How to Use Fish Emulsion

How to use fish emulsion is so easy to do if you know how! There are 2 incredible options for an organic way to add nutrients to plants. Buying fish emulsion in a bottle, or making it yourself!

In my opinion, fish emulsion is probably one of the leading, most effective, and environment-friendly fertilizers out there. First, it benefits the plants naturally. 

Second, it’s safe for the environment. Lastly, the best part about fish emulsion is I can make my own! After making the fertilizer, it’s also easy to use, apply, and store for future uses.

How Does Fish Emulsion Fertilizer Work?

The primary focus of a fish emulsion fertilizer is boosting nitrogen in a foliar feed. The organic garden fertilizer provides an NPK ratio of 4-1-1, which is incomparable to most homemade and even commercial fertilizers made. Organic farmers who grow food commercially use this natural alternative to man-made toxic chemicals.

Many homesteaders who grow their own produce for their families use fish emulsion instead of putting chemical fertilizers on their food. I was taught that the first settlers would bury fish in the ground before planting. I am sure this is still done today. It has been around for a very long time and still works today.

This is a container, self-wicking system (picture above) that benefits from manure tea and fish emulsion fertilizer. Want to know the benefits of this system and how to make it? Check out Easy Container Gardening in 7 Types of Planters.

Growing Gourds for Birdhouses, In Containers and for Profit is my post, on the benefits of growing gourds, but I like to use fish emulsion during the growing process causing them to grow more abundantly.

Is Fish Emulsion Fertilizer Good for All Plants?

Yes. In fact, this is the primary reason organic farmers around the world use fish emulsion fertilizer in their business. The nitrogen content from the fertilizer helps in boosting plant capacity, and the ability to generate food on their own.

Don’t forget every garden needs compost. Making Compost Naturally into Garden Soil is a perfect read, I think you should try it! Be sure you save your eggshells, they’re excellent for composting! Just read about it in the Many Incredible Uses for Eggshells.

What Does Fish Emulsion Do for Plants?

I have many green vegetables in the garden. I find this is the best organic fertilizer because of the nitrogen content. Vegetables, just like any green plant, need to produce food. Another reason I believe it is the best is that plants need to emit oxygen during their food generation processes.

Did you know that plants in garden boxes and containers need more fertilizer than those planted in the ground?

Evidently, the fish emulsion fertilizer has immense benefits for the environment. The fact that plants benefit means there is no bad effect on the soil by using it. Actually, the high nitrogen content from the fertilizer helps in balancing bacteria and moisture content in the soil. Therefore, there are more benefits to the homestead with consistent use of this fertilizer.

Homemade Fertilizer vs Commercial Fertilizer

Fish emulsion fertilizer can be homemade or commercial. There are benefits in each case; some people find the homemade process daunting and opt for commercial fertilizer. One of the benefits of homemade fish emulsion is flexibility in nutrient contents. You are free to change the nutrient components to match your garden goals.

Commercial fish emulsion fertilizers are often made from selected fish parts; this is unlike homemade fish emulsion fertilizers where you can use the whole fish hence more protein and less bone. Homemade emulsions also have less oil, which makes them the best for plant growth. There are almost zero effects on the soil when using fish emulsion.

Another distinguishing factor of homemade and commercial fish emulsion is bacteria content. Fungi and bacteria are crucial for soil quality with respect to plant growth. The two are responsible for disease control and hot composting among other elements that enhance plant growth.

Making the fertilizer from home means the availability of microorganisms that are not threatened by any chemicals; the organic techniques ensure all fungi and bacteria remain in actionable form when it reaches the garden.

The Smell of Fish Emulsion Fertilizer

The fish emulsion does have a strong smell that most people find unpleasant. The homemade version has an even stronger smell and is probably the reason why some people opt for the premade stuff.

When I am making fish emulsion at home, it means I have to deal with the whole process of removing and disposing of some nasty contents in fish; which are necessary for fungal and bacteria content in the fertilizer.

Also, the fact that fertilizer is renowned because of its high bacteria content means high microorganisms content thus the smell. If you opt for homemade fish emulsion, which is highly recommended, make sure you consult the experts and use specific measurements to avoid over-concentration of the fertilizer.

Before applying it to my garden, I must first dilute the fertilizer with pure water. Typically, the mixture rate is 1 gallon of water with 1-2 tablespoons of the emulsion. While the concentration level also depends on how much I apply to the plants, diluting is still necessary.

Fish emulsion is suitable for outdoor plants because of the smell; while it will be effective with indoor plants, you might not be able to withstand the smell. I do use a diluted version of fish emulsion in my houseplants. I opt for bedtime or in the morning if I am gone for a few hours for the smell to dissipate.

