Fish Emulsion

Organic fertilizers are considered to be the best for the healthy growth of plants. They do not have any chemical composition and do not harm the soil or the plant. They are better than chemical fertilizers and maintain soil fertility. There are many products available in the market which are used as organic fertilizers. One of the very famous and widely used fertilizer is fish emulsion. It is a liquid fertilizer which is made from the remains of the proceeds of fish oil and fish meal. It is naturally derived form the remains and is very good for plants. They are sometimes treated with chemicals for storage and transportation, but the chemical content is negligible in amount.

Composition of Fish Emulsion

Fish emulsion is made from the remains of fish which are processed to make fish oil and fish meal. The fish are cooked and are processed to get fish oil. After extracting the oil, the rest of the left oil is then boiled till the water gets evaporated and the solution takes the form of an emulsion. The boiling time totally depends upon how much concentrated emulsion you need. You can also add more water to make it a gelatin paste. Now this emulsion is treated with some chemicals for the storage purpose. These emulsions are not used directly, they are diluted with the help of water and then sprayed on the plants.

The nutritional content of the fish emulsion in terms of N:P:K is either 5-1-1 or 5-2-2. These values are interpreted as nitrogen 5 %, phosphorus 1 or 2 % and potash 1 or 2%. NPK is a very essential content of any organic fertilizer. Apart from these constituents, there are many other minerals and nutrients too which are very helpful for the plants growth and development. Fish emulsion is associated with a very strong odor of fish which will stay at least for two days. To solve this problem you can get deodorized fish emulsions. Although this fertilizer is mild, you need to give the plants only the required amount of it. Excess of it may result in the burning of plants because of the high content of nitrogen.

How to Make Fish Emulsion at Home

You can make fish emulsion at home too. You will just need water, brown material (straw or leaves, sawdust and grass clippings), fish parts, a 5 gallon bucket, molasses and stirrer. Get all the material and just start with this organic fertilizer recipe. First of all take the bucket and fill it half with the fish parts including the bones, skin, flesh, heads, guts etc. Fill the rest of the bucket with the brown material contents like straw or leaves, sawdust and grass clippings. Now add ¼ cup of molasses and 2 tablespoons of Epsom salt. Mix the contents with the help of the stirrer. Cover the bucket with a lid. Leave the mixture to rot for two or three weeks. Regularly stir the mixture so as to facilitate its mixing with air everyday. After the mentioned period use the emulsion with water.

Applications of Fish Emulsion

The application of fish emulsion is easy and the benefits can be seen very quickly because of its quick absorption. Following are the things required and the steps which you need to follow.

Things Required

• Water
• Garden Sprayer
• Fish emulsion

Method

• Take 2 gallons of water and 2 tablespoons of emulsion in a garden spray. Close it and shake it so that it gets mixed up nicely.
• Spray the mixture on the leaves, foliage and stems of the plants. Spray even on the undersides of the leaves.
• Once you are done, pour some of the emulsion on the soil, so that it is absorbed by the roots.
• Now water the plant thoroughly. Repeat the procedure twice or thrice a week. It will help your plant to grow fast and healthy.

Excess of fish emulsion may result in the plant's death, hence use only the required amount. You can apply it to small plants to give them accelerated and healthy growth.