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lifestreammm

What is the most efficient liquid organic fertilizer?

lifestreammm
12 years ago

What is the liquid organic fertilizer with the most accesible nutrients for the plants? (and which I can make at home) I want to use it in my containers.

The nutrients in chemical fertilizers are immediately accessible to plants. Micro-organisms are not needed to break down any chemical compounds into simple forms.

Organic fertilizers need micro-organisms to break down the chemical compounds into plant-accessible forms. (This process of breaking down is called 'mineralization'.)

In a liquid organic fertilizer, I suppose there are complex compounds present that have not been broken down yet, but also some simple, broken-down forms which plants can use immediately. The amount of these ready-to-use forms are, I suppose, dependent on the nature of the organic fertilizer (some would have more immediately available material), and on the processes the fert went through (duration of letting it stand, any fermenting, ...).

What is the liquid organic fertilizer with the biggest percentage of these plant-accesible forms?

Thank you for your insights,

Life

Comments (28)

  • terrybull
    12 years ago

    The ratio to be used is 1:2:1:1:2:2. This fertilizer should be used for treating vegetable gardens. It nourishes the vegetables all through the growing season.
    Ingredients for Organic Fertilizer:
    �Feather Meal
    �Fish Meal
    �Alfalfa Meal
    �Cottonseed Meal
    �Bone Meal
    �Kelp Meal

  • Ohiofem 6a/5b Southwest Ohio
    12 years ago

    Isn't the idea of an efficient organic fertilizer kind of an oxymoron if by efficient you mean fast acting? Most organic fertilizers are slow acting. Substances like bone meal and egg shells can take six month or more to break down. Most organic fertilizers are not balanced and can't be easily liquified. The few exceptions might be blood meal and wood ashes, both of which are fast but not balanced and can burn roots, especially in containers.

    The rate at which they provide nutrients is largely determined by the medium you add them to. If you add fish emulsion to gritty mix or a mix of vermiculite, perlite and peat, you're more likely to get a slimy mess than a healthy growing medium for the reasons you cite.

    If you still want to try, compost tea might be your best bet. But I would only rely on it if your container already includes some organic matter (no more tan 15 %) and your compost is really excellent to start with. I wouldn't recommend manure tea for any fruiting or flowering plants because it's too high in nitrogen.

  • emgardener
    12 years ago

    Been growing container plants for a couple years now with organics and getting great results.

    Use wood ashes and HLF (human liquid fertilizer i.e. pee)

    Here are pictures from last years organically grown container veggies. This year the plants are doing better (since I improved the drainage).

    {{gwi:40777}}

    {{gwi:40778}}

    {{gwi:40779}}

  • terrybull
    12 years ago

    green plants by i.p freely

  • howelbama
    12 years ago

    Just think of the pee in your toilet every time you take a bite of those crisp fresh veggies lol... I would not eat anything fertilized with human waste of any kind, even my own... Maybe for ornamentals, but not edibles... Gross

  • yellowthumb
    12 years ago

    howelbama,

    Not to argue with you. But that's how the world operates. Where do you think the pee in the toilet will go? If you don't do it, farmers will do it for you. What farmers love to use is the liquid manure, from pigs most of the time. Sometimes, they will spray them. Gross. Cows and chicken manure are very popular too. Pig manure is used primarily for green leaf veggies. I have been visiting some cutting rose farm, they spray lots of manure in the greenhouse, the roses are so vigorous, but it absolutely stinks. You know what, if you want a crop exclusively cultivated by those pees, you have to pay a premium price for it. It's called organic.

  • howelbama
    12 years ago

    There is a huge difference in using human waste and animal waste to fertilize. I'm fine with the organic animal based ferts... I just don't want to eat Joe farmers' poop, or better yet Jane farmers that is loaded with hormones from her birth control pills etc... There have been several cases of people living near human sludge fertilized farms coming down with all sorts of fun staph infections etc... And that's just from the overspray...

  • calistoga_al ca 15 usda 9
    12 years ago

    I am ok with asking the neighbors for their bags of leaves to add to my compost pile, but somehow would not have the nerve to ask for their bodily waste. Al

  • tn_gardening
    12 years ago

    I'd guess it would be compost tea made from a little molasses, fish emulsion, good compost, worm castings, bat guano & seaweed/kelp.

    Check out some of the organic hydroponic fertilizer stuff.

  • prestons_garden
    12 years ago

    Get good quality worm castings, make a tea and foliar spray your plants early in the morning. This option may take too much time for most people and there is a learning curve in making a superior tea.

    The easiest way to use a fast acting organic fertilizer would be Neptune's Fish and Seaweed. Use it also as a foliar spray early in the morning while the plants stomatas are open.

  • lifestreammm
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Just back from long break.

    Ohiofem, an efficient organic fert is indeed a kind of an oxymoron - they're all slower acting than chemical ferts, but some are more fast acting than others I'm sure. I'd like to find out which ones.

    Wood ashes are not balanced (too much K I presume). Neither is manure tea (too high in N). So what happens if I make a tea out of ashes and manure ... will this be more balanced? Anyone have an idea of how balanced this would be? And what ratio's to use?

    "compost tea might be your best bet. But I would only rely on it if your container already includes some organic matter (no more tan 15 %)"
    Is pine bark also considered organic matter? I guess not?

  • edweather USDA 9a, HZ 9, Sunset 28
    12 years ago

    Ashes for fertilizer? Sounds good, but be careful, because they are alkaline (raise pH.) Years ago, I thought I was doing the right thing by emptying my wood stove into my garden, until I had a soil test done.

  • Joe1980
    12 years ago

    Nothing like a pu pu platter with a side order of pea pods.

