Liquid organic fertilizers for containers

16 years ago

Hi all,

I'm looking for recommendations for ORGANIC (or mostly organic/natural) liquid fertilizers that you have used successfully in containers.

I have already potted my citrus and blueberries using a variation on Al's Peat/Perlite/Bark mix with the peat component being an organic potting mix from Kellog that has all manner of bag guano and worm castings and composted bark fines in it. I also mixed in some EB Stone dry powdered fertilizers.

NOW, I just need to get some recommendations for liquid ferts that I can use "weekly, weakly"---and it's my personal preference to use something organic (or even mostly organic) on my edibles.

Any thoughts. I have seen some of the same names repeated all over GW... Dr. Earth, Espoma, fish emulsion, seaweed, tea bags, etc... but I'm wondering what has worked for YOU.

It's been years since I've used any fish emulsion, but does that stuff still stink to high heaven? Or have they figured out a way to make it stink less?

And one other question about the fish ferts... do they attract pests like racoons and skunks when they're on the plant? We have those in the neighborhood and I don't really want to put something on my plants that's going to advertise "party at Kristi's".... LOL

Thanks!

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Comments (6)

tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
16 years ago
You just posted this question less than 2 weeks ago. See your post below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Current thread on this topic
kristimama
Original Author
16 years ago
Yes, Al, I realize I posted something SIMILAR a couple weeks ago, but it was really asking more the theoretical question of "Whether or not" organic would work. Not to mention, it also veered off topic. Many people said, Yes, it will... but they didn't give me their favorite brands.

So, to avoid confusion and look like I forgot my original post (which I didn't), let me clarify:

I'm not looking for more discussion of fertilizer science or soil drainage or potting mixes... AL has covered that very well and I've asked to my hearts content about that stuff. LOL

Now, I'm really looking for brand recommendations, and quite frankly I just didn't want to bump the older post.

Hope that's OK with y'all.
;-)
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Wow, amazing that I thought I could save myself some time and trouble by coming here to get a simple question answered. What is a good brand of liquid fertilizer. For all the people who think they can diagnose my plants over the computer, I haven't been gardening all my lfe, only the last 7 years, from seed. I can tell which plants need some fertilzer, or if that hurts the sensibilities, has to have a little help picking up their natural food from some pretty bad starting soil. I would have just popped in for the first time and asked my question without providing any background, but I thought that was rude. For the ones who need all the details, here it is. This year was the first time I added organic fertilizers at all, and I didn't know how much to add, so I ran a test. A certain amount in a few beds, twice as much in the vegetable garden. The garden is doing great, I don't need to add anything. The beds obviously didn't get enough, some things are doing ok, others need a little help. 2 complete beds were scheduled to be torn out this year to put in a drive to the new barn, but that got held up, and since I started neck and back treatments, I don't intend to go out and enrich soil, it's going to get a liquid. But maybe I should just sit back and wait for them to completely yellow and die while I contemplate why they're not makin all their own food. They are in soil. I did appreciate the link to the clay soil article, very helpful. I am very busy like most people, especially now while I am tryng to rehab. I don't have the time or the inclination to justify myself, so I shall part here and head on out to Worm's Way. There the guy was helpful and listened to what I was actaully asking. I guess I sounded at least smart enough not to come home with a bottle and douse everything in my yard just for good measure.
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I would make a tea and use that. You can buy a 50 pound bag of alfalfa pellets and use them to ferment in a 5 gal bucket. You can add other handy ferts. I used a 35 gal tote and lay green weeds down in it. Including new grass hay. filled it up to the top lay down some bricks and filled with water. It turned dark brown water and take some out and add that to the other tea. Add more water. This will keep going most of the summer giving organic liquid ferts. I use rain water. that is by far the best. I will also add some urine to the final product before use. just go easy. I also add in some real good compost to the soil. Nothing like it. It will supply nutrients slowly over the entire summer. You can purchase dry powdered kelp or seaweed very cheap like a dollar a pound. one ounce per 30 gallons is great for micronutrients. Add the alfalfa pellets and you have one powerful fertilizer. I believe that Super Thrive is simply alfalfa tea. If you have a cow far go pick up some good manure. add that to your tea. I would not waste money on Yuppie fertilizers. But I do spend a lot on truck loads of manure. I pay $100 for 30 yards of horse manure delivered. That is a real big truck. I also get 10 yards of cow manure for $100. It is dependent on the size of truck the farmer owns. the manure is free. the trucking is $100. By the way I have had super results from Neptune Fish Fertilizer indoors when things are difficult. For me things go super easy outdoors in my rich garden soil.
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Like any other plant food the nutrients in liquid plant foods need to be converted by soil microbes into things plant can use. kimmq is kimmsr
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wormgirl_8a_WA
16 years ago
PlantTea. And the contents of the teabag.

Neptune's Harvest fish, kelp, or fish/kelp blend. This is hydrolyzed, it is different than the horrible smelly stuff ("emulsion".) It smells of the sea, but it doesn't stink like rotting fish. I have used it in the house with no problems (as long as you don't leave standing water in the dishes.) I have never had a problem with animals attacking my outside containers because of it, either. In my area we have raccoons and opossums but I've never seen them attacking my plants :)
meyermike_1micha
16 years ago
I also used Neptunes harvest. BUt now I know not to use it solely for feeding. But, the stuff works great in moderation. I also never had a problem with animals or insects in the soil. Just don't use it for your only fertilizer..ok. I used the Blue one. Got tons of flowers too>
:-)
kristimama
Original Author
16 years ago
Hey MeyerMike, you and I have been posting similar questions this spring even though you've already got tons of experience under your belt. I wanted to thank you for sharing your experiences when you've replied to my many questions.

So can I ask you, you have said before that you lost many citrus in pots last year. But do you blame that solely on the organic fertilizers? Was it a heavy potting soil? Or the fact that you're growing in a cold winter climate and moving plants around? Or overwatering? Or some combination of these factors?

I don't think I'm going to be convinced to use MG right out of the gate... so I'm committed to using the organics and informing myself as best as I can. So I'm using a variation of Al's soil mix (with a smidge more organic content than he would) and meticulously following his watering instructions. And I will be using the EB Stone dry mixes and supplementing as needed with the liquid ferts.
wormgirl_8a_WA
16 years ago
meyermike, I can see why you would have had problems only using the "blue" one - that's the kelp, it's 0-0-1. The fish fert is 2-4-1.

Essentially the fish supplies macros, and kelp has micros. If you use both it's complete.

They sell them separately or in a combination product. The fish/kelp is 2-3-1.

Jenn

Here is a link that might be useful: Neptune's Harvest

Liquid organic fertilizers for containers

Comments (6)

tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)

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Liquid organic fertilizers for containers

Comments (6)

tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)

kristimamaOriginal Author

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