Is fish emulsion fertilizer good for roses? Let’s find out.
Hint: Yes!
But first, what are fertilizers? They are substances that improve crop yield (growth) by increasing land fertility.
Now, we have two types of fertilizers:
- Organic
- Inorganic
The fish emulsion fertilizer is in the organic category. Now, let’s talk about this topic in detail.
What is Fish Emulsion Fertilizer?
Fish emulsion is a liquid organic fertilizer. As the name suggests, it is made from fishing industry byproducts.
Any guesses what are these byproducts?
Fish meal, fish scraps, and fish oil are some byproducts used to make fish emulsion fertilizer.
Now the question is, why is it important?
It provides nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. It is also a source of trace elements such as sulfur, chlorine, calcium, magnesium and sodium.
Note that the N-P-K ratio of most fish emulsion fertilizers is 4-1-1.
Now you might be wondering, what is meant by NPK ratio? Here’s what you should know.
What Does “4-1-1” Mean?
As I mentioned above, it shows the percentage of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
So, most fish emulsion fertilizers contain:
- 4% Nitrogen
- 1% Phosphorus
- 1% Potassium
This shows they are high in nitrogen and lower in phosphorus and potassium. Nitrogen is great for roses as it promotes healthy, vigorous leaf growth.
Now you might wonder, why are phosphorus and potassium good for roses?
Remember that phosphorus is essential for roses as it promotes root development and flower production.
The 1% potassium helps roses recover from extreme weather conditions, and insect damage.
Now when you know something about the fish emulsion fertilizer, it’s time to move on to the next topic.
Is Fish Emulsion Fertilizer Good For Roses?
Yes! This organic option is great for roses.
Overview: Is fish emulsion fertilizer good for roses? Yes! Nitrogen is essential for roses as it promotes healthy, vigorous leaf growth. It is an all-purpose feeding option as it contains trace elements as well. As it is fast-acting, it stimulates quick shoot growth and greening.
Let me explain this in detail.
It is a source of nitrogen.
Nitrogen is essential for roses as it promotes healthy, vigorous leaf growth.
Now the question is, why is it important?
Note that a rose’s ability to produce flowers resides in its leaves. This means that healthy foliage leads to more flowers.
Interesting, isn’t it?
But, here are some things that you should consider as well.
If your soil already has a high nitrogen content, fish emulsion fertilizer can burn the roots (if applied in excess). So, do not apply too much fertilizer in this case.
The idea is that as fish fertilizer has high nitrogen content, you should dilute your emission with water.
Remember that nitrogen deficiency leads to slow growth and reduced tiller development. This makes fish emulsion good for roses.
With this, let’s jump straight to the next point.
It is a source of phosphorus and potassium.
Potassium allows water, carbohydrates, and nutrients to travel through a plant’s tissue.
The best part?
It also activates enzymes to produce ATP (adenosine triphosphate) as well as starch and protein. Great for roses, isn’t it?
With phosphorus, roses send nutrients throughout their plant system, photosynthesize, and transfer energy.
As we discussed earlier, fish emulsion fertilizer provides calcium, magnesium, sodium, sulfur, and chlorine as well.
This takes us straight to the next point.
It is fast-acting.
Unlike compost which acts as a slow-release fertilizer, fish emulsion transfers nutrients quickly.
But, why is it important?
We know that roses are heavy feeders. So, the fast-acting fish fertilizer encourages a rapid recovery from nutrient deficiency.
It is done by stimulating quick shoot growth and greening.
Over here, here’s something that you should understand.
Quick-release fertilizers perform similar functions as slow-release types, only at a faster rate.
It is organic.
I have a question. Is fish fertilizer organic?
It probably seems like a dumb question – why wouldn’t fish extracts be organic?
Here’s why.
In the process of converting fish scraps into fertilizer, companies may add some chemicals and odour inhibitors.
Note that the fertilizer will be called organic if these ingredients form less than 1% of the finished product.
That said, the fish emulsion fertilizer leads to a more vigorous growth and bloom production in roses.
Plus, the natural decomposition process feeds the microbes in the soil. Remember that microbes maintain your soil health.
With this, let’s move straight to our next point.
It is an all-purpose feeding option for roses.
Here’s a thing. Rose gardeners face some of these problems:
- The plant is big but has no flowers.
- Blooms are small and pale.
- The plant has weak stems.
- Leaves don’t shine.
AND MORE…
If roses obtain nutrients in proper quantity, you can solve these problems easily.
