Quote:
Originally Posted by efisakov
As gross as it may sound, I do. We clean fish and all that is normally disposed I put in my tomato beds and containers. Plants love it. Guts decompose quickly, bones and heads take longer, but they still do. Apparently fish has all the things tomatoes need to grow well. I dig a hole 1 foot deep and make hill of soil above. During the time I can not do that (freezing temperature outside or when tomatoe roots have taken entire bed) I freeze fish in small conglomerates to add to soil once I can. Every respectful fishermen has a freezer for the fish they catch and the bait (we freeze fish whole to prevent freeze burn, though not all varieties taste good frozen anyways, we never freeze fluke or stripe bass).
Early Spring/late Fall I put fish in the middle of the tomato bed, because the plants are going in two rows, so if some parts are still decomposing, they are in a middle and serve as food for both rows. In containers I put fish to the side, because plants are going to be in a middle.
When tomatoes are planted and I have more fish to add I do that in small amounts between tomatoes on the side of the bed.
That is why they are growing so tall and with many side shoots. I only prune bottom 1-1.5 feet.
Expect to get a problem with so much fish added. The plants will love it. There are no smell, as many think will accompany fish burial. But the ANTS will come. I purchased borax recently. All other things deter them but not kill them.
I am not given up on the best food for my plants just because of the ants. Plus that food is free as we fish ourselves and otherwise would be disposed.
Besides fish we add lobsters and shrimps parts. Crustaceans are great for tomatoes. There is something in chitin that helps them to fight diseases, or at least there are claims of that on some websites.
Hope it helps.
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Thats exactly what I was wondering... how often and how much. We have a huge freezer as we are respectable fishermen also.. lol. We keep bait for our crab traps (fish carcasses or bait fish we caught) and also the fish fo eating, cleaned crab and shrimp in it. I have used fish in the ground but only put it in once a year (thought I had to bury it two feet down) but you have inspired me to use more and try to grow more plants in the ground.
Do you add any other fertilizer at all? Do you always put it 1 ft down?
Did i read correctly that you use it in your pots?
Thanks for all the detailed information. Fish carcasses, crab shells and shrimp heads are something we do not have a shortage of and we do try to use them, (for example using the fish carcases in our crab traps).
Ginny