Bat guano

[BaffledMonkey]

Just got hold of some bat guanao today and have some questions. On the side of the bucket it says add half a kilo per 100litres of soil, which is straight forward enough. Can this soil mix be used at any stage of a plants cycle?From seed all way through to bloom? or should it be used only during a specific time, ie just when vegging or just when flowering. If I make a tea with it does the same apply

Cos I have some plants that are vegging and will need their last transplant soon enough and wondered,when the time approaches is adding guano a good idea?

I'm sure the info is out there somewhere, but im having one of those days and cant be arsed to look. I hate mondays lol

Thanks in advance,
Peace
Baffled

 

[Guest]

Don't use it on seedlings, it can burn them fast. Be advised that pelletised guano is concentrated. I use about a cup of Peruvian Seabird Guano to 1 gallon of soil. I also use it as a tea, 1/8 cup to a gallon of water brewed 24 hours.

 

[Guest]

different guanos are for different stages of growth. there are those with more nitrogen, or potassium, or phosphorous depending on veg, early bloom or late bloom. Mexican bat guano is for veg and indonesian bat guano is for late bloom.

Good luck

Avid

 

[KRS Juan]

To elaborate on what Avid said:

Guano from insect eating bats tends to be high nitrogen - Good for Veg
Guano from fruit eating bats tends to be high in phosphorus - good for flower

Both are high in micronutes, trace elements, and beneficial microbes and bacteria.

Your container should have 3 numbers on it in the form of: x-x-x
Example 10-2-0 or 11-13-3
The first number is nitrogen, the second phosphorus, and the last is potassium.

Adding guano to your soil mix is the absolute best way to use it. Tea's can be a pain (and smelly) and don't always leech out all the good stuff.

As stankbud said, be gentle. A little goes a long way.

-KRS Juan-

 

[Guest]

I use an 8-4-1 desert bat guano for veg and a 3-10-1 Cave Bat guano for flower with some organic seaweed fert in both cycles for Micros and for an extra Bump in K. What is the N-P-K rating on yours BaffledMonkey?

 

[BaffledMonkey]

2-15-1 which im guessing is ideal for flowering? Hope so because thats when I wanted to use it really

 

[I.M. Boggled]

Bat Guano (fyi)

Bat Guano (fyi)

(by three_little_birds)

"Bat Guano consists primarily of excrement of bats (no surprises there – eh?)
It also contains the remains of bats that lived and died in that location over many long years. Bat guano is usually found in caves, and bats are not the only residents. Therefore, bat guano almost certainly contains the remains and excrement of other critters such as insects, mice, snakes and (gasp!) even birds. And, guano is by no means just collected excrement and animal remains, as guano ages it can undergo a vast array of complex decomposition and leaching processes.

The fertilizer quality of any particular bat guano depends on variety of factors. These can include: the type of rock in which the guano cave formed, the feeding habits of the bat species producing the guano, the guano’s age, and the progress of mineralization in the guano (which undergoes an endless transformation through chemical and biological processes). Guano can appear in a wide range of colors including white, yellow, brown, hazel, gray, black, or red, but color does not indicate or influence its quality.

One of the factors that can determine the fertilizer quality of bat guano is the dietary habits of the different bat species who inhabit a cave. Some bats are vegetarian, eating primarily fruits. Other bats are carnivorous; their diet usually consists of insects and similar small critters. As an example, the specific form of nitrogen in guano will depend on the feeding habits of the bats living in the caves. Bats that feed on insects eject fragments of chitin, the main component of insects' exoskeletons. Chitin resists decomposition, and contributes a long lasting form of nitrogen that appears in many older guano deposits. Obviously, chitin from digested insect remains is not likely to be found in any quantity in the guano of fruit eating bats.

Even a cave’s location will effect the composition of guano deposits found within. Different chemical reactions during the actual cave making process result in different nutrient characteristics in the various guanos. Over time, guano combines in various ways with the actual rock and minerals from the bedrock of their region. Ultimately, minerals may be deposited throughout layers of guano by a variety of means. Minerals that have been dissolved in water filtering through porous rock from above can fortify guano deposits as they drip from cave ceilings. In caves where water filters through the guano, soluble elements will likely be washed out, so the composition of the guano changes in other ways as well.

