Saw a post where Joe_Dirt23 looks like he is composting some salmon fillets. Has anyone tried placing a fillet or a fish in the pot they are going to plant in a la Native American style of planting. At least I think I was taught that the Indians placed a fish in the hole that they planted a seed as a form of fert when they planted. Seems like it would be right up the organic growers list of possibilities.
@storz The drawback with that is something like a raccoon or skunk will come along and dig out the fish and eat it and screw your seedling in the process. I've had it happen with the alfalfa pellets I was using. Skunks dug up 3 plants in one night so that ended that. BNW
Fish Compost – Can You Compost Fish Scraps And Waste Compost it....outside will attract pests, burying fish inside would stink to high hell.
Its an inside grow so no pests and I have an exhaust fan/filter...so other than the possible smell, is there any other reason NOT to do this?
Well rooting meat will attract pests for 1, maggots being 1 I've seen on way to many fish carcusses. It doesn't seem like your much of an avid fisherman and do not realize to what extent rotting fish in your home will be. This isn't something a filter is going to cover up. I threw the plastic bed liner away that was in a truck that a few lost fish ended up under the tool box for a bit. Pressure washer, bleach and whatever else I could throw at it didn't work. Once the fish oils get into something it's a bitch to get out. I've had a few stomach turning incidents with rotting forgotten about fish carcusses over the years. Lost a few coolers, bait buckets and such. Definitely not something you want rotting inside. As the fish rots juices/oils will probably seep out of the drain holes or fabric of your containers contaminating the surrounding area. I can almost guarantee at some point your grow will get to a point you won't want to enter. If composting isn't an option maybe some sort of cold press and make a nutrient like Neptune harvest fish fert. Still going to stink like a mofo
used to fish a lot and you are freaking right, I forgot how nasty the smell can be to eradicate should it be necessary. I too have had to throw stuff away b/c it just didn't smell quite right no mater how hard I tried to clean it. So, THANK YOU for jogging my memory! Forget it!!!!!
I have heard of putting a fish head in the planting hole with some other amendments just before transplanting.....usually in much warmer areas so I have never tried it as it would take "forever" for it to be even usable to the plant as the soil here isn't warm for very long with a 4' freeze line but I do employ 3 sisters gardening if/when I have the chance....very hit and miss though in my climate without a green house and heat tapes. I suppose it could be done in an inside grow but it has to be ~18" under on all sides to work.....that's a lot of soil, maggots and potential critters you do not want
Composting is definitely a viable option, collect some saw dust and figure out something secure to keep it in outside while it composts. I bet it would make awesome compost. I would love to add homemade fish compost to my compost heap. If I could come up with a way to compost it with out attracting pests or wanting to barf it would definitely be something I could take advantage of. Buying fish might be kind of wasteful and not very environmentally sound, but I along with most everyone I run around with are avid Fishermen so guts are abundant
The salmon fillets are really pumpkin. (Read Joes's Thread) Burying pumpkin ensures a happy worm population! If you bury fish, the trick is to use lime. Cover completely in powdered lime and bury. Make it very small pieces, or use small fish. I wouldn't do it where I live, due to bears. I don't do a lot of things outside due to bears though. I have read about the lime fooling raccoons. If you want to use fish inside, I would use fish meal. It doesn't stink and works great. DTE makes a fishmeal that is 8-6-0. The lime isn't needed with fish meal. cheers os
Cover your fish racks with good soil or some compost. Top heavily with straw. Then lay a bunch of small cedar tree posts, or something else that cannot be moved by the critters but still lets air flow. Small trees work the best. Pull the straw away a couple months later(2-6 months depending on ambient temps), and plant in it, yeehaa! The soil will be black as night, and screaming for immediate farming! Happy composting.
I bury a lot of carcasses (birds mostly, but also lobster and fish) and hardly ever deal with the pests or critters provided I bury it 12"+. I would not recommend this indoors but it sounds like you already have changed your mind on that. A much better option is making Fish Amino Acid using brown sugar and cover it for 2-6 months. The smell is nothing like fish emulsion, and the fermentation is not as nasty as it sounds. Equal parts 1:1 ratio of fish to brown sugar. https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/SA-12.pdf
When I was a kid I planted corn in my parents yard using 1 herring per planting hole.. They grew like crazy and produced a ton of ears as I recall.
Happened to me to, raccoons turned buckets over dug out the bunker fish, one of my dumbest growing mistakes
I've heard that adding some lime on top of the fish in your outdoor garden removes the smell that attracts digging animals. It's what I've been doing with my compost pile and have never had a fish dug up. Maybe, I've just been lucky.