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Fish emulsion is a type of organic liquid fertilizer made from fish waste. While fish emulsion can be produced from many different types of fish (including wild caught salmon), a small fish called Menhaden is the most common source of this liquid fertilizer. An oily, bony fish with little edible meat, Menhaden comes from the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea.

How are liquid organic fertilizers made? The fish is steam-heated and then transferred to a large pressing equipment where the liquids and precious fish oil is rendered. All the solid substances are made into animal feed, while the oil is further refined into fish oil. As for the remaining liquids, it is simmered until it is transformed into a thickened fish emulsion.

To prevent decay and gas fermentation, a minute quantity of phosphoric acid is mixed with the fish emulsion. However, this mixture is still considered organic since the preservative is below 1%.

Since there is a wide range of fish emulsion fertilizers and blends in the market, the exact percentages of nutrients vary. Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K) each make up about 2% of the typical organic fish emulsion, while Nitrogen is higher at 5%. Micronutrients are also present in liquid fish emulsions.

Some organic farmers and gardeners that can easily and cheaply source for fish parts, find it practical to produce their own homemade fish emulsions. It is quite a dirty job but these farmers are not adverse to such tasks, which are generally part of organic farming.

Our lawns and gardens are craving something natural to help them thrive, the way nature intended. Fish emulsion has been a prime organic fertilizer used by our ancestors for centuries. I’m uncertain as to how anyone ever thought that synthetic fertilizers would benefit our environment, but someone did. Hands down, though, organic fertilizer out shines chemical fertilizers every time.

Fish emulsion is a by-product of fish, one of the best fish for fertilization purposes is called the Menhaden which means “that which manures”. Appropriate, eh? It is an organic, renewable source that has served as an amazing organic fertilizer for centuries. Our ancestors used this fish to enhance their crops years ago before synthetic fertilizers were even thought of.

A much desired quality of fish emulsion as organic fertilizer is that it offers instant gratification. One misconception many people have is that all organic fertilizers don’t act fast enough. True, some organic fertilizers are slow acting but not fish emulsion. Your plants benefit almost immediately after its application. Some other organic fertilizers leave you waiting. Often their ingredients need some time to decompose and release their nutrients. You have to be careful to store fish emulsion at room temperature so that it doesn’t degrade before you want it to as it will in excessive heat.

What fish and parts of the fish are used for making fish fertilizer? By-products or waste materials from various types of fish are used. And although technically several varieties of fish can be used, mostly Menhaden fish that contain few amounts of meat and used for making animal feed are used.

The first step is to cook the fish and to squeeze its juice and oils by pressing. The oil is removed while the leftover solids can be ground and baked into protein meals and fed to animals. The juice of the fish is brought to a boil until it becomes more concentrated and results in a fish emulsion.

To prevent decay and gas fermentation, a minute quantity of phosphoric acid is mixed with the fish emulsion. However, this mixture is still considered organic since the preservative is below 1%.

Since there is a wide range of fish emulsion fertilizers and blends in the market, the exact percentages of nutrients vary. Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K) each make up about 2% of the typical organic fish emulsion, while Nitrogen is higher at 5%. Micronutrients are also present in liquid fish emulsions.

Adventurous gardeners make their own liquid fertilizer from fish. It’s a smelly, messy process, but it could be economical for gardeners with a ready supply of fish waste.