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Aurora, IL

Does anyone prepare their own fish silage/emulsion/hydrolysate? I have a grocery store source willing to provide fish waste and have read a bit on the different methods for processing. I'm planning on composting with aged horse bedding in bins over winter, preferably without enzymes or additional costs. Besides the smell, any tips or potential pitfalls? Many thanks.

12/3/2011 7:43:27 PM

Minnesota

I make my own, I use the kis method, (keep it simple) I go to the local orient grocery store, buy a fish, usually a 1 or 2 lb Tilapia or any fish. Then to speed up the decomposing of the fish, I take 1/2 or all the fish, depending on how much of the patch I'm fertilizing, drenching, I then cut it up to smaller pieces, put in blender with water, after throughly blended I strain, (2 or 3 blender fulls for half the fish) I then mix roughly a cup or two to a gallon of water. I'm still learning the best way to do this, I know it is better then the store stuff and cheaper if you don't mind doing it. I'm also working on seaweed, I have 5 lbs of seaweed granuls, today I put 1 tablespoon inn a coffee filter twist tied, placed in hot water for 1/2 half water, fed house plants, waiting to see how the plants like it.

12/3/2011 10:10:08 PM

Minnesota

Should say, placed in hot water for 1/2 hour.

12/3/2011 10:12:12 PM

Seattle, WA

Keep in mind there's a big difference between emulsion and hydrolysate. Microbes love fish hydrolysate (primarily fungi), whereas I've seen limited microbial growth with emulsion under the microscope.

In regards to seaweed, the most widely researched and studied is ascophyllum nodosum (N. Atlantic Sea Kelp). Check out the book by TL Senn called Seaweed and Plant Growth. You want it to be cold water processed (Maxicrop is not).

If you were making your own from seaweed collected on the beach, I would first wash the salts off it and dry it, and then add it to your compost pile.

Just my 2 cents,
Tad

12/5/2011 2:54:06 PM

Minnesota

I shopped at maine seaweed,they sell granulated seaweed. I did learn that seaweed expands, I rinsed it, it took a week to dry, I could not figure out how they granulized it, so Iwent with bought seaweed. I'm going with my blendered fish and tsp-tbsp per gallon of seaweed granuls this year.

12/5/2011 3:41:53 PM

Aurora, IL

Tad--what do you presume is the reason hydrolysate encourages more activity? Is it the enzymes alone or is there a quality in emulsion that discourages greater activity? Also, wouldn't the micro communities from manure find fish acceptable (I really don't want to acquire enzymes)?

12/5/2011 6:03:18 PM

Seattle, WA

You know, I'll admit this isn't my strong point in regards to processing and such. I pretty much have only worked with finished commercial products using a microscope and looking at aerated compost teas with different "food" ingredients. It's accepted knowledge in the ACT community that fish hydrolysate is superior to fish emulsion from a microbial standpoint.

If you want a more complete answer, you can send an email to my buddy Tim Wilson at www.microbeorganics.com or check out his website. He's done a bunch of microscope work looking at both emulsion and hydrolysate.

Funny thing is, I looked at a kelp hydrolysate the other day and was highly disappointed with what I saw under the scope....

As for seaweed, what I do is use kelp meal from the feed store at 4 cups/cubic foot of potting soil (containers but you could use the same principles when tilling) and then also use seaweed extract powder for watering/foliar. It comes out to pennies/gallon for the extract.

As fair disclosure, this is my company:
http://simplici-tea.com/seaweed.htm

But again, what you want if buying it is cold water processed ascophyllum nodosum. There's other seaweed products out there that I've found to be inferior. Acadian Sea Plants is a good brand/company for seaweed besides the link I listed, that you may be able to find locally.

12/5/2011 6:13:47 PM