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Handcrafted Orchids Fertilizer
Manure Tea To make manure tea you will have to mix five parts of cow manure to one part water. This can be made in a large container such as a five gallon storage container or bucket. You can also make it in a big burlap sack or a pillow case. If made in the container, you will have to strain it. If you make it in a sack that you have suspended over a container to drain (maybe a big plastic container or a bucket) you won’t have to strain it. No matter which container you use, allow the mixture to sit for at least a week or two. Then either drain the mixture through some material and throw out the solids or take the manure filled bag (letting all of the liquids drain out) and throw out the bag. You can use this mixture as a “stand alone” supplement for your orchids or you can buy fertilizer at the store and give your plants a little of that as well. The advantage to adding the store bought mixture is that it has a standard chemical composition and you won’t be sure what you’re getting with the homemade stuff. If you want to do it all at home though, you can certainly just use your manure tea. Fish and Seaweed Emulsion It’s advantageous to make your own fish and seaweed emulsion. First of all, it’s cheaper than buying it. Secondly, it contains some nutrients that are not found in commercial varieties as commercial varieties are made from the leftovers of commercially processed fish, rather than whole fish parts. Homemade emulsions also have more aerobic bacteria which are good for your orchids. If commercial products contained aerobic bacteria the containers would eventually burst on the shelves. To make this fertilizer at home you can use either fresh or frozen fish or any variety of inexpensive canned fish. Keep the juices from the can. These juices or oils are excellent for breeding microbes and add plenty of additional protein to the emulsion. If you use canned fish, mix it up with a little compost or garden soil and let it decompose for a few days. Canned products contain preservatives and you will want to break them down before using the products as fertilizer so that the preservatives don’t kill all the healthy microbes in the tea. Fresh or dried seaweed also works well. You can buy either in Asian grocery stores. Chop it up well before brewing your seaweed tea as it decomposes better that way. If using fish, compost it in a five gallon bucket or container with a lid. Put enough leaves, straw or sawdust in the bucket to fill it halfway. The additions of these items will help make the mixture less smelly. Add some molasses to build up some good microbes. This will help in the decomposition process. The sugar in the molasses will also help keep down the smell of the rotting fish. Once you make the mixture, put a lid on it. Open it every day or two and mix it up to keep the microbes in it growing. This mixture should decompose for a week or two. You can also add a couple of tablespoons of Epsom salts. They contain magnesium and sulfur. So enjoy your orchids. Your homemade fertilizers are sure to keep them healthy! Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com Paul Pigmans is publisher of www.OrchidsGrowingInfoGuide.com. On his website he provides information on orchids fertilizer, and FREE resources on orchid care, watering, lighting, diseases and pests, propagating, and other general information on growing orchids. You can also register for FREE Mini-Course on how to care for your orchids. |
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