  • meyermike_1micha
    12 years ago

    Joe!

    Hahahahahahh

  • meyermike_1micha
    12 years ago

    OOPS, I forgot...lol

    If it is true that human excrement is so useful, then why do bible scholars say that God told the nation of Isrealites to bury their excrement outside their camps instead of their fields while the nations around them got all kinds of illness and diseases.

    Anyway, that is what my religious Aunt has to say.

    Personally I know that they treat human waste up here, make it safe to use in Central Park, New York.

    Mike

  • mrlike2u
    12 years ago

    Mike said ( or ask) If it is true that human excrement is so useful, then why do bible scholars say that God told the nation of Isrealites to bury their excrement outside their camps instead of their fields while the nations around them got all kinds of illness and diseases.

    Excrement and black plaque As urine is a liquid it really cant be buried unless absorbed by another product but the other product as you know does become.... Well as said Mike SICKENING.

    Take a moment and look at the back label of any fertilizer and notice the nitrogen totals Even if it's foliage pro the wording is AMMONIACAL Nitrogen and Nitrate Nitrogen and on other fertilizer the word UREA is often used with a % value

    the capitalized words are bi products of URINE being it animal or human chances are everyone and any one who uses any fertilizer organic or not is indirectly "peeing" there plant.

    I don't see or read any ideas being suggested if the human number 2 would be a good fertilizer but those from certain animals and fish do have some benefits for most plants.
    However even as Farmer John does spread his pig poop and urine on his FIELDS keep in mind farmer John is feeding a rather bigger field full of crop he isn't feeding a smaller container of crop.

  • greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
    12 years ago

    Back in the day, there was good reason to follow the various sanitation and hygiene laws.
    It's still wise to avoid shellfish at certain times of the year, and it's always a good idea to
    cook any parasites out of pork (and any other meat).

    Interestingly, humanure (or similar) is used to mulch and fertilize dry hillsides in Israel now.
    The same technology is used here, too.

    Josh

  • penfold2
    12 years ago

    Take a moment and look at the back label of any fertilizer and notice the nitrogen totals Even if it's foliage pro the wording is AMMONIACAL Nitrogen and Nitrate Nitrogen and on other fertilizer the word UREA is often used with a % value

    the capitalized words are bi products of URINE being it animal or human chances are everyone and any one who uses any fertilizer organic or not is indirectly "peeing" there plant.

    The ammonia and urea in most fertilizers are produced synthetically. Ammonia is made by combining heated nitrogen and hydrogen gasses with an iron catalyst. And urea is made by combining ammonia with dry ice. No urination involved.

  • Joe1980
    12 years ago

    My brother-in-law works at the local waste water treatment plant. He has some stories of pretty large tomatoes growing in the sludge shed, obviously due to some seeds left behind in someone's do-do. Funny thing is, him and his fellow terd-herders can't find anyone willing to eat any of them. There's also stories about black olives, of all sizes, but I'm pretty sure they aren't the kind you'd slice up and put on your pizza......

    Joe

  • lifestreammm
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Guys, I wanna know what is the most efficient fertilizer to use in my containers.
    Whether people want to eat veg coming from human poo or pee is not my interest.
    (However interesting the anecdotes might be - maybe stuff for another thread?)

    Thank you for everyone who made a useful contribution.

  • lifestreammm
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    To get back on topic: what is the DIY-fertilizer that comes closest to a chemical fertilizer?
    One with a quick action, with no microorganisms needed?

  • lifestreammm
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Looks like human urine is a good option (albeit unbalanced).
    Anyone know any scientific data about urine that talks about to what degree
    it needs microorganisms to make the nutrients available to the plants?

    And how much woodashes would I need to add, percentagewise? Anyone have experience?

  • emgardener
    12 years ago

    lifestreammm,

    plenty of scientific papers on urine can be googled, varies alot but roughly 10:1:1 NPK if you eat meat.
    Forgot what ashes were.

    I just put about 1 gallon of ashes in an 18 gallon tote, and then I water with urine in a 50:50 urine:water ratio whenever the leaves start looking a little yellowish.

    As a liquid fertilizer it does drain off pretty quickly, so you end up fertilizing more than you might think you should (at least compared to a good organic in-the-ground garden).

    You really don't need to be precise, as you can adjust as needed. If you think you over-fertilized, you can always just water more and flush it out.

  • therylmccoy
    9 years ago

    lol. This thread was not helpful at all. The original poster had a great question, but nobody answered it but felt like they should chime in with totally random stuff about urine and sludge.

    Apparently the Pure Blend Pro liquid organic fertilizer made by Botanicare is 100% soluable and immediately available for plant uptake. (ie no microbes needed)

    This post was edited by therylmccoy on Fri, Sep 12, 14 at 12:27

  • fred
    8 years ago

    Yeah I have to agree. Very interesting question and still no proper answer. Anybody care to take up this thread again...?

  • tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
    8 years ago

    The question can't be answered because how efficient the fertilizer is will vary by temperature, micro-organism population levels and everything cultural that affects them, as well as other miscellaneous conditions. Since these cultural influences don't affect each fertilizer in the same way, there is no way to determine superlatives w/o absolute and well-defined controls in place.

    Al

  • fred
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Al. I'm really determent to test out liquid organic fertiliser. I just have to try it and see what results i get. Remember I showed you this...

    https://www.fertnz.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/SynerLogic.pdf

    ....on another thread. I just bought 5 liter and are going to try it out for a full season. I'm going all out and using this...

    http://www.humates.co.nz/content/trimate

    ...on a monthly basis to. I wont add the two together. I'll feed the Trimate once a month, on the off week that I don't feed the fertiliser. Wish me luck...I'll definitely report back.... ;-)