Make your own liquid fertilisers

[sunflower]

I found this thread very interesting. I have all kinds of weeds/leaves/etc in my yard. If I ever get everything raked up, maybe I can start a compost pile or enough to make a liquid fertilizer. What kind of container would you use and do you keep it covered? And obviously you do it outside, correct?

 

[maddie]

You can turn food scraps into liquid fertilizer; it's called bokashi. I am still learning about it, but hoping to try it out soon. Unlike compost, you can use all scraps, including meat (not that I would).

ChanellG, If you use food scraps and meat the smell will be unbearable. I live in an apartment and that would cause a major rift at home and in the neighborhood. LOL
I might want to read up about bokashi. I will Google it up when I have some spare time. Thank you

 

[zigs]

Hmm, interesting, but I can't quite believe that "Anerobic" & "No Smells" can be used in the same sentence

http://www.leangreenhome.co.uk/bokashi/bokashi-explained/

Would like to hear from someone who's tried it first.

 

[zigs]

Sunflower, yes i'd keep it covered otherwise you'll get rat tailed maggots living in it.

 

[ChanellG]

ChanellG, If you use food scraps and meat the smell will be unbearable. I live in an apartment and that would cause a major rift at home and in the neighborhood. LOL
I might want to read up about bokashi. I will Google it up when I have some spare time. Thank you

No, you do it in a bucket and they claim there is no smell. It's a whole kit that you get, but I have found some people online with info on how to make your own starter material. There is also a thing called an earth pot you can put all those same kinds of scraps as well as pet waste in that you leave outdoors, but I would be worried about animals digging under it.

Hmm, interesting, but I can't quite believe that "Anerobic" & "No Smells" can be used in the same sentence

http://www.leangreenhome.co.uk/bokashi/bokashi-explained/

Would like to hear from someone who's tried it first.

I am guessing the no smell component comes into play because you fill the bucket and put a lid on it. I would suggest putting scraps in the fridge and freezer and then when you have enough fill the bucket and leave the lid on for the two weeks it takes.

 

[maddie]

Thanks Chanell. I will not get too lazy, I will Google some info and read it up. I appreciate the response. I may not have to worry about animals digging under. It is only the smell that might emanate which worries me.

 

[maddie]

I have been putting banana peels, vegetable peels, egg shells and coffee grounds through an old meat blender. I leave it in a earthen pot and add some dry leaves to them . I then threw a handful of compost into it and the thing doesn't smell. I mean it. I am told I could use it for my plants in ten to twenty days. Awesome ins't it? I am so glad that I am using up all my kitchen waste this way.

 

[gwydion]

I know pigs can eat acorns, as they were turned out to eat them to stop other livestock getting ill from them.

Native Americans probably washed the flour under running water as the would with Chestnut flour.

Acorns are safe to eat as long as you leach the tannins from them. Some species of oak have high-tannin acorns others have low-tannin types. You need to grind and then soak for at least a week in many changes of water to leach the tannins out. Then taste them to check, roast to dry and then grind to flour.

The edibility of comfrey depends on the species. All comfrey contain the toxic compounds pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) that can cause liver damage. Common comfrey (Symphytum officinale) is typically safe in small amounts. The occasional fritter will not kill you and if you only have comfrey once a week and it's not the main focus of the meal that's OK.

As a liquid fertilizer, comfrey is high in potassium and is brilliant for tomatoes and chili plants. I tend to make my liquid fertilizer in an old, covered, water butt and I mix comfrey with nettles. It stinks, but the plants thrive on it.

 

[ChanellG]

You can make feed out of almost any plant material, except pine needles, which contain a growth inhibitor. Trouble is, it will smell. Which might not be appreciated in the middle of a City.

Zigs, in what way are pine needles a growth inhibitor? They are so commonly used for mulch and something I read recently suggested using them in the soil when repotting poinsettias. I just mulched my blueberry bush with some and covered them with a layer of compost. They are supposed to be good for tomatoes and plants that like acidity.

 

[zigs]

Composted pine needles have an ideal ph for most plants, its just that when they are fresh they contain Terpinols, the oils that give pine & Christmas trees that distinctive smell.

Terpinols are short lived and volatile so once the smell has gone then its fine to use. If you used pine needles in a liquid feed though, they would probably leach out into the feed and could cause poor growth and prevent seed germination.

I'm more used to answering questions about "what can I grow under my pine trees?" in that situation the ground would be full of it.

 

[ChanellG]

The pine Needles I have are already brown and dried, but that's good to know about the green ones. I will have to tell my mother about this so she can keep an eye out in her garden. The tree is in the neighbor's yard near house. There is an ancient, massive oak at the far end. Based on the size I wouldn't be surprised if it were 100 years old or more.

Incidentally, what does grow well under a pine tree?

 

[zigs]

You might like a look at this Chanell,

http://wbrc.org.uk/atp/Estimating Age of Oaks - Woodland Trust.pdf

Ancient trees are very special over here, most of them have preservation orders on them.

You can grow stuff under pines, but its a bit of a battle. The surface roots usually form a tight mass and its very dry. Best to put down some Geotex and build a raised bed, you need to water a lot more than you would normally till plants get established.

The tree will know there is an extra source of water & will try to put roots into the new soil, hence the Geotex.

Woodland plants like Hellebores, Wood Anenomies, Cyclamen, Lungwort, Primroses, Periwinkle etc. should do ok, but you'll need to clear fallen needles off the new bed.

Keep the bed clear of the trunk though

Here's an ancient Oak from my College.

 

[ChanellG]

Ancient trees are very special over here, most of them have preservation orders on them...

You can grow stuff under pines, but its a bit of a battle...

Here's an ancient Oak from my College...

Wow, that is an amazing tree! It reminds me of one at City Park here. You could practically live in the thing! There's another here in Audubon Park that may be about that size as well. I'll have to go by and photograph it. People have nicknamed the tree grandmother or something like that.

The neighbor pine is a few feet from the fence, but the needles get everyplace, and there are pine cones scattered about as well. I read somewhere that you could mulch with those also. Mom or the tenants will just have to be diligent about clearing them off of anything that doesn't like fresh pine.

 

[Lanie]

I recently read an article on how to make liquid fish emulsion fertilizer. Apparently you fill a large bucket with leftover fish like the guts, bones and head, cover them with water and give it a stir once or twice per day. It's really smelly but is supposed to be very effective for plants in the garden. Some people will even buy canned fish and use that. Now this one sounds really smelly if you ask me.

 

[zigs]

Cor, we're aproaching the boundaries of organic to chemical fertilizer here, but add wood ash & wee to the fish guts and we are looking at some serious good stuff