Long Awaited Fish Emulsion

You, too can have a garden like this. Personally I don't know how, but they have it and this is a real picture. Hmmm, maybe "they" also have gardeners and butlers?

Now, for today's tutorial on natural fertilizers:

Magnesium and sulfur are the two major components of Epsom Salt (drat, you were supposed to be able to click on this thing and be zapped over to the page about Epsom salt...good thing I'm not Scottie on Star Trek!). Crop researchers have determined that magnesium is:
A critical mineral for seed germination.
Vital to the production of chlorophyll, which plants use to transform sunlight into food.
An aid in the absorption of phosphorus and nitrogen, two of the most important fertilizer components.
Sulfur, the other major component of Epsom Salt, is also an important plant nutrient. Sulfur may:
Contribute to chlorophyll production.
Make the primary nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) found in most fertilizers more effective.
Although magnesium and sulfur occur naturally in soil, they can be depleted by various conditions, including heavy agricultural use over time. But unlike most commercial fertilizers, which build up in the soil over time, Epsom Salt is not persistent so you can't overuse it. Tests by the National Gardening Association confirm - roses fertilized with Epsom Salt grow bushier and produce more flowers, while the compound makes pepper plants grow larger than those treated with commercial fertilizer alone.

Just sprinkle it around the base of your roses/bushes and work it into the soil a little. It is also great for soaking sore feet or bodies, but I'm not too sure about migraines and soaking your head (poor Amy at A Redeemed Sheep is suffering right now from a terrible migraine and might be ready to try this!) SUPER bonus with Epsom salts = no odor!!

BONE MEAL

Bone meal is an excellent source of phosphorus with lower levels of nitrogen, calcium, and very little potassium. Bone meal is used for fruit and flower production.

It is also great because they don't go on and on about it! This is powdery, so be careful not to just "dump" it unless you like bone meal up your nose (I speak from experience here!)
It also has an odor you would not want to wear to, let's say, go to church or the mall or inside...you get the idea!

Blood Meal (now this one REALLY looked hopeful for getting zapped over to the info page where I got this because it made a little hand when I first did it! Looks like the little hand is just waving bye bye to me now!!!)

1. Keep your plant soil healthy with this nitrogen rich fertilizer Water and sunshine aren’t the only factors to a healthy, vibrant garden. You'll need good, mineral filled soil as well. Depending upon the crops you grow, soil that has been too often planted can start to lose its growing potential. Over time, the minerals and nutrients plants need to grow and stay healthy become depleted. Blood meal helps restore these lost nutrients and revitalizes fatigued gardening beds. Blood meal is an all natural powdered fertilizer that contains one of the highest, non-synthetic nitrogen counts (12-0-0) available. Made from powdered and dried livestock blood, Blood meal is an all natural, 100% organic fertilizer that is:
   Economically priced
   
2. (Bet you're wondering how I got this little 2 to appear here...well, I'm wondering too!)Easy to use
   Safe to store anywhere
   Works in gardens, yards, lawns, and soil beds
   Available in large bags for industrial applications
   Perfect for revitalizing soils that have been heavily worked
   Scent serves as a deterrent to common garden pests such as rabbits and deer
   Also helps accelerate composting breakdown of carbon based composts such as leaves and straw





3. Whoa, this three popped up out of nowhere, but I can deal with this. I just wanted to add that blood meal is supposed to also deter pets and deer and we haven't had a single deer in our fenced in neighborhood backyard, so it's working! Maybe I can make a four pop up...let's see...





4. Yah Hoo, but now I need to say something...hmmm. Okay, do not use blood meal inside your home or it will deter husbands, children and neighbors...also, just because it says blood meal does NOT mean it is a meal!
   Saving the "star of the show" for last...Tah Dah!!! Here comes the fish emulsion. In Arizona and maybe even here (one time), I could find it at Wal Mart, but now the only place I can find it is at Home Depot. You will love it...it does not disappoint...the "bouquet" is incredible, you will have many doggie friends as well as any other creatures drawn to all that smells disgusting. On the up side, your plants will be ever so happy and green and growing strong.

5.

Sorry about this...numbers are popping up everywhere just because I hit that bullet thing for one section! Fish emulsion has been a staple (NOT for meals, just for gardening) in my family for many years. MY son became a convert after living with us for awhile and used it at his home, on a tree that was just like his neighbor's tree and they were side by side. MY son's tree grew much larger and leafier than the other untreated tree. Wish I had a picture here as it was impressive.

Now fish emulsion is a liquid and not a pretty sight when it glops out of the bottle, but I save old milk cartons and count to 10 or 12 while it oozes out, then fill it with water the rest of the way, cap it and shake it and it's ready to go. Do the environment/your family/friends (if you want to keep them) a favor and really wash up well after this one.

If you use all these wonderful products, you too can have produce like this:

(How adorable is this?)

~~Thank you , Lord for the blessings of all these fine, yet smelly things, that help us to care for Your Creation in a sensitive way.