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Thunderbay,Ontario

anyone know how long I should let the fish rot in the water?

5/24/2012 3:30:51 PM

Hinckley MN

EWWW! do a search for fish fertilizer and you should find some posts. at least one guy makes his own fresh fish fertilizer in a blender.

5/24/2012 4:54:02 PM

Minnesota

I make my own version of it, I put maybe a third of a pound, chopped up, blend with water, strain, mix with 5 gallons of water, plants like it. I have read you should let it sit for 2 weeks. I just blend it instead of letting it decompose. I bought my used blender used only for blending up fish from a unique store or used goods store for 10 dollars.

5/24/2012 7:09:17 PM

Taylorsville, California

Be VERY careful using a fresh fish slurry Dude, if you have any animals(wild or domestic) around they will dig, trample,& create havoc in your patch trying to get to that fish they smell. I'd recommend against it unless it is your only option. IMO you are best off burying the fish down at least a foot in your patch, not too close to plants. Check the Internet for a how to on decomposing it into a usable liquid, there are a few ways to do it. Fresh fish poured into your patch is a recipe for disaster; like chumming in every bear,coon,fox,dog,cat,coyote,possum, and whatever else is nearby, not real good for the plants;)

5/25/2012 11:34:45 AM

Central Minnesota

I also would not use Fresh Fish. We bury fish heads up at our cabin near the garden and no matter how deep we bury them, something digs them up. Skunks LOVE them but so does just about everything else. I put a Trail Camera out to see what was digging them up and you name it (Dogs, Cats, Fox, Coyote, Skunk, Bears, Raccoon and Bobcat) We had it all. No chance I would use fresh fish, ever, even in my enclosed patch at home.

5/25/2012 11:47:08 AM

Thunderbay,Ontario

I went smelt fishing about a month ago I cleaned 10gal and put 5gal into a barrel with 20gal of water..smelt is a very oily fish and small so it will decompose fast I am thinking maybe a year..anyone think year old fish will still bring the animals?

5/25/2012 12:00:31 PM

Torrance, Ca.

I sure am lucky I live in the big city.

5/25/2012 3:18:21 PM

Sourthern Utah

actually after decomposition is ran thru a steaming proccess,, ,, but that something i read,, about ,,

5/25/2012 3:25:11 PM

Taylorsville, California

Dude- papain(enzyme in papaya) can be added to your mix of fish & water to help enzymatically digest the slurry. A ph of 5 is optimal for the papain to work it's magic so you may have to add phosphoric acid to bring it down, ascorbic acid will also work. Using an enzyme like papain helps prevent putrifucation and create a more stable finished product. I've also heard of adding sugar & or molasses to the slurry to help it ferment faster without the enzymes added. Fish naturally have enzymes & bacteria that will help "digestion" without added enzymes but they vary in each fish, & some could possibly be harmful to your plants, although unlikely.

5/26/2012 1:31:02 PM

Upa Creek, MO

Ask Luca Brazzi, I hear he is an expert on fishes.

5/26/2012 2:04:18 PM

Minnesota([email protected])

A friend of mine had a major skunk problem, when his neighbor buried the remains fish not too far from his house.

5/26/2012 2:54:40 PM

Minnesota

I think my way is better, it is a little more trouble to make but it is better. The store bought emulsion and hydroslyte has chemicals added to it so it does not explode on the shelfs, other wise it would not keep. I also add a teaspoon of dehydrated sea water per gallon and foliar to my liquid fish and teaspoon per gallon of seaweed. seaagri.com seawater has every trace mineral trace mineral known, even gold. Farmers fields are all leached out of minerals from years of use, people are afraid to use it because they think it is all sodium, table salt, they are wrong, the site is worth a look.

5/26/2012 6:43:42 PM

Taylorsville, California

Rich- your missing the point that fresh fish draws in unwanted animal activity. Watch out giving advice that is gonna create more problems than help in the patch for newer growers, don't need to recreate the wheel! Plenty of very quality fish ferts out there that won't putrify and bring in animals. That seaagri is interesting stuff Rich, worth a try on your maters. As far as our AG patches, most of us use large amounts of manure compost which usually has a moderate to high salt content from animal urine so adding extra sodium isnt something we are looking for,, and our soil isn't a farmers field leached of nutrients, usually supercharged, overmucked turbo soil in an AG patch;). Listen to the HHs and growers with success every year Rich, these guys know their stuff. Proven methods & products with proven results

5/27/2012 12:14:17 PM

Minnesota

O'K Austin, When I use my liquid fish there is no fish parts to burry, and it is masked with compost, manure, molasses when I apply it as a drench. Just telling how I make my own fert!

5/27/2012 4:45:58 PM

West Manchester, OH

i will be making my own fish emulsion again this year. But i also have been burying (roughly 3ft deep) old baits from last year and when i clean fish for my Commercial fishing... Theres always a chance of animals but ive found my Yellow Lab helps keep them in check

5/28/2012 10:41:34 AM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

I can only use fish ferts while the plants are young and in the hoophouses due to the high number of skunks and racoons that are attracted to the smell and dig the heck out of the pumpkin patch looking for a meal.

If you want to use fish emulsion it is better to stick to the professionally made products that are processed in the proper way to reduce smell and animal attractants.

5/28/2012 12:05:54 PM