As we discussed earlier, the fish emulsion fertilizer provides trace elements along with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
Great for roses, isn’t it?
It can be used as a foliar spray or soil drench. Plus, it can also be added to the compost pile.
Note: Soil drenching is the process of adding diluted controlled products to the base of a plant.
So, here’s the takeaway.
The fish emulsion fertilizer is a good organic option for roses. Now when you know this, let’s see how to make fish emulsion fertilizer at home.
How to make fish emulsion fertilizer?
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to make fish emulsion fertilizer at home.
Gathering of materials:
You will need:
- Whole or canned fish
- Unsulfured molasses
- Water
- Sawdust
- A screen to strain off insoluble parts
- A bucket (five-gallon) and a lid with holes
When you have these materials, move on to the next step.
Combination of the substances:
First of all, fill 50% of the bucket with equal parts of fish and sawdust. Now, add a cup of molasses.
After this, add water to cover the ingredients. You should mix the contents thoroughly. When you are done, seal the bucket with a lid (with holes) to allow airflow.
This takes us straight to the third step.
Stir and strain:
Now, you have to stir the mixture every day for two weeks (to break down the contents).
After you are done, strain out solids with the screen and collect the liquid in another container.
With this, the fertilizer is ready to be used on roses.
Further reading:
Is Bone Meal Fertilizer Good For Peonies?
Can I Use 10 10 10 Fertilizer For Azaleas | Complete Guide
Now you might be wondering, how to use this fertilizer. Here’s everything you need to know.
How and When To Fertilize Roses?
This is how you can use the fish emulsion fertilizer.
How:
- Perform a soil test.
As the name suggests, it determines the fertility of your soil.
Let me explain.
It typically evaluates organic matter, pH, buffer pH and more. So, you can easily determine the amount of fertilizer to use.
After a soil test, move on to the next step.
- Dilute the fish emulsion fertilizer with water.
Before fertilizing roses, you have to add water to the fertilizer. Let me explain.
- Add two tablespoons (1/2 ounce) of fish emulsion to 1 gallon of water.
When you are done, pour this mixture into a spray bottle.
Now, apply this mixture to the roses and water after fertilizing. This will help roses take up the emulsion.
Simple, right?
When:
Generally, this fertilizer should be added twice a week to the plants.
This frequency is also recommended by the researchers of North Carolina State University.
The best part?
The nutrient ratios in the fish emulsion fertilizer are mild. So, the chances of “burning” the plant are low.
Now, I have a question for you. Is fertilization in spring a good idea?
Yes!
In spring, new growth starts. This means that nutrient uptake begins as the soil temperature increases.
The main idea is that your fertilizing schedule should be based on how often the rose is blooming.
Here’s how.
Generally, roses should be fertilized after each bloom cycle. For the best application rates, you should follow the instructions on the package.
With this, let’s move on straight to the next topic.
The Disadvantages:
We know that the fish emulsion fertilizer is good for roses.
But, nothing is perfect. Here are some drawbacks of this fertilizer.
- It is not preferred by vegan gardeners.
This is because it is an animal-derived fertilizer.
On the other hand, it requires frequent applications. So, you will have to do some additional work to apply it twice a week.
- It has an unpleasant odour.
As this fertilizer is made up of fish parts, the unpleasant fishy smell is undesirable for gardeners.
This odour can attract flies and cats. Note that deodorized fish emulsion is commonly available as well.
- Overfertilization can harm your plant.
Here’s the idea.
The fish emulsion fertilizer has a high concentration of nitrogen. So, overusing it can burn plants’ roots.
This takes us straight to the next topic.
Is Fish Emulsion Fertilizer Good For Tomatoes?
Yes! This organic option is good for tomatoes.
Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium. calcium, magnesium, and other trace minerals are good for a tomato plant.
Note that the calcium content will help prevent blossom end rot from happening. As it is fast-acting, the nutrients are quickly available for your tomato plant.
You should remember that over-fertilization can burn your plant as well.
Related:
Is Mushroom Compost Good For Tomatoes?
With that being said, let’s jump straight to the conclusion.
Wrapping Up:
So, there you have it.
Is fish emulsion fertilizer good for roses? Yes. It is a great organic option for roses.
To summarise, it is a source of nitrogen, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and other trace minerals.
The best part is that it is fast-acting and organic.
However, there are some drawbacks as well. Overall, I recommend you try this organic option.
If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch. Stay tuned for more.
Further reading:
30-10-10 Fertilizer | The Ultimate Guide
When to Fertilize Lawn in Florida?