How to Apply Fish Emulsion Fertilizer

When I apply fish emulsion, I pour the mixture of water and fertilizer into a spray bottle and spray it on the leaves. The leaves can withstand high concentrations, unlike the roots. When spraying the base of plants, the fertilizer should be well diluted.

After spraying the fertilizer, I thoroughly water the plant to help it take up the emulsions. Absorption from the soil cannot be effective on dry soil hence the importance of consistent and thorough watering.

Powder Fertilizers Versus Liquid Fertilizers

Fish emulsion liquid is better than the powder version because of the absorption rate according to most people. While thorough watering can still help in quick absorption of the fertilizer, liquids mix a lot faster hence easier absorption. It is also easier to spray liquid than apply powder.

There is an option of buying the fish emulsion from a local store, but homemade is more recommended. With commercial fish emulsions, you can never be sure of the contents used; some companies may use only selected parts such as the fish head, fishtail, or even cooked fish in the production process.

With homemade fish emulsions, I can maximize the fish by ensuring bacteria/fungi are in proportionate amounts.

Directions for Making Fish Emulsion Fertilizer

• Half fill a 5-gallon bucket with composted manure, composted leaves, or chicken house sawdust
• Use locally caught fish if able if not…..
•  5 to 10 cans of Sardines in fish oil;  you can buy the cheapest
• A handful of Epsom salts
• Fill rest with water
• Cover the bucket and drill holes with a lid to allow airflow
• Consistently stir the mixture for 14-30 days
• Optional: add a no-brand bottle of blackstrap molasses this helps with the smell, but it mostly feeds the emulsion as yeast does to water when making bread
• If you want to give it a whisk, I use a long 32-inch drywall mud mixer that attaches to our drill used for mixing spackle
• Remove the fish parts and use the liquid like the commercial fish emulsion

Once I strain the fish, I start the process over again, resulting in a much weaker version. That “fish tea” still works; it just doesn’t have to be diluted as much. This weak tea is great for house plants.

I have made my own fish emulsion as well as manure tea and I have to say, it’s worth it. Smelly, but worth it! We made both kinds in a 5-gallon bucket and added a spigot for easy pouring into a bottle.

Are you interested in making your own manure tea? Check out my post How to Make Manure Tea in 2 Ways! Trust me, your plants will absolutely love it! I use both of them mostly in my container gardening water-wicking system, but also in my Oyas and Ollas Made with 2 Clay Pots and my Hugelkultur Raised Beds That Are Amazingly Easy to Build.

Making a Ready-Made Fertilizer Solution

I am always shopping at thrift stores for a good buy. Recently, I found a few glass-gallon “sweet tea” containers. I have chosen one of the containers to house my ready-mix fertilizer solution for my indoor plants. Winter is approaching and I usually do not like to use fish emulsion during the winter.  I came up with a win-win solution. I am making a fish and worm solution.

How to Make Fish Emulsion Fertilizer for Indoor Plants

• Fill a glass container with almost a gallon of filtered water
• Add a 1/4 cup of fish emulsion
• 1 cup of worm castings
• Stir well and that’s it, ready-made plant fertilizer

The solution may not look appetizing to most, but since I do not have house guests, it suits me fine on the porch. It may be covered with a towel if you so choose. Since it’s a weak solution, my plants get fed every watering with some of the fertilizer. I don’t gauge it, I just wing it. Some will get all fertilizer, others will receive part fertilizer and part filtered water.

More Valuable Garden Links

It’s Springtime and you know what that means! Time to plant those seeds, and if you haven’t gotten your seeds yet, here is a tip! Dollar Tree is the best place you can go! 5 Shocking Reasons To Buy Dollar Tree Seeds will tell you exactly why they have the best seeds but have no fear! Once you get your seeds, let me help you with your Seed Organization In 6 Amazingly Simple Ways!

When you start your seed babies, make sure you read into it because let me tell you, Vermiculite Vs Perlite is a complete gardening game changer!

Interested in more gardening tips and tricks? Visit 12 Gardening Tips for Beginners to learn the basics needed to plant your own garden!

Vertical Gardens for Small Spaces is also beneficial, and gives you the opportunity to plant a garden with minimal space needed!

Need some ideas on what to grow this year in your garden? 11 Great Plants to Regrow From Cuttings is all you need! If you prefer to grow some cut flowers, check out The Best 15 Cut Flowers to Grow!

Now that you’ve grown your garden, a couple of key factors to make your bounty last longer that would be beneficial would be Methods of Drying Herbs and Dehydrate Food Naturally Using a Dehydrator. These methods allow you to keep what you have grown all year round for your enjoyment!

Have you ever wondered how to manage garden pests naturally? Check out the ways I use DE in my garden and home for fleas and natural living

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