Fish emulsion

[The Zen Master]

Has anyone ever used fish emulsion on their lawn?

I mixed some up and poured it on my small patch of lawn and I cannot believe how green it is or how fast it is growing!

Is this a thing?

 

[treeguy]

Critter bait.

 

[The Zen Master]

There are no domestic or feral rodents around my place - they know better...

 

[Meadowlark]

I use it regularly in my veggie garden...onions, tomatoes, corn all thrive with fish emulsion.

Lawn? No, I have never understood the concept or need to encourage lawn grass to grow and have to mow more often. Never fertilize lawn around here.

 

[TomatoNut]

I have used fish emulsion as well, but only on flowers and veggies, never on my grass.

 

[The Zen Master]

I use it regularly in my veggie garden...onions, tomatoes, corn all thrive with fish emulsion.

Lawn? No, I have never understood the concept or need to encourage lawn grass to grow and have to mow more often. Never fertilize lawn around here.

I planted some Bermuda grass to fill in an area and fish fertilized it as an experiment - it works, really well! I have a very small lawn area so mowing it is very quick.

When I first moved in in November it was all dirt - I planted some "contractor's mix" and figured it would die as soon as the cool weather moved on. No idea what was IN the mix but, there is grass growing out there. Eventually would like it all to be Bermuda and then Rye in the winter.

 

[DirtMechanic]

There are some low N organics that help soil because they simply have more mass. Fish emulsion can be a lot of work since it is thinned and is more of the frequent water cycle type application. If the N is 5 the protein content of fish emulsion is apt to be 25 or 30%, but you apply a tablespoon or two per gallon and that does not last very long. Good for profit though.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

have used it in the past as a fertilizer . imagine it would be ok on the lawn also.

 

[DirtMechanic]

So 2 tbsp is an ounce but look as what little surface area is covered.

I have a front lawn approx 35k sf, so roughly 11 gallons for lawn grass. Its roughly 23 dollars including tax. So call it 250 to fertilize the yard once. And it lasts a short period. 2 weeks to 3 or even 4 weeks depending on rains and watering.

 

[treeguy]

Hey Dirt, that looks like expensive packaging! I buy a plastic bag with 5 lbs. for $6, repackaged by Uncle Luke's Feed Store, my local seller. I didn't ask what a regular size ~50 Lb.? bag would go for.

 

[DirtMechanic]

Hey Dirt, that looks like expensive packaging! I buy a plastic bag with 5 lbs. for $6, repackaged by Uncle Luke's Feed Store, my local seller. I didn't ask what a regular size ~50 Lb.? bag would go for.

It would be better if it was dry. This is a thick viscous liquid. Are you getting a dry formulation? I did not know they existed.

 

[treeguy]

It would be better if it was dry. This is a thick viscous liquid. Are you getting a dry formulation? I did not know they existed.

Fish meal, just what it sounds like, but maybe drier and more granular. I use it as a top dressing on my bonsai. I'm still new to using it so I can't comment intelligently.

 

[DirtMechanic]

Fish meal, just what it sounds like, but maybe drier and more granular. I use it as a top dressing on my bonsai. I'm still new to using it so I can't comment intelligently.

I am on it. Thanks for the tip. I looked at shrimp meal for chitin reasons as it related to supporting biology that would eat the chitin coverings of nematodes but never got to a dried fish fertilizer. I guess I presupposed it would take more energy to make and would be more expensive per lb of nutrients. There is that word "assume" again. I swear my parents mis-named me.

 

[Chuck]

I use it fairly often but I only use it on plants. One oz per gallon and each plant one pint and then water it in. I normally use it when some plants just don't look exactly right. I also use it in compost tea.

 

[DirtMechanic]

The industry as usual is all about buy more. I would appreciate some integrity. I may be bored this winter and come out with a proper 1 lb per 1k sf scale for N based on the published N of fish fert, but the analysis on other components comes first. N is way overrated. The frigging atmosphere is majority N.