I'm looking for some type of fertilizer (ideally in liquid concentrate form) to add to my water once a week for my vegetables, at least thus far in the early stage.
My mom and dad have used fish emulsion and that has worked well for them at least on flowers.
I do not want any chemical fertilizers.
What have you used in the past that has worked?
The folks here seem to have good luck with fish emulsion and kelp emulsion, but the best liquid fertilizer (I hate to call it that because it is so much more) in my opinion has got to be [url=https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=17097]compost tea[/url]. Definitely read the whole thread, it just gets better and better 
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The benefits are much much more than just nutritional; the actual technical stuff about how the tea works. It is a really worthwhile read.
.The benefits are much much more than just nutritional; the actual technical stuff about how the tea works. It is a really worthwhile read.
I absolutely agree with garden5 on the benefits of compost tea. I use the fish/kelp emulsion for seedling food, or "early stage", as you put it. Then when I get them transplanted into the garden and the risk of burning the plant is lower, I start in with my horse manure tea. Garden5 is right, it really is so much more than just a fertilizer.
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rainbowgardener
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Fish emulsion is great stuff. But if you don't have seedlings sprouted yet, hold off on anything. The baby seedling gets food from the seed. You don't want to be forcing growth when it's just trying to get started and establish roots. Don't fertilize at all at least until it has the first true leaves.
Only caveat about fish emulsion. I had good results with it, but I had to give up using it, because I have indoor and outdoor cats and the smell of it drives them crazy. The cats would always dig up my plants trying to get to the source of that wonderful (to them!
) smell.
Only caveat about fish emulsion. I had good results with it, but I had to give up using it, because I have indoor and outdoor cats and the smell of it drives them crazy. The cats would always dig up my plants trying to get to the source of that wonderful (to them!
) smell.Also, to add to what RG said, hold off on the fish emulsion as the seedling get bigger and especially before you plant them outside. Every skunk and raccoon within smelling distance will be digging up your transplants.rainbowgardener wrote:Fish emulsion is great stuff. But if you don't have seedlings sprouted yet, hold off on anything. The baby seedling gets food from the seed. You don't want to be forcing growth when it's just trying to get started and establish roots. Don't fertilize at all at least until it has the first true leaves.
Only caveat about fish emulsion. I had good results with it, but I had to give up using it, because I have indoor and outdoor cats and the smell of it drives them crazy. The cats would always dig up my plants trying to get to the source of that wonderful (to them!
I'm glad we could help. The tea thread ONLY GETS BETTER, by the wayRyanDe680 wrote:Great advice, thanks guys.
I was going to wait until my plants had at least 2 leaves to begin the fish emulsion. I know for now until they have sprouted that it wouldn't do any good.
Thank you!
FYI, I'm still reading the tea thread!!!
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