planting a fish

[GardenRN]

I read somewhere once that native americans used to plant a fish in the middle of their corn field every year. So I was thinking maybe it'd be one of those things worth trying just for the heck of it just to see what happens. Anyone know of any scientific reasons for or against this practice?

I assume the indians did it as an offering. A sacrifice in return for a bountiful harvest.

[DoubleDogFarm]

I believe it was the fish head planted with ever seed. Good source of fertilizer. Nitrogen.


Eric

[jal_ut]

I am sorry to report that it will not grow!

[DoubleDogFarm]

I am sorry to report that it will not grow

Oh, I was hoping 10lbs for ever pound planted.


Eric

[applestar]

Good many years ago, DH went overnight tuna fishing and brought home 4 or 5 (I think) 35~55lb tuna... whole. They had been bled and gutted on the boat, but It took him all evening/late into night to butcher them, using the picnic table as his work surface. I spent the evening trotting trays and trays of cuts into the house and packing them.

He buried the carcass where the tomatoes had grown (the garden season had just passed). He rinsed out and left the empty metal trashcan he used to hold the trash bags and newspapers and paper towels, etc. by the back fence. Next morning, he found an opossum trapped in the bottom of the can.

We had bountiful harvest from the garden next year. But I was finding giant spinebones and other bony parts of the tuna for many years thereafter.

[GardenRN]

so composting meat= good

composting carnivorous animal manure=bad

seems weird.

Or is it just fish? Not beef, pork, veal or chicken.

[TZ -OH6]

Around here racoons digging up the garden is the biggest problem. Dogs rolling in rotten fish dirt is another. Better to put the fish in the compost and let them rot in safety, boosting the nutrient in the compost.

[ruggr10]

This link goes to a site where they show planting tomatoes with fish heads.
She puts the heads in first so that the depth keeps critters away.

I think I'm going to give this a try this year. I just hope the local fish store with have some let me have some heads. If not, I'll be hitting the local fishing hole for some sunfish.

http://www.growbetterveggies.com/growbe ... /tomatoes/

[GardenRN]

that's a really cool site ruggr! Too bad I'm about as far from Ca as possible or I'd gladly hand out $20 for that class! Still, I think I can use what I am gathering from the reading material and get a nice jump. I'm gonna try to plant fish heads under about 1/3 of my tomato plants and do all the stuff they say to do. We'll compare later.

Now...I just ahve to be the weird guy calling around for fish heads in a few months....sheeesh

[BP]

I'm going to try the fish in the soil this year. My Grandfather used to use carcass, guts, and the heads. I go fishing all the time so I won't be lacking the material

[Bobberman]

Fish is one of the best fertilizers you can use in the garden. Did you know that many of the rivers in america had rich flood waters because of the many salmon dying in the river tributaies! The salmon would spawn and die by the thousands for hundreds of years covering the bottom of many creeks and rivers!!

[GardenRN]

Makes a lot of sense bobberman.


I think instead of stinking it up with fish guts and heads I'm just gonna go fishing and stick the fish in the freezer until planting time. They can defrost and begin fermenting a foot beneath my yard!

[ruggr10]

That's a great idea to experiment and see if there's a difference. This is going to be my year to try lots of different things.

I do cherry tomatoes in pots and in the ground and I may try fish in a few pots. Why not? Hopefully they won't smell as they're on the deck next to my grill. I also wondered if it would help to blend up the fish heads and plant a fish paste under the tomatoes. I promised my wife a new blender, so why waste the old!!

Now, if there was anyway to fertilize with all the crows that come into my yard, especially on garbage day? I would love to plant a few in my backyard!!!!

[rainbowgardener]

Fish and fish emulsion is good fertilizer. As TZ noted, I can't use it, because the cats and raccoons go crazy for it. I don't know how deep you would have to plant the fish for them not to go after it. I have trouble finding any organic fertilizer to plant seedling trees with that won't cause the raccoons to dig the tree up to get to the fertilizer.

[GardenRN]

bobberman- fish side dressing? stinky smell mess...no offense man, but I think that falls in the "bad idea" category. Bury it!

Ruggr- I'm sure it'd work ground up or blended, but I'm thinking that the reason it works so well for people just throwing the whole head in is a correlation between the rate of decomposition and the rate of growth of the tomato plant.

For example, by the time the fish rots down to the bones and they start decomposing and putting out more calcium, the plant is beginning to make fruit, which is when it needs calcium.