It's nearly impossible to grow tomatoes without giving them regular fertilizer. Many gardeners prefer using organic fertilizer on their homegrown fruit, but ordinary compost and manure--while useful when growing tomatoes--doesn't adequately feed tomato plants. Many other types of organic fertilizer aren't adequate for tomatoes, either, producing spindly, sickly plants. That's why fish emulsion is so popular among tomato gardeners.
What Is It?
Fish emulsion (sometimes called fish fertilizer or liquid fish emulsion) is an organic, liquid fertilizer made from byproducts of the fish industry. It's particularly useful for lawns and leafy green vegetables, having a high level of nitrogen. It's typically sold as a concentrate that gardeners dilute with water. Although it often has a fishy smell, deodorized versions are available at gardening centers.
Nutrients
Commercial fertilizers are labeled with three numbers separated by dashes. These numbers tell gardeners the percentage by weight of three nutrients every plant needs: nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (N-P-K). Most fish emulsion is rated 5-1-1 or 5-2-2.
Fish emulsion, applied twice weekly, helps tomato plants grow larger and faster than plants that are not fertilized. Specifically, the nitrogen in the fish fertilizer encourages lots of leaves and branches, which help support the tomato plant's large root system and bountiful crop.
Why use it?
Tomatoes require plenty of water. However, watering depletes soil of nutrients tomatoes need to thrive. Therefore, frequent fertilizing of tomatoes is necessary. Although non-organic fertilizers may be used on tomatoes, they may add too much salt to the soil, thereby stunting the plant. Fish emulsion is a better choice because there is no danger of over-salting--yet the emulsion releases nutrients quickly to the tomato plant.
How to Make Your Own?
It's possible to make your own fish emulsion, but fishing for the purpose of using the catch for fertilizer is discouraged. Home-made versions of fish emulsion can contain higher levels of nutrients, since already processed, commercial fish have less oil and bones, and therefore less proteins and other nutrients. In addition, home-made versions can have higher levels of fungi and bacteria--both essential to a healthy garden.
To make your own emulsion, take a five-gallon bucket (placed in a sunny location) and fill it halfway with leaves or sawdust. Add fish and fill with water. A couple of tablespoons of molasses added to the mixture will help it decompose faster and can reduce the smell.
Allow the mixture to ferment for three months. A layer of oil will form on the top of the water; skim it off with a large spoon and place in a separate container. Dilute with water (about 1-to-1) before spraying plants.
What Is It?
Fish emulsion (sometimes called fish fertilizer or liquid fish emulsion) is an organic, liquid fertilizer made from byproducts of the fish industry. It's particularly useful for lawns and leafy green vegetables, having a high level of nitrogen. It's typically sold as a concentrate that gardeners dilute with water. Although it often has a fishy smell, deodorized versions are available at gardening centers.
Nutrients
Commercial fertilizers are labeled with three numbers separated by dashes. These numbers tell gardeners the percentage by weight of three nutrients every plant needs: nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (N-P-K). Most fish emulsion is rated 5-1-1 or 5-2-2.
Fish emulsion, applied twice weekly, helps tomato plants grow larger and faster than plants that are not fertilized. Specifically, the nitrogen in the fish fertilizer encourages lots of leaves and branches, which help support the tomato plant's large root system and bountiful crop.
Why use it?
Tomatoes require plenty of water. However, watering depletes soil of nutrients tomatoes need to thrive. Therefore, frequent fertilizing of tomatoes is necessary. Although non-organic fertilizers may be used on tomatoes, they may add too much salt to the soil, thereby stunting the plant. Fish emulsion is a better choice because there is no danger of over-salting--yet the emulsion releases nutrients quickly to the tomato plant.
How to Use It?
Dilute the fish emulsion according to the manufacturer's directions, then put it in a garden sprayer and apply it to the tomato plant's leaves. Do not apply during the hottest part of the day, since this could potentially burn the plant's leaves--and will certainly make the fertilizer scent stronger.
Dilute the fish emulsion according to the manufacturer's directions, then put it in a garden sprayer and apply it to the tomato plant's leaves. Do not apply during the hottest part of the day, since this could potentially burn the plant's leaves--and will certainly make the fertilizer scent stronger.
How to Make Your Own?
It's possible to make your own fish emulsion, but fishing for the purpose of using the catch for fertilizer is discouraged. Home-made versions of fish emulsion can contain higher levels of nutrients, since already processed, commercial fish have less oil and bones, and therefore less proteins and other nutrients. In addition, home-made versions can have higher levels of fungi and bacteria--both essential to a healthy garden.
To make your own emulsion, take a five-gallon bucket (placed in a sunny location) and fill it halfway with leaves or sawdust. Add fish and fill with water. A couple of tablespoons of molasses added to the mixture will help it decompose faster and can reduce the smell.
Allow the mixture to ferment for three months. A layer of oil will form on the top of the water; skim it off with a large spoon and place in a separate container. Dilute with water (about 1-to-1) before spraying plants.
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