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Minnesota

Has anybody made there own seaweed or fish emulsion. It sounds easy. 5 gallon bucket w/cover, half filled with brown leafs or straw, molasses, fish blended to speed up the decaying process, stir daily for 2 weeks. Use 1 parts fish emulsion to 5 parts water. Any one have experience or pointers before I venture into this, besides the smell.

7/18/2008 3:48:19 PM

Minnesota

Also, anyone make there own seaweed for the plants using lake weeds?

7/18/2008 3:50:51 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

Richard, lake weeds do not have the 60 or so trace elements, growth hormones and other properties that make kelp products as useful as they are.

As far as making fish emulsion, my opinion is that is a waste of time when you can purchase it for a few dollars per gallon.

7/19/2008 1:42:26 PM

Minnesota

Well, I'm going to give it a try, we just caught a dozen sun fish and one bull head.

7/19/2008 4:19:31 PM

Garden State Pumpkins

The old timers used to make their own. usually using kelp from the sea...laying it out and rinsing it off to remove the salt...then brewing it....if you got the time you can do it. Grinding up fresh water fish is fine...pond stuff is no better then lawn clippings...IMHO..

7/19/2008 5:59:25 PM

Minnesota

We went out today and caught sunfish & 1 bullhead, I chopped them up and in they went.

7/19/2008 7:11:25 PM

Brooklyn Corner, Nova Scotia

Good for you Dick.

7/19/2008 7:45:08 PM

Richard there is a tool called the "Bassamatic" that could be helpful in this endeavour

(SNL the old days)

7/19/2008 10:25:07 PM

Minnesota

Yeah, I have seen that. With Dan Akroyd. I did that today, I put half full of fish and half water in the blender, it did very little, I don't think it will blend unless you have some kind of industrial strenght blender.

7/20/2008 12:36:47 AM

Minnesota

I found just what I was looking for, I went down to the oriental market anf found dried seaweed. I chopped them up, all three 8 oz bags, added it to my homemade fish emulsion, now Richard B's homemade fish emulsion/seaweed mix, the seaweed still had dried ocean salt on them, 2-4 ft strips.

7/20/2008 3:05:49 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Washing the salts off would be advised.

7/20/2008 3:37:37 PM

Minnesota

I think sea water is good stuff, I plan on buying sea agri.com sea crystals.

7/21/2008 12:34:13 AM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

lol....sunfish, bullheads and sushi paper with salt....

Richard, since you think that sea water is "good stuff" you should have used it to make your brew...now that would be good stuff!!

7/21/2008 12:59:38 PM

Minnesota

Today I added alfalfa and some epsom salt to the mix,,,this stuff is going to be so good its scary. Can't aford the 25 dollars for 10 pounds right now,,,that's kin dof what got me making my own fish emulsion/seaweed.

7/21/2008 1:49:04 PM

Www.extremepumpkinstore.com

I'm curious as to where you got this recipe? You are basiclly adding salts and magnesium to rotting fish and dehydrated seaweed......
Neptunes -$30.00
The look on your face when you realize that you just ended your season - Priceless

7/21/2008 3:58:29 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

lol @ Tom.....so true.

7/21/2008 4:25:00 PM

Minnesota

faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/organic/2002080041031662.ht... I went to ASK.com and put in how to make fish emulsion, there are a few different recipes there. I plan on diluting it.

7/21/2008 5:27:50 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

So then, if it is supposed to brew for 1-2 weeks before being used......why are you using it now after only catching your fish and adding the kelp a mere 3 days ago?

7/22/2008 11:48:53 AM

Minnesota

I could'nt resist feeding them it, it really looks good.

7/22/2008 1:08:00 PM

Seattle, WA

I'm with Tremor, be careful about the salts in the seaweed.

7/22/2008 1:20:19 PM

Wi

Richard, soil around here is already notoriosly high in MG. Using epsom salt will only raise it higher. Be aware.

7/22/2008 2:22:32 PM

Cottage Grove, MN

Richard, put all that stuff on the other plant. Leave the other plant alone, just give it lots of water, a little ca+ and some store bought neptunes, a little shade too. Cheers. Eat the fish you catch, it's hard times and fish is good for you, as long as it isn't out of the old Sippi.

7/22/2008 9:12:12 PM

Minnesota

Why, don't yuh think the Janicek 555 can handle it (joking) I got the fish free at a fish market (coastal seafood) added 10 pounds to each bucket, salmon,grouper and others. The plants look great, they have a greener look to them. I'm making my own because I don't have the money right now (laid off) Neptunes is at the higher end,price wise compared to alot of other fish emulsions.

7/26/2008 2:04:39 PM

Minnesota

Commercial fish emulsion versus homemade. The companys use a fish called a menhaden, which is not edible, oily, bony, caught for the protein value. Most contain no oils which have extra beneficial soil fungi, most don't use many bones, which supply calcium. Its cheaper, store bought has less protein, no aeroboic bacteria, if there was it would explode on the shelfs, homemade also contain more microherd than commercial. I actualy enjoy making it, the only problem is sealing the cover tight so no little animals get at it, I put about 30 pounds of rock on the top of the cover.

7/26/2008 2:21:58 PM