Alaska fish fert.

renoboy · April 15, 2011

A friend recently gave me two bottles of Alaska fish fert. I have never used this product before and was wondering if it is a viable product. It is listed as 5-1-1, so I guess it is meant to be mainly a nitrogen source? Is it intended only as a foliar feeder or can it be used in watering the plant itself? What is the benefit of fish emultion, say on Tomatoes, peppers, melons, cucumber.......will it hurt any of these plants?

RayR · April 15, 2011

I've never used a straight liquid fish emulsion product, but I don't believe it is intended to be used as a foliar feed. The label should have the recommended applications and rates.
I have however used combination liquid fish/seaweed as an occasional foliar feed and as a soil drench with good results.
Like any other organic fertilizer, it won't burn your plants but like any other fast acting fertilizer—too much or too often can have other detrimental effects.
What other fertilizer(s) do you normally use for your vegetables?

panhandler · April 15, 2011

Be aware that the Lily Miller brand Alaska Fish Fertilizer 5-1-1 is no longer OMRI-listed. I think it may have something to do with heavy metals from the heating process in its production. I noticed that the new packaging for it states that it is "natural" and NOT to be used for organic growing.

I use Neptune's Harvest now. But I've used the Alaska 5-1-1 when it was OMRI. It worked fine for me. I didn't use it as a foliar spray, just diluted and applied at the base of plants.

renoboy · April 15, 2011

Ray R......I use a few different things......tomato tone, mater magic , compost , and bone meal on just about everything.......used to use alot of MG, but I'm trying to get away from that. Panhandler, I'm not overly concerned about being "totally organic".....as long as I'm not making this terrible Nevada soil slightly more toxic than it already is....lol......thank you both for the input!

wingnut · May 9, 2011

panhandler it is not heavy metals, but high levels of chlorine in the water used to process their product. At least that,s what I've been told. I use it still with the same fantastic results.

bryanccfshr · September 4, 2011

I use it as a drench and also use it at 1 oz a gallon with the same amount of maxi crop seaweed and mollasses as a foliar feed and as a root drench. Works great

gtnate · September 7, 2011

Reno,

I use fish fert early in the season, not as a foliar feed but instead by just adding it to the watering can.

Once a week I would mix in about a tablespoon of the fish fertilizer per gallon of water when I did my watering. I did this for about a month, then switched to a more balanced (less nitrogen heavy) fertilizer for the rest of the season. It seemed to work really for me, and I will probably do exactly the same next year.

April 15, 2011	#1
renoboy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: 89441 Posts: 9	Alaska fish fert. A friend recently gave me two bottles of Alaska fish fert. I have never used this product before and was wondering if it is a viable product. It is listed as 5-1-1, so I guess it is meant to be mainly a nitrogen source? Is it intended only as a foliar feeder or can it be used in watering the plant itself? What is the benefit of fish emultion, say on Tomatoes, peppers, melons, cucumber.......will it hurt any of these plants?

September 4, 2011	#6
bryanccfshr Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2007 Location: Farmington, Nm Posts: 450	I use it as a drench and also use it at 1 oz a gallon with the same amount of maxi crop seaweed and mollasses as a foliar feed and as a root drench. Works great __________________ I moved!

April 15, 2011	#2
RayR Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Cheektowaga, NY Posts: 2,466	I've never used a straight liquid fish emulsion product, but I don't believe it is intended to be used as a foliar feed. The label should have the recommended applications and rates. I have however used combination liquid fish/seaweed as an occasional foliar feed and as a soil drench with good results. Like any other organic fertilizer, it won't burn your plants but like any other fast acting fertilizer—too much or too often can have other detrimental effects. What other fertilizer(s) do you normally use for your vegetables?

April 15, 2011	#3
panhandler Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Northwest Florida Posts: 49	Be aware that the Lily Miller brand Alaska Fish Fertilizer 5-1-1 is no longer OMRI-listed. I think it may have something to do with heavy metals from the heating process in its production. I noticed that the new packaging for it states that it is "natural" and NOT to be used for organic growing. I use Neptune's Harvest now. But I've used the Alaska 5-1-1 when it was OMRI. It worked fine for me. I didn't use it as a foliar spray, just diluted and applied at the base of plants.

May 9, 2011	#5
wingnut Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2011 Location: bald hill area thurston county washington Posts: 312	panhandler it is not heavy metals, but high levels of chlorine in the water used to process their product. At least that,s what I've been told. I use it still with the same fantastic results.

September 7, 2011	#7
gtnate Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Maryland Posts: 88	Reno, I use fish fert early in the season, not as a foliar feed but instead by just adding it to the watering can. Once a week I would mix in about a tablespoon of the fish fertilizer per gallon of water when I did my watering. I did this for about a month, then switched to a more balanced (less nitrogen heavy) fertilizer for the rest of the season. It seemed to work really for me, and I will probably do exactly the same next year.