Fish fertilizer for plants is gradually becoming a global demand. Back in the days, American natives will deliberately bury dead fish on their fields to enhance the fertility of the soil before planting. Fish fertilizer improves crop yield whiles maintaining the soil quality.
How to make fish fertilizer for plants
Here is simple and quick guide on how to make fish emulsion fertilizer for your crops. Fish emulsion fertilizer can be made with fish bio-waste from industries all whole fish gone bad at home. The results of this DIY fish fertilizer is in two form the solid waste which can be recycled and the final part which makes the fish emulsion fertilizer or fish liquid fertilizer.
Things you need to make fish emulsion fertilizer at home DIY.
The table below, displays the items you will need to make a fish emulsion fertilizer at home. A substitute of unsulfured molasses is included in case you don’t have access to unsulfured molasses.
| 1. | Fish product. (canned fish waste, fish bio-waste from factories or fish waste from kitchens) |
| 2. | Unsulfured molasses. A perfect substitute for unsulfured molasses can be made by mixing 1 cup dark corn syrup, honey, or maple syrup. 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar. 3/4 cup granulated sugar, plus 1/4 cup water |
| 3. | An appreciable amount of water depending on the quantity you have. |
| 4. | A sizeable bucket per the quantity of fish bio-waste. |
| 5. | Bucket lit with perforation (holes) for air circulation. |
| 6. | Strainer or a sieve to separate the solid components. |
| 7. | Decomposing enhancer like sawdust, or wood ash. |
| 8. | Hand cloves and a stirrer. |
Step by step how to make fish emulsion fertilizer at home
Making a fish fertilizer for plants at home is not a hard process. Follow the step below and observe the given time carefully to get the best results.
| Step 1. | Mix equal quantity of fish bio-waste to same quantity of sawdust or wood ash. |
| Step 2. | Add 1 Cup of unsulfured molasses or the substitute. (1 cup dark corn syrup, honey, or maple syrup. 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar. 3/4 cup granulated sugar, plus 1/4 cup water) |
| Step 3. | Add water to fill the bucket. |
| Step 4. | Mix thoroughly until you see an even mixture. |
| Step 5. | Cover the mixture with the buck lid. That is it for the whole mixture. |
| Step 6. | Whiles air enter and escape, you must stir daily for the next two (2) weeks. |
| Step 7. | After two (2) weeks of stirring, sieve with the strainer to separate the solid part. |
| Step 8. | Solid parts can be used for another concentration by adding a cup of unsulfured molasses. |
Making fish fertilizer for plants at home gives you the opportunity to decide its concentration as compared to the store bought fish emulsion fertilizer where they have instructions to dilute if highly concentrated. Now, how do you apply fish fertilizer on plants.
How to apply homemade fish fertilizer on plants
Fish fertilizer can be applied on plants and lawns by using a spray bottle, knapsack sprayer and a watering can. Its best to apply the fish fertilizer early in the morning so it gets absorbed by afternoon.
Sizeable spray bottles can be used when applying fish fertilizer for indoor plants. It makes it easy to target the base of the plant.
For garden crops, you can use the watery can to apply fish fertilizer on tomatoes, pepper, legumes, and others. You can spray the leaves but it is effective when you apply at the base for quick absorption.
Fish fertilizer can also be used in fertilizing lawns. For the size of lawns, the knapsack sprayer is the best option to apply the fertilizer. This makes the application faster, and also does not waste the fish fertilizer.
Fish fertilizer benefits
If you are looking for reasons to use fish fertilizer instead of synthetic fertilizer, these are environmental benefits of fish fertilizer.
1) Flora and Fauna friendly
Unlike most synthetic fertilizer that are not friendly to soil microorganisms, fish fertilizer serve as nutrient not for plants only but also enhances the growth of the soil microbe to increase metabolic activities. This results in making the soil free from compacting due to microbes activities, hence, crops increase in growth and yield.
2) Increase organic matter
Fish fertilizer when applied to the soil attracts more microbes. They feed, reproduce and release waste which adds up to the organic matter plants absorbs as nutrient. Also, the presence of microbe aids in breaking down organic materials in the soil.
3) Less expensive
If you want to cut down the cost in producing crops, fertilizer cost can be reduced by using this step by step guide in making fish fertilizer for plants from fish bio-waste which can collect at free of charge. It takes two 2 weeks to get a batch of fish fertilizer ready for your crops.
4) Source of major nutrients
Fish fertilizers provide burn-free nitrogen as well as the other major nutrients phosphorus and potassium. Unlike synthetic alternatives.
Fish waste management
This article was inspired by two circumstance, first it was the shortage of synthetic fertilizer which resulted to the alternative, the use of organic biodegradable components as mineral supplement for plant growth. Due to economic crisis in most countries, fertilizer prices have shot high and not accessible not to even think about fertilizer affordability.
The other circumstance is an innovation study by local student in reducing gas emission from fish waste at the fish harbor. So what happens to the fish waste, decompose, bag and recycle fish compost on crop fields.
According to science research, fish bio-waste, although being a natural contaminant, has the power to impact oxygen levels, salinity, temperature, pH levels, and the total quantity of life in marine water. The entry of this garbage also has an impact on the food webs of neighboring marine ecosystems, especially when considerable volumes are present.
As we discussed in our previous article on how to start fish farming in your backyard, this article can assist you to make good use of fish waste after harvest. Natural produce have long chain of recycling, to some it is a waste, however, other can add value to that waste. Here is how to recycle coffee grounds.
Source:PoultryABC.com
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