DIY Aquaponics 5 Natural Plant Fertilizers

16 chemical elements are known to be important to plant growth and survival. Three non-mineral
nutrients hydrogen (H), oxygen (O), and carbon (C) are absorbed from the air and water in a
process known as photosynthesis (meaning making things with light). Plants absorb the other 13
nutrients through their roots. These nutrients and trace minerals consist of:

Nitrogen (N)
Phosphorus (P)
Potassium (K)
Calcium (Ca)
Magnesium (Mg)
Sulfur (S)
Boron (B)
Copper (Cu)
iron (Fe)
Chloride (Cl)
Manganese (Mn)
Molybdenum (Mo)
Zinc (Zn)
There are not always enough of these minerals in a plants environment (e.g. soil, rocks, water, air, etc. )
to ensure maximum growth and crop yields, hence the widespread use of chemical fertilizers by many
farmers and gardeners.



If you notice the plants in your aquaponic system are struggling to flower or fruit properly maybe with
shriveled, yellowing, and/or stunted growth, it is likely a sign of mineral deficiency as detailed in the
infograph above. Nutrient deficient, weak plants are more susceptible to disease and pest infestations.

In hydroponics or soil growing, providing these essential mineral elements is relatively straightforward.
Just add the proper amount of hydroponic fertilizer based on your systems water volume. With
aquaponics, however, the addition of most synthetic plant fertilizers would result in dead fish.
Fortunately, there are safe alternative sources of these vital minerals. When addressing nutrient
deficiencies in aquaponics like when combating pests in AP gardens the bottom-line question is
whether the substance is toxic to fish.

Heres a low down on our favorite uber-organic supplements that will green things up and get things
blooming in no time.

Our 5 Fav Non-Toxic Plant Fertilizers

1) Fish Poop

Obviously, fish waste is the primary source of nitrogen in any aquaponic system. Its still worth
mentioning here to put its significance in perspective. Nitrogen is the first element listed in the makeup
of modern-day synthetic fertilizers. Nitrogen is a part of all living cells and is a necessary part of all
proteins, enzymes and metabolic processes involved in the synthesis and transfer of energy. It is a part
of chlorophyll, the green pigment of the plant that is responsible for photosynthesis.



The nitrogen cycle is the same in soil as it is in water, it is simply a different medium that the bacteria
process in. Soil farmers have been using manure to fertilize crops for millennia. Adding more fish to your
system will generally help your plants grow more rapidly and produce more seeds, foliage, blooms, and
fruits. Sorry folks, no cleaner method than this in aquaponics folks. Aint it beautiful?!

2) Bone meal (or Calcium & Phosphorus)

Bones from shellfish and animal bones will supply Calcium and Phosphorus to your plants. Like Nitrogen,
Phosphorus is an essential part of the process of photosynthesis. It helps with the transformation of
solar energy into chemical energy and is essential for plant maturation, root growth, blooming, and
withstanding stress. Calcium, an essential part of plant cell wall structure, provides for normal transport
and retention of other elements as well as strength in the plant.

Animal bones can sit in your system for days they also help buffer the water in your system. Neither
plants nor fish react favorably to violent pH swings! (see #5 below) Note that you can also use powder
versions of these elements, which is likely cleaner, but this is more natural and we like it dirty.



3) Banana Peels (or Potassium)

Bury the peels of organic bananas in the grow beds to add potassium to your system. Potassium is
absorbed by plants in larger amounts than any other mineral element except nitrogen and, in some
cases, calcium. It aids in the building of protein and photosynthesis. Make sure to throw out the peels
after a week or so (and replace with fresh peels as needed). Or (like above) you can use a powder
version of potassium, which is likely cleaner, but this is more natural and we like it dirty.


4) Maxicrop Plus Iron (and/or chelated iron)

Maxicrop is Norwegian Ascophyllum Nodosum (kelp). It is a natural, non-pollutant product made from
fresh growing seaweed but in a fully soluble form. It contains very small amounts of the major elements
found in chemical fertilizers (nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium) and significant amounts of important
trace elements including iron, manganese, zinc, boron, and magnesium. Some say you also need to add
chelated iron in addition to Maxicrop due to plant availability reasons, which then depends on your pH,
water temperature, and environmental conditions, etc maybe do a bit of both just in case!


Add the recommended amount of this liquid gold (on the label, depending on version you buy) every
week or so. Think of it as a multivitamin for your aqua-garden! You can find this organic supplement,
along with other seaweed or seakelp products and chelated iron, at most garden and hydroponic stores
and on Amazon. Buying the concentrated powder version, which effectively gives you 65 gallons of this
liquid magic, is better value than the bottled product (pictured above) because you do not pay for the
water.

5) Balanced pH

Okay, this is not really a fertilizer. But maintaining optimal pH (a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of
the water) is one of the most important metrics that effect the availability of nutrients for plants. The
ideal range of pH for the nitrogen process is slightly alkaline (7.0 to 9.0), whereas the ideal pH for
micronutrient availability is slightly acidic (5.5 to 6.5). The lower pH can impact the efficiency of
detoxifying ammonia to nitrite to nitrate. Therefore, stabilization of pH between 6.8 to 7.0 is paramount
in managing the health of plants and fish simultaneously.