Quote:
Originally posted by mfp1028
does letting the fertilizer ferment really matter?
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Absolutely. The nitrogen in the organic seed cake can't be released until it has been processed by the action of bacteria in the soil, or by protists like yeasts. So if you do not ferment it, it will take a couple of weeks for soil micro-organisms to begin to break it down.
Fermentation does produce alcohol, but in aerobic environments it is released harmlessly into the air. In short, fermentation will make the nutrients more readily available to your plants.
PS - I revisited this thread because the supply of imported organic fertilizer cake in the US is drying up as a result of the increased documentation requirements for products containing beef byproducts. Now, the USDA apparently requires information about the source of the beef and the processing used in its manufacture.
We have not been able to get any Maruta fertilizer at TreeBay, so I linked to the home recipes in this thread while we try to locate an alternate source.
Regards,
Matt