rose bushes plants love it because it has so many nutrients in it! I’ve been practicing this for years and it makes me feel like my period is important and that I’m needed!
Diamond! This is so wonderful to hear! I personally have been doing it for about a year now and I will not use anything else. My plants are thriving and it does feel like I’ve giving back to the earth in some way. It’s pretty special. Thanks so much for the comment! Have a great summer.
I love this article! I don’t use a menstrual cup but I use reusable pads. I just rinse my pads out with water & use that to water my plants! I just started doing this so I haven’t noticed anything drastic yet but it does feel empowering & spiritual.
I use a very gentle non-toxic soap to wash my pads & rinse them twice before wearing so I’m not worried about unwanted toxins leaching into the water I use on my plants.
Hi Tiffany! Thanks so much for this feedback! I am going to add this tip to the blog post! I know there are many women who choose not to use a cup but could still benefit their plants if they use a reusable pad! Thanks again.
Apparently it’s advised to use blood as fresh as possible and diluted in water, I’d never even heard about it until half an hour ago n down the rabbit hole i went!
Absolutely! ♥️ I’ve been doing this for two years now and the results in my garden are amazing. I will continue to do so, I love the feeling of giving back to the earth, when the earth give us so much.
Hi Camilla! Thanks so much for the comment and the support! We are thrilled you’ve been doing this trick too! 🙂
I have just started using my period blood too on my veggie garden. I did it on a whim thinking what a waste if we put blood and bone on our garden. I use reusable pads and was soaking them in a plastic tub. I left them for an hour which apparently it’s advised to use soon after leaving your body. It’s the first time I’ve done this so not sure of results yet. But checked my garden this morning and they seemed a little happier. It’s a nice feeling knowing I’m not wasting anything and connecting myself to the earth. Well done for the life hacks you give pixie family. I appreciate them as I do you.
New methods to try. Thank you for sharing gardening tips and hacks like this. Truly helpful to all gardeners. Keep sharing more gardening tips.
can you add a preservative to the menstrual fluid to add to community gardens to prevent insects. Also can you dye it with a coupla drops of blue ot green “food” coloring?
I asked about preservatives or food coloring b/c i want to assist with community gardens for the elderly anf have something to “put up” for new flowers. I will only reveal the source after people say how well the veggies grow and tatse.
You can add the menstrual fluid to any fertilizer you are wanting to use!