Homemade Fertilizers

[thommoos]

Master Gardeners for Lawns recommend a concoction of 1 can beer, 1 cup ammonia, 1 cup dish soap, 1 cup liquid lawn fertilizer, 1 cup molasses. Hose end sprayer @ a 10 gallon rate evenly spread. But I was thinking why not put this same mixture in a 200 gallon tank and multiplied for 200 gallons versus ten gallons. I figure I would have about $25 and 4 hours fertilizing a 20 acre hay field once every 6 weeks, its suppose to increase root structure which inturns increases yield, it seems this idea would save mucho dinero if it works, I am planting a green field this weekend and will try it. I would like some thoughts on this idea.

 

[JSCATTLE]

With that much soap in your sprayer I bet you would have a lot of suds...

 

[TexasBred]

Master Gardeners for Lawns recommend a concoction of 1 can beer, 1 cup ammonia, 1 cup dish soap, 1 cup liquid lawn fertilizer, 1 cup molasses. Hose end sprayer @ a 10 gallon rate evenly spread. But I was thinking why not put this same mixture in a 200 gallon tank and multiplied for 200 gallons versus ten gallons. I figure I would have about $25 and 4 hours fertilizing a 20 acre hay field once every 6 weeks, its suppose to increase root structure which inturns increases yield, it seems this idea would save mucho dinero if it works, I am planting a green field this weekend and will try it. I would like some thoughts on this idea.

Looks like a waste of perfectly good beer to me but it's your beer. ;-) If it builds up the root system I suppose it would allow them to grow deeper for moisture and other nutrients and increase survivability but doubt you'll get much growth nor huge increase in the nutritional value of the grass.

 

[ga.prime]

How do you figure 200 gallons of that stuff costs $25?

 

[Ouachita]

I would think for this system to work, you would have to drink the beer first, then you would be eligible to say "here, hold my beer and watch this sh*t", before you begin mixing the ammonia and fertilizer

 

[expensive hobby]

I'm all for saving the beer to drink while you are spraying. Just dip into your septic tank and spray away........of course its a joke but the sh I mean stuff does work.

 

[novatech]

They also recomend urine. So drink your beer and Pee on your pasture. :roll:

 

[Isomade]

Does it have to be a good beer? Or will Keystone work? Also does it have to be regular or can you use a light beer and get the same results?

 

[thommoos]

How do you figure 200 gallons of that stuff costs $25?

a concoction of 1 can beer, 1 cup ammonia, 1 cup dish soap, 1 cup liquid lawn fertilizer, 1 cup molasses makes 10 gallons mixed with water. Multiply this by 20. mix it in a 200 gallon tank with water, let the boom out and start to spray.


cheap regular beer is only $15 a case, 4 left to drink :lol: , the rest maybe $10.00 if not maybe 20, the point is is this works if could on a small basis 20 acre hayfield if you get more growth with less money, then would it not be beneficial versus, then $400.00 a ton for fertizer @ 200 per acre is $800.00. The reason I am looking at 200 gallons is this is recommended for up to 1 acre. 10 gal X 20 = 200. SO even if I spent $75 for 4 sprays that is a net savings of $500.00, that IF i can get fert for 400 a ton.

 

[ga.prime]

a concoction of 1 can beer, 1 cup ammonia, 1 cup dish soap, 1 cup liquid lawn fertilizer, 1 cup molasses makes 10 gallons mixed with water.

Spraying this concoction over an acre will get you the same results as spraying nothing over an acre.

 

[Lucky_P]

Jerry Baker; what an ignoramus; what an effing moron (him, not you - unless you follow his idiocy).
Here's my advice. Stay the lleh away from that quackster and never listen to him again. I used to get physically nauseated just hearing his intro music coming on - couldn't get to the radio fast enough to change the station. Just one more reason that NPR needs to have all federal funding cut.

He's so full of tihsllub - you'd make a bumper crop if you could spread/spray HIM over your pasture.

ga.prime and others nailed it.

Hope I wasn't too obtuse.

 

[CottageFarm]

Master Gardeners for Lawns recommend a concoction of 1 can beer, 1 cup ammonia, 1 cup dish soap, 1 cup liquid lawn fertilizer, 1 cup molasses.

I'd run across a similar recipe a few years ago and wondered about whether it would work.
I did some research to try to determine why it would work and here's what I came up with:

Beer - Would add extra sugars for energy to stimulate growth. May also add beneficial microbes because of beers fermetation process, but I couldn't find anything that would substatiate that theory.
Ammonia - will add quick boost of nitrogen
Dish soap - Intended to act as a surfactant/wetting agent to aid nutrient absorbtion. However, soaps can also have an herbicidal effect by leaving a film on foliage, especially broadleafed foliage, that will eventually smother the plant. I would use the soap sparingly, or even elimiate if it were me. The detergents in the ammonia would seem to be sufficient for the purpose, IMO.
Molasses - Like the beer, it adds sugars for energy.
Liquid fertilizer - self explanitory
I've also seen recipes that added a can of non-diet soda. Also to add more sugars, possibly may add trace phosphorus from the phosphoric acid, but again, could not find anything to substantiate that claim.

In short, it seems that this concoction would be like a "healthy snack" for well established and generally healthy lawns. I think it would also aid nutrient absorbtion if it were watered in after application. It will not add enough nutrients to increase long term soil health.
While I think it would be an interesting experiment (on a small scale) to use the formula as a supplimental feeding, I wouldn't bet the farm on it's efficacy as a replacement for your current soil/grass management.
My :2cents:

 

[jedstivers]

If any of those snake oil things worked don't you think an industry that spends billions on fertlizer would use all they could? Put real fertlizer out. Either manure of chemical. If your gong to grow pounds of things it takes pounds of things.

 

[Caustic Burno]

If any of those snake oil things worked don't you think an industry that spends billions on fertlizer would use all they could? Put real fertlizer out. Either manure of chemical. If your gong to grow pounds of things it takes pounds of things.

Amen a pound of N is a pound of N no shortcuts here.
A 100 pounds of feather's is lighter than a 100 pound's of lead. Right?
Now if you believe that keep buying snakeoil.

 

[ga.prime]

A typical soil test for my fields for growing optimum yields of bermuda grass hay calls for 60lbs N, 50lb P, and 60lb K per acre. That's 170 lbs available plant food not counting the weight of fillers or the weight of the hydrogen and oxygen atoms bonded to the N, P, and K atoms. So, throwing 2 or 3 pounds of whatever out there is just less than useless.