Fish meal - Orchid Board

nancy · #1 01-21-2009, 08:30 AM

Greetings -
No idea where to post this! A visit to the local farm and garden brought me home with a 3 lb./1.36 Kg bucket of "earthsafe Organic Fish Meal" 10-5-0. The only directions recommend "10 lb. per 1000 sq. ft., water in thoroughly, repeat every 60 days."
So ... who has used this, how does this dosage translate to potted or mounted orchids?
And, I must say, I've fermented a compost tea made from alfalfa for a month before using it, and this stuff actually smells worse - really horrific, so I suspect that the orchids will love it.
It will stay indoors, as I learned after leaving a plastic bottle of liquid fish fertilizer outside; the possums will not be content until the contents as well as the container have been completely consumed - they are probably sleek and shiny now.
Thanks - Nancy

rogerman · #2 01-21-2009, 09:00 AM

I use water out of my fishpond... I mix a weak of fertilizer solution with the water and that works wonders.

Jkelee · #3 01-21-2009, 10:24 AM

Hi there,
I use what is labeled, Fish emulsion. It is really stinky stuff, but my babies LOVE it!!! My mixture of that, with other stuff every time I fert, has done wonders with my babies!! All the spikes coming out of everything I have right now proves it to me!! It seems to be a God sent! One of my local FAV chid growers told me about it.

orchids3 · #4 01-21-2009, 01:38 PM

Hi,
An elderly woman (92) often needed help with her orchids - so I helped as I could. One day she was in tears when I arrived. She was cleaning out her garage and found an old can of fish emulsion which was marked 1932. She decided to dispose of it but just when she got it over the open trunk of her new Lexus the bottom came out of the gallon can spilling the entire smelly contents into the trunk. I flushed the rugs and padding with water and washed them with soap leaving them to air and dry in the sun and flushed the trunk with soapy water also leaving it open to air out. As far as I know cats still follow that car where ever it goes to this day.
Fish emulsion may or may not be ok for orchids but the smell is hard to deal with.

camille1585 · #5 01-21-2009, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by orchids3

Hi,
An elderly woman (92) often needed help with her orchids - so I helped as I could. One day she was in tears when I arrived. She was cleaning out her garage and found an old can of fish emulsion which was marked 1932. She decided to dispose of it but just when she got it over the open trunk of her new Lexus the bottom came out of the gallon can spilling the entire smelly contents into the trunk. I flushed the rugs and padding with water and washed them with soap leaving them to air and dry in the sun and flushed the trunk with soapy water also leaving it open to air out. As far as I know cats still follow that car where ever it goes to this day.
Fish emulsion may or may not be ok for orchids but the smell is hard to deal with.

Poor lady!! How horrible that something like that had to happen. The smell must be completely embedded in the car. FIsh emulsion is really good for plants (never tried on orchids), but I quickly gave it up, the stench of it makes me want to throw up. I can't stand fishy smells, even fresh fish.

isurus79 · #6 01-21-2009, 02:42 PM

I use a teaspoon per gallon for my guys once a month as a supplement (during the fert season!). I dont know that I noticed any more growth or not but all my plants seem pretty healthy. It does smell bad (I even have the "unscented" stuff) but the smell seems to dissipate in about 24 hours. Remember though that this is just a supplement and you should continue to fertilize normally with your other, regular fertilizer. Ive also heard that the fishy fert will help break down your media faster than normal, though I have not noticed any such effect in the past year. Your Catasetums will LOVE this stuff though! So will your Stans and other heavy feeders!

jkofferdahl · #7 01-21-2009, 03:00 PM

I've never used fish meal, but like Jackie I've had wonderful success using fish emulsion. Though I strongly advise not storing the stuff in a metal container for long decades! It reeks, but orchids love it.

nancy · #8 01-21-2009, 03:13 PM

RE: the liquid fish emulsion - I had a bottle on top of the 'fridge, and it fell (onto the ceramic tile floor) between the appliance and the cabinet. By the time I found it the next morning (probably knocked over by the "embodiment of evil" cat), it was the consistency of brownie batter. That's why I was keeping the other bottle outside for the possums.
Steve - do you use the meal? And mix w/water before using? I've used the liquid on orchids, and aside from the varmint attraction, I do think it promotes very vivid, healthy foliage.
I thought the meal might be more palatable to me, but it really smells kickin'.
Cheers - Nancy

isurus79 · #9 01-22-2009, 04:33 AM

I use fish Alaskan fish emulsion (5-1-1). Sorry, I read your post really quickly and didnt notice that you said meal and not emulsion!

Jkelee · #10 01-22-2009, 07:32 AM

My fish emulsioin is in a brown plastic bottle. Peroxide size. It is brown pasty looking. And aweful smelling, but I tell ya, ever since I've using it, unbelievable growth, and SPIKES!!!! If my local 'Pro sellers' use it, well I listen to them