Fish Fertilizer - Does anyone use it?

[mauraec]

I was recommended by a nursery grower to use fish fertilizer every once in awhile, but I honestly don't know whether it will help, if so, how and when to use it, and what does it do....

Anyone have experience with this?

[angela]

Hi Maura
I have used fish fertilizer, but once only. Sorry I don't have the bottle to hand to tell you which one it was. Never used it again because it had my whole orchid garden and greenhouse smelling like a fishmongers shop LOL never applied it again so I cannot say how good it was for the plants.
Lets see what others have tosay
Cheers
Angela.

[cakedaddy]

My plants seemed to respond well to fish emulsion. Mine also contained bird poo! I only ever used it very weakly and NEVER indoors...in fact, I became nauseated the first time I mixed it. The smell is repulsive.
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[Kmac]

Only have used it outdoors. Made my flower beds very popular with the neighborhood animals (they tore out plants trying to dig to find fish, I guess), and that was the end of that. Haven't tried it with orchids.

[Brutal_Dreamer]

We use it, but it is a bit of a pain to use. We have a fertilize system that goes into our watering hose and because the fish emulsion is not purely liquid-- It has small chunks in it that gets into the screens of the system and causes it to malfunction. SO - when we use it, we do it by hand the old fashion way. Lots of scoops with a bucket! haha.. llots of work, but it does work well. The only downside is how stinky you will be after you spend three or four hours fertilizing all of our plants. It take washing with lemon juice to get it out of my hands sometimes.

cheers,
BD

[mauraec]

Well, the kind that I have says it has wintergreen oil to defuse the smell - I may try a little on my cyms outside, though - just in case they didn't quite get it right. My grandmother grew African Violets and always had a gallon of fish fertilizer around - I used to run out of the house, holding my nose when she used it!

Thanks for the feedback, everyone. Question, though - when you use it, do you skip the other kinds of fertilizers, or is it an adjunct to it?

[rosie]

Maura, I use the Seasol - Australia's top selling liquid seaweed and PowerFeed dynamic fish fertilizer, together, once a month. The other weeks I alternate a nitrogenous fert. 1st week, high potassium fert, 2nd week,systemic pesticide 3 rd week high nitrogen; 4th week fungicide. 5th liquid seaweed + fish fert. then 6th week, just water only. They look healthy to me.

[cdayinflorida]

I use it and kelp extract. Both stink...but I have great results. I use the kelp at least once a week. I think the root growth I get far out weighs the smell.
The worst smelling stuff I use is acephate (Orthene) for thrips. It smells like rotten eggs for days on the patio and in the shadehouse.

[mauraec]

Thanks, y'all - I think I may venture to use this stuff - maybe before I go out for the day!

[siaogu]

I use fish emulsion too, once every 3 weeks to a month...

Vincent