Fish sauce fertilizer?

Hi everyone,

This is a bit of an odd one, but has anyone ever tried using Asian fish sauce diluted in water as a fish fertilizer emulsion for either veg or flowering plants? I know that there is quite a lot of salt in the fish sauce, which is why I would dilute it, but I have a nearly fully bottle of the stuff that's been sitting in my fridge for a few years now and it occurred to me that I might be able to make use of it in the garden. The ingredients are anchovy, salt, and sugar in that order. Any experience or thoughts?

Thanks!

Is fish sauce cheaper than using actual fish?.

Hi Katie,
I would think it would have to be diluted significantly because of the salt. I know I often find salt crystals in the bottom of my bottles of fish sauce. By the time you water it down to be inoffensive I think the actual fish content is practically nil.

(I used to use fish sauce soooooo slowly til I realized I could use it in Korean food instead of anchovies to make quick broths. Now I probably go through a bottle a year, which is about 10x faster than I used to.....)

Anne Miller wrote:Is fish sauce cheaper than using actual fish?.

I'm not sure but I would think so? A 725 ml bottle is about $3-4 CAD here. It's more that I have a very expired bottle of it I'm now hesitant to use in recipes that call for it, and rather than throwing it away, I thought I might be able to repurpose it

@Tereza, thanks for the input. I was kind of thinking the same thing re: the usefulness of the fish after dilution. But I've had this bottle for about 3 years past it's expiry, so I figured I need to either use it or lose it! I do like fish sauce in Thai food but haven't ever tried either anchovy or fish sauce in a Korean recipe. I'll keep that tip in mind if I pick up another bottle, thanks!

I am.... a bit flexible with dates, let's say, but I'd venture that there is so much salt in there that it will never go bad. Then again... how does one tell if stinky fish sauce goes bad??? deep thoughts on a winter morning....

I would expect the minerals from the fermented fish and salt would still be of benefit to the plants and soil even if highly diluted .