Correction: NPK of blood meal is 12-0-0. University Extension recommends slow-release nitrogen fertilizer, less salt, and less leaching out. I'm also interested in 2-20-20 liquid fertilizer with potassium phosphate, thereby a low-salt index of 7.2 - compared that to a high salt index of 116.2 of potassium chloride in chemical fertilizer. Anyone know where to buy low-salt 2-20-20 liquid fertilizer? Thank you.

Forget about the low-salt 2-20-20 chemical fertilizer, I'll order the Neptune fish fertilizer without the risk of attracting insects like chemicals. Upon checking previous forums, someone reported that Romantica roses bloom more with soluble fertilizer.

I don't use fish fertilizer or fish oil supplements for humans because so many varieties of fish have been overfished to the edge of extinction. Alfalfa meal works beautifully for me, but of course everything depends on your location.

Ingrid

There was someone on these forums about 12-15 years ago who was a huge enthusiast of the Neptune products, saying that they were far superior to other fish-based fertilizers. I have never tried them myself.

As for me, I fertilize once a year with an organic fertilizer plus added alfalfa. I rely primarily on compost and decomposing mulch for the rest of my garden's nutritional needs (other than the vegetable garden, which does get some extra fertilizer). So far, so good. I really do believe in feeding the soil, not the plants.

Rosefolly

I used this product years ago, possibly when someone here was promoting it. I remember having called the company, and I think I thinned it a little, then watered it in.

At that time I thought it was great, but never got around to ordering more. Frankly, I don't have a clue why my roses would need fish fertilizer, but am always looking for methods to improve my gardening.

Sammy

Thank you, Ingrid, for informing us about the environmental impact of Neptune harvesting Mehaden off the North Atlantic ocean. I wrote to Neptune, asking for the percentage of Mehaden that they use, and told Neptune that I might buy their product if they use the detested and invasive Asian Carp that threatens the Great Lakes.

I found Alaska Fish product, made from scraps discarded from the canned fish factories. It's called MorBloom 0-10-10 sold at HomeDepo for $14 per gallon. I need to fix the chlorosis on my 2 rhododrendrons that I planted in haste this year without amending with peat moss. Espresso grounds gave them pink stripes, and there's still a trail of white stripe on my cement walkway, despite the many rains we have. It happened when I dragged the leaky bag of espresso from Starbucks. However, coffee grounds from Sam's Club were great on my roses, the pink color cleared up immediately in red cabbage juic pH indicator, but the espresso ground took longer. Phosphorus and iron are tied up in alkaline soil like my pH of 7.7.

I agree with Rosefolly about feeding the soil, rather than the plants. Like Sammy, I always look for ways to improve. In one forum someone mentioned the ingredients of Alaska MorBloom : "Phosphoric Acid, Muriate of Potash, Segoing Fish. Also says Chlorine is 8%!! Is that the bad part? Also says pH value is 0.5"

I have no luck finding the salt index of Alaska product, and I'm OK with its low pH, once diluted with my pH 8 water. Someone posted in the soil forum that 1 teaspoon of salt is enough to pollute 5 gallons of water.

Here is a link that might be useful: How much salt is in the fertilizer?

I don't use Neptune but Spray n Grow has a fish emulsion called Bill's Perfect Fertilizer that I do use and like. I think any kind of organic material added to the soil is beneficial. I can't compost here because of city ordinances so the fish emulsion is easy to use for me.

I know I mentioned it before, but when my next door neighbor takes his grandkids fishing, they bring me back one or two small fish (about 4 or 5 inches long) for the garden. I bury them in the rose beds. The roses near the dead fish graves are humongous, but that could be their maturity relative to their other rosy neighbors and not any magical benefit of ex-fishies.

I don't recommend this for folks with outdoor kitties.

