Skimmate as a fertilizer?

[swannyson7]

Has anyone here tried using their skimmate as a fertilizer? I've heard of a few people trying it and having bad results due to the salt content, but I'm thinking of doing a little experimenting. My theory is that If I skim pretty dry and allow the skimmate to evaporate off all of the water, hopefully the salt will crystalize, allowing me to remove most of the salt content.

I'm hoping that the skimmate can be used for something useful other than DIY stink bombs. I've tried adding it to my compost, and it definitely seemed to speed up decomposition up until I burnt down my compost bin. (Long story, but let's just say that you shouldn't smoke a cigar on pine needles within 20 feet of a compost bin...)

If anyone has tried doing this before, please give me some feedback on your results.

 

[gqjeff]

I pour it on the outside plants here at my office. Never noticed any ill affects.

 

[swannyson7]

I pour it on the outside plants here at my office. Never noticed any ill affects.

What type of plants? I plan on experimenting with a couple different plants, and using no fertilizer for a control, then one with skimmate straight from the skimmer, one with skimmate that has been evaportated & crystalized (If this works like it does in my head) and one with MiracleGro to see how it compares.

 

[Tabasco1]

always tossed it in the past, even when I had a compost pile because of the salt. If you DO decide to experiment (and I vote that you do!) let us know how it goes.

 

[fsu1dolfan]

What type of plants? I plan on experimenting with a couple different plants, and using no fertilizer for a control, then one with skimmate straight from the skimmer, one with skimmate that has been evaportated & crystalized (If this works like it does in my head) and one with MiracleGro to see how it compares.

Good luck with your expirement and let us know your results...but everything i have read around other forums and people trying said it did nothing or killed whatever it was...probably from the salt. Either way pick something you wouldnt miss just in case!

 

[swannyson7]

always tossed it in the past, even when I had a compost pile because of the salt. If you DO decide to experiment (and I vote that you do!) let us know how it goes.

Good luck with your expirement and let us know your results...but everything i have read around other forums and people trying said it did nothing or killed whatever it was...probably from the salt. Either way pick something you wouldnt miss just in case!

Will do. I have a few seeds & bulbs sitting around to experiment with. I just have to get some topsoil & some planters and then I'll give it a try. I'm thinking about maybe trying grass seed before I start wasting seeds, but who knows... I might be able to put it in a sprayer and hit my lawn real quick for the greenest lawn in the neighborhood!

Any chemists here have any thoguhts on whether the salt will crystallize enough to be manually removed?

 

[Wy Renegade]

Salt will only crystalize if you all it to totally dry out, not sure then how you plan to seperate and reconstitute as a fertilizer. Not like you can hand pick the salt crystals out of the mix. Also, I would think that there would be dehydration issues from more than just the salt. In my understanding skimmers remove trace elements as well as some of the nitrogen cycle products. An over concentration of trace elements is liable to create an inbalance with soil and result in dehydration of the plant. States working with methane water from methane wells deal with very similar issues. Nutrients, salt and various other elements all create an imbalance with the soil and result in the water departing the plants cells as a result of osmosis (ie. dehydration is the end result).

 

[swannyson7]

Salt will only crystalize if you all it to totally dry out, not sure then how you plan to seperate and reconstitute as a fertilizer. Not like you can hand pick the salt crystals out of the mix. Also, I would think that there would be dehydration issues from more than just the salt. In my understanding skimmers remove trace elements as well as some of the nitrogen cycle products. An over concentration of trace elements is liable to create an inbalance with soil and result in dehydration of the plant. States working with methane water from methane wells deal with very similar issues. Nutrients, salt and various other elements all create an imbalance with the soil and result in the water departing the plants cells as a result of osmosis (ie. dehydration is the end result).

To dry it out, I was just planning on letting it evaporate in a bucket in the sun then scooping out the surface crystals and discarding the waste (I thought the crystals would show up at the surface rather than throughout the slurry). Then I planned on adding a bit more water and spreading it on a black tarp on my metal cellar hatchway (gets nice & hot in the sun) and manually removing as many crystals as possible again. Sounsd like it's not going to work, but I still think I'm going to give it a try...

 

[Electrobes]

Sounds like a lot of work! Have you look at RHF's article on the composition of skimmate... is there a lot plants can use in there to go through all that trouble?

 

[swannyson7]

No, haven't seen the article. I just figured with the NO3 & PO4, it would work as a fertilizer. I know everyone is going to argue that I should stop being a cheapskate and just spend the $10 on a bag of fertilizer... but this is just more for my entertainment. (simple mind, simple pleasure)

 

[Viva'sReef]

I heard bird poop was the way to go.........

 

[swannyson7]

I heard bird poop was the way to go.........

Well with all the birds nesting over my car, I just need to rinse it off in the garden beds and I'll be all set! :tongue:

 

[luke33]

I tried that on a few plants. They didn't do well : ) Good luck though, never let it dry out and scrape it.

 

[gqjeff]

never let it dry out and scrape it.

We r talking skimmate Luke not a bowl lol...

 

[swannyson7]

Well I bought some planting pots today along with some top soil to start my experiment. For the initial test I'm going to 6 different samples with grass seed. The first will be the control with just topsoil and seed. The second will use MiracleGro fertilizer so I can compare growth to regular fertilizer. Then two will use the liquid skimmate and two will use the dried (hopefully desalinated) skimmate at various dosages. I started drying out some skimmate by putting it in a pot over a kerosene camping stove outside. Talk about a foul smell!!! The salt did crystalize a bit around the edges of the pot as I burned off the water and I removed it to the best of my ability. I didn't want to reduce it too much over high heat, so now I have to play the waiting game until it dries out a bit more and then I can try to spread it for complete drying. I'll keep everyone updated as the experiment continues...

 

[TOMMYSREEF]

interesting!

 

[markie mark]

I used it on some plants last summer and it worked great...made the leaves stand up strait every time i added it to them....

 

[greg0385]

seems like alot of work for the amount you get, but for each his own i guess. would think it be okay to use, especially if you could get the salt out. poop does make for some good fertilizer.

 

[Brent Ward]

Used it on tomatoes, basil, and zucchini last year with great results.

 

[Troylee]

my roses love it!!!!!!!! granted i skim dry so the salt content is very diluted but im sure some is still there... i have dumping it on my roses for years...