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Homemade Fish Ferts/ Hydrolysate/ Emulsion

Hey folks, I'm new here and had done some searching in the past for a good recipe for a fish hydrolysate. I have seen a few threads here, most of which seem to be recipes for fish/ water/ ferment, done. I am an avid soft and hard water fisherman with a world class fishery in my "backyard". I found the idea of creating my own plant food with scraps of fish that I would normally toss to be very intriguing. After having done a fair amount of research and contemplating which method I hoped would give the biggest bang for my buck, I decided to try the one in this link: http://www.underwoodgardens.com/soil-building/best-homemade-fish-emulsion/#.U0beBqKv-XQ.
 
I pretty much followed the recipe exactly, with the exception of using my own whitefish scraps rather than the canned fish that he suggests. I added about one cup of dried kelp that i finely crushed for added trace elements (no fresh seaweed around here yet, only ice). An old neighbor of mine made cabinets for a living so I gave him a call and he was generous enough to give me 5 or 6 five gallon buckets worth of sawdust that I used as my base (WAY more than I needed but for one batch but now I have plenty for the future).  One could easily use dried leaves or clippings as a base instead. I cut the heads, guts, fins, skins, and bones into manageable size pieces for my Kitchen Aid blender, added some water until I ended up with a paste-like consistency. I then added everything, including about one cup of blackstrap  molasses to a 5 gallon bucket and filled with water 2-3 inches from the top. I had some screen laying around so I secured that to the top of the bucket to keep any flies out. I then placed the lid loosely on the bucket to help contain any odors.
 
I have read many people complaining about the smell while making the simple (but effective) water and fish combination. I have to say that to my great surprise, I have not experienced much of an odor at all. I attribute this to the half bucket of sawdust and the molasses. There was a bit of a pungent odor the first few days to a week, but only if sticking my nose right to the bucket. Since then, I have found the odor to be more of a "sweet" smell rather than anything else. This may also have something to do with the cooler temperatures we've had over the past few weeks. The fermentation otherwise is going great. I gently stir it once per day and have about 1-2 inches of thick foam on top. It is very much alive!
 
Other than buying the dried kelp ($5), this project's cost to me was zero dollars. I had the molasses already and everything else was just laying around. The sawdust was free, thanks Pete! Of course, it does not include what seems to be endless thousands of dollars crazy fisherman like me spend in gear, electronics, boats, etc. As stated in the link, however, it doesn't take fresh fish guts for a project like this. One can easily go to the grocery store of dollar store and get 10 tins of sardines and be well on your way!
 
After straining, I fully expect to get 3 gallons of this amazing homemade tea to be used as a drench, a foliar feed, and compost kick-starter. The left-over pulp will be used as the starter for the next batch.
 
I wasn't quite if to add this to an existing thread or not. Other than the fish and water combos, I wasn't able to find much regarding this topic. Compost teas thread perhaps? If I'm out of line, feel free to scold me for posting in the wrong area. Being new, I'll eventually figure it out. I'm interested to know if anyone has used this recipe or one similar and their opinions of the results and how it impacted their plants. Like I said this is a new method to me so any tips, tricks, or input would be greatly appreciated!
 
Edit: This solution needs to be diluted with water. If using as a soil drench, use 2-3 Tbl per gallon of water. 1 Tbl per gallon of water if being used as a foliar. 1/2 C per gallon if used in compost. This info is also included in the article itself.
 
OKGrowin said:
my only wonder would be how strong it was how would you know how much to dilute?
Good point, OK. I should have noted that in the initial post. This DOES need to be diluted. 2-3 Tbl per gallon as a drench and 1 Tbl per gallon of water as a foliar. I think I will edit the post and add the ratios, Thanks for bringing it to my attention!
 
Nice, I use literally fish poop that gets filtered out in my aquaponics system's swirl filter.  They're fed a diet ranging from vegetable/algae pellets and some pruned leaves to protein flakes to insects and worms (both wild caught and freeze dried).  I should do a ppm reading on it and see what I get next time I flush the filter.  Nice topic. :mouthonfire:
 
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