I use horse manure both aged and fresh depending on the time of year. At least twice a year I apply alfalfa tea. The tea is made of alfalfa, fish oil emulsion, epsom salts, chicken poop (thank you neighbor), bunny poop (thank you other neighbor), molasses .. water. Left to age in a 100 gallon bucket for a week. The ingredients vary by what is on hand.
I hesitate to explain what I do since our growing conditions are so very different. Here in the PNW it rains, rains and then rains some more in the winter; except this year almost no rain from Thanksgiving through Christmas. ElNino is coming to a glorious end. Summers no rain. I dont need to worry about salt or any build up in the soil. It rains away and the soil is glacial rock which helps with the cleansing of the soil.
When I first began gardening at this location I had a soil sample test done. The above ingredients compliment the shortages in the soil. This year two of the gardens will be 3 years old. I plan to have the soils in this are retested. The roses for the most part are doing fine. Last springs brutal multiple freeze/thaw cycles sure proved a challenge.
At the beautiful Rose Test Garden in Portland, OR, the stated that Zoo Doo surrounding the roses and Spring time application of Nitrogen is all that they need to do.
Again not recommending what you should do. This works here.
I use no chemical fertilizers nor spray for bugs or disease. Hope this was useful information.
Jeannie

Thanks to Seil, Laura, and Jeannie for info. on fish fertillizer. I have just looked at the ENTIRE photo collection of roses that Seil posted on HMF. Absolutely radiant and stunning in colors - some of hers that I'm lusting after: English Sonnet, Memorial Day, Summer Fashion, and Iobelle. Seil's bushes are loaded - so the fish emulsion must had done its work.

Hi Jeannie: Unfortunately the horse manure I'm getting has lime in it (to deodorize the stalls). It's tested above 8. In the soil forum, someone else reported their horse manure tested a 10 in pH, extremely alkaline. I agree with you 100% that SOLUBLE fertilizer is needed to get to the root zone. EarthCo., the company that tested my soil, stated that nitrogen moves with water, but phosphorus (for blooms), and potassium stay put where it is applied.

I have zero luck solving cholorosis in my white pines, rhododendrons, azaleas with SURFACE application of blood meal (with iron), alfalfa meal, nor espresso from Starbucks. Finally I threw lemon rinds in my used kitchen water and watered one yellowish rhododendron. Within 1 month, it became dark green compared to the control. My soil pH is 7.7, and my water pH is 8. There's a news article on how lemons prevent kidney stones.

I have used Neptune fish emulsion and on the whole I think it is beneficial. I do think that I put too much on my citrus (inside in pots) over the winter and they practically defoliated. Citrus is more sensitive to salt build up than many plants and it was done at a time when the plants were vulnerable - near the end of winter after being watered for months with our high mineral water and no rain water to wash it out.

Aside from Neptune, the roses are fertilized with Rosetone annually, with 10-10-10 (maybe once every 5 years), with alfalfa (for the first time this year), and the nearby bulbs get bulb food and so I guess the roses do too.

Cath

I have an old jug of it and am concerned that bacteria would build up in it. Does anyone know if old fish emulsion that has been outside in hot weather would be teeming with bacteria? Mainly I don't want to expose myself to that.

Hi Cath: Years ago I used bulb food (with bone meal) for my spring bulbs. I don't use bone meal anymore after University of Colorado stated that neither bonemeal nor rock phosphate are functional at pH above 7. Years ago I watered my wave petunia with soluble high-phosphorus MiracleGro, it was great, until the plant turned brown from salt build-up. I learn from my mistakes ...

Hi Erasmus: Ancient Romans ate fermented fish, so did other cultures (like burying fish until stinky, then eat it!). There's the Thai fish sauce, which is fermented fish loaded with bacteria - the salt kills the bad guys. So if people eat that stuff, then it must be OK.

Bacteria from fish emulsion is still safer than the risk of mad cow from blood meal or bone meal. Karl Bapst recommended safer pigs' blood from slaughter house - only if I can find one nearby - LOL!