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  • Mother Earth Gardener

    Liquid Fertilizers

    Jun 09, 2017 6 minutes
    By Barbara Pleasant Illustrations by Elayne Sears

    MANY ORGANIC GARDENERS

    keep a bottle of liquid fish fertilizer on hand to feed plants growing in containers, young seedlings, or any garden crop that needs a nutrient boost. But liquid, fishbased fertilizers are often pricey, and we’re supporting an unsustainable fishing industry by buying them. So, what’s a good alternative?

    Will Brinton — who holds a doctorate in Environmental Science and is the founder of Woods End Laboratories in Mt. Vernon, Maine — developed some water-based, homemade fertilizer recipes using free, natural ingredients, such as grass clippings, seaweed, chicken manure, and human urine. His results inspired the recipes on Pages 71 and 72.

    WHY AND WHEN TO USE LIQUIDS

    Liquid fertilizers are faster-acting than seed meals and other solid organic products, so liquids are your best choice for several purposes. As soon as seedlings have used up the nutrients provided by the sprouted seeds, they benefit from

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