In addition to minerals deposited by leaching water, another factor in guano composition is the huge amount of particulates that fall from the cave ceilings and walls where the bats sleep and hibernate. The release of their liquid excrement at high-pressure pounds cave walls, and the physical presence of the bats as they constantly flit about, both combine to cause erosion. Chemical reactions caused by the bat crap (as well as many natural cave making processes), also work to break down cave ceilings and walls. All of these factors result in an invisible rain of minute solid mineral particulates. All of these mineral particulates are mixed into the copious quantities of bat crap (and other matter) deposited on the floor. As a result, bat guanos have a wide range natural / organic source mineral nutrients that are immediately available for plants, called chelates.

Another large component of bat guano deposits is the “fauna” within, the great collection of microorganisms that work as decomposers. Their main function is to accelerate the process of breaking down organic matter in the guano. These beneficial bacteria populations work to increase the guano’s wealth of essential nutrients, and can provide their own benefit to gardeners as a soil innoculant.

Once bat guano is deposited, it begins and endless process of transformation. From fresh deposits, nitrogen is the essential element that is usually released first. This is partially as ammonia, with its characteristic strong smell, which is omnipresent in fresh guano. The rest of the nitrogen oxidizes and forms nitrates that are often dissolved and leached by water. The phosphorus contained in guano comes partly from bat excrement, but is generally from skeletal remains (it may also come from mineral elements in the cave.) Many of the decomposition processes work to concentrate phosphorous levels in bat guano deposits as they age, and this provides some of guano’s greatest value to gardeners. Potassium is often the least represented of the three essential macro-elements, due to the solubility of its compounds, which are usually washed out of guano deposits by natural cave conditions.

During decomposition the actual proportion of the different fertilizer components of the guano change. As the guano breaks down, the levels of organic matter, nitrogen, and potassium will fall. At the same time, the relative levels of calcium, phosphates, sand, and clay levels will rise. The actual excrement and remains of bats are the main source of the elements nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in guano. The organic compounds in the excrement contain sulphur, phosphorus, and nitrogen. After decomposition and oxidation, these combine to form sulphuric, phosphoric, and nitric acids.

Over time, those acids react with mineral elements from cave rock to form a variety of mineral salts – including sulphates, phosphates, and nitrates. Leaching washes out most of the soluble compounds including the nitrates, sodium, and potassium compounds. At the same time, the insoluble phosphates and sulphates build up in larger proportions. These include calcium phosphate, iron phosphate, aluminium phosphate and calcium sulphate. .

As we have already said, bat guano is an ecological fertilizer, obtained naturally from the excrement and physical remains of bats living in caves. This product is rich in nutrients, outclassing all other existing organic fertilizers, with a better balance of essential nutrients (N-P-K), a wealth of micro-organisms and much higher levels of organic matter. Its chemical and biological composition vary according to the bats' feeding habits, type of cave, age of guano, etc.

A great variety of different agrochemical analyses have been carried out on bat guanos through the years. All the different analysis show that the nutrient and micro-organism content of bat guanos are high, but it varies according to the type of guano. Because the chemical, physical and biological composition of bat guano (and other organic fertilizers) will naturally vary, it is impossible to set a specific single value for any nutrient."


(by three_little_birds)

 

[I.M. Boggled]

"Most bat and seabird guanos are fairly close to being complete fertilizers, with the main exception being that they are usually short in Potassium.
Molasses as it turns out is a great source of that necessary Potassium.
...molasses also acts as a chelating agent and will help to make micronutrients in the Guano more easily available for our favorite herbs.

A good example of a guano tea recipe...is really as simple as the following:

1 Gallon of water

1 TBSP of guano (for a flowering mix we’d use Jamaican or Indonesian Bat Guano - for a more general use fertilizer we would choose Peruvian Seabird Guano.)

1 tsp blackstrap or sugar beet molasses

Caution: Excess application of high Nitrogen guano may burn your plants.
Suggestion:
Maybe the first application or two, use less High N guano to see how they handle it.

We mix the ingredients directly into the water and allow the tea mix to brew for 24 hours. It’s best to use an aquarium pump to aerate the tea, but an occasional shaking can suffice if necessary and still produce a quality tea. We will give you one hint from hard personal experience, make sure if you use the shake method that you hold the lid on securely, nobody appreciate having a critter crap milkshake spread over the room.

