What Is Actually in Down To Earth Bio-Fish
A blended organic fertiliser is only as good as the list on the back. This one reads 7-7-2, and the interesting part is what sits underneath those three numbers. All 7 percent of the nitrogen is water insoluble. It releases as soil biology breaks it down rather than flushing through on the first watering. Calcium comes in at 7 percent, matching the nitrogen figure, and sulfur adds another 1 percent. There is also 2.5 percent humic acids in the blend. The inputs are named rather than hidden: fish bone meal, feather meal, alfalfa meal, shrimp meal, fish meal, sulfate of potash and seaweed meal. That is a wide spread of release rates in one bag, from the quicker alfalfa and seaweed through to the slow bone and feather fractions. It carries an OMRI listing for use in organic production.
Where Fish Bone Meal and the Rest of the Blend Fit
Rates depend on what you are feeding rather than on a single spoon size. For vegetable gardens and flower beds, work in 5 pounds per 100 square feet when preparing a new bed. At transplanting, a quarter cup goes into each hole. Established plants take a quarter to half a cup side dressed twice a month. Trees and shrubs work differently, at 1 pound per two inches of trunk diameter, spread from the base out to the drip line. Outdoor containers take 2 tablespoons per gallon of soil at planting, then 1 to 2 tablespoons per gallon twice a month. At field scale the range is 500 to 1,000 pounds per acre depending on the crop. Two honest notes belong here. A blend this high in insoluble nitrogen needs warm, living soil to work. It is slower than a liquid feed in cold conditions. And it smells like what it is made from for the first day or two after watering.
Key Features
- Named Inputs: Fish bone meal, feather meal, alfalfa meal, shrimp meal, fish meal, sulfate of potash and seaweed meal.
- Seven Percent Calcium: Calcium matches the nitrogen figure, which is unusual in an all purpose blend at this price.
- Slow Release Nitrogen: All of the nitrogen is water insoluble, so it feeds as soil biology works on it.
- Humic Acids: The blend carries 2.5 percent humic acids alongside the macronutrients.
- OMRI Listed: Listed by the Organic Materials Review Institute for use in organic production.
- Wide Application: Rates are published for beds, transplants, trees, containers and full acreage.
Technical Specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Guaranteed Analysis | 7-7-2 (N-P2O5-K2O) |
| Nitrogen | 7.0% water insoluble |
| Calcium | 7.0% |
| Sulfur | 1.0% |
| Humic Acids | 2.5% |
| Derived From | Fish bone meal, feather meal, alfalfa meal, shrimp meal, fish meal, sulfate of potash, seaweed meal |
| New Beds | 5 lbs per 100 sq ft |
| Transplants | 1/4 cup per hole |
| Established Plants | 1/4 to 1/2 cup side dressed twice monthly |
| Trees And Shrubs | 1 lb per 2 in of trunk diameter, base to drip line |
| Containers | 2 tbsp per gallon of soil at planting; 1-2 tbsp twice monthly after |
| Row Crops | 500-1,000 lbs per acre |
| Certification | OMRI Listed |
| Sizes | 5 lb box, 50 lb bag |