...Molasses is a great ingredient in foliar feeding recipes because of it’s ability to chelate nutrients and bring them to the “table” in a form that can be directly absorbed and used by the plant.
This really improves the effectiveness of foliar feeds when using them as a plant tonic.
In fact it improves them enough that we usually can dilute our teas or mix them more “lean” - with less fertilizer - than we might use without the added molasses...

...if folks look at the ingredients in Catalyst, one of the first things they will see is molasses.
There are some other goodies in there like kelp, oat bran, wheat malt, and yeast, but we’re thinking that molasses is the main magic in EJ Catalyst. "
by kurtty@og

[Note: Sea kelp extract is also a potential source of potassium and is also a natural chelating agent. IMB]

 

[Guest]

not that I.M.B didn't post enuff info on guano there, this comes from organic bat guano . com

"... droppings of fish-eating birds, when found under the dry climatic conditions that preserve the chemical properties of the guano, have long been recognized as the best of all natural organic fertilizer".
"These islands are the homes of tens of millions of the birds called guanayes and piqueros, whose deposits of guano are one of Peru's most treasured assets. Farmlands the world over have been enriched by Peruvian guano, probably the finest organic fertilizer nature provides".
R.C. Murphy (1959) "On South American seabirds Dr. Murphy's word is it".

The word guano derived from huanu a native Quechua language word for manure. It is a rich in nitrogen ( %), phosphorus ( %) and potasium ( %) fertilizer. Although exploited since before the Incas, guano reserves were almost depleted during the nineteenth century. Seabird guano is still harvested today. There are about 26 islands and 13 headlands that are exploited for their guano. They are harvested during the nonbreeding season every 5 to 7 years, depending on the amount of guano and number of birds in the colonies. This guano is used in crops in Peru, and small amounts are exported to the United States and Europe.
During harvest times people hurry down from Andean towns, unburdened except for cups and mess tins, to work under contract at standard wages. They get free food, medical care, bedding and shelter (in tents that protect them against dew and mist). They work in tough conditions during 9 to 10 months each year. To avoid the heat of the sun and the strong winds that raise during the afternoon, working hours start at 4:30 am and end at 11:30 am. Workers are not allowed to leave the islands until the end of the harvesting season. Each year at least 300 persons compete for the jobs.
Guano - The 100% Natural Organic Soil Amendment
The word guano originated from the Quichua language of the Inca civilization and means "the droppings of sea birds". It is a misnomer to refer to bat dung as guano. As the word is used today, guano describes both bat and sea bird manure. The most famous guano was that used by the Inca. The guano would collect on the rainless islands and coast of Peru. Atmospheric conditions insured a minimal loss of nutrients. There is very little leaching of valuable material, nor is there a considerable loss of nitrogenous matter.

For this the Inca would guard and regulate the treasured soil enricher. Access to the guano deposits were restricted to chosen caretakers. Disrupting the rookeries could result in punishment by death. Guano became a very important part of the development of agriculture in these United States. During the peak of the guano era, drastic steps were taken to maintain a supply for the U.S. farmer.

On August 18, 1856, Congress passed an act to authorize protection to be given to citizens of the United States who may discover guano, under which any citizen of the United States was authorized to take possession of and occupy any unclaimed island, rock or key containing guano. The discoverers of such islands were entitled to exclusive rights to the deposits thereon, but the guano could only be removed for the use of the citizens of the United States.



Nutrients in guano are as different as there are a variety of producers, food sources and environmental constraints.

Sea birds eat strictly small fish and are not scavengers. Bat guano is available from one species that thrives on fruit, while another feasts on insects. Guano can be fresh, semi-fossilized or fossilized and will be a factor, among others, on the nutrient content when used.

Guano is provided in the ready to use condition, thoroughly aged to the vintage state of a good natural fertilizer. Guano can be used inside or outdoors for all living plants. Guano supplies fast and slow release nutrients to the biological system


Apply the pure guano in smaller amounts than ordinary barnyard or poultry manure. Applied as a top dressing and worked into the soil or mixed with water and applied, guano will have a dramatic influence. Hydroponic growers, in contrast to normal fertilization, are finding that guano and water are a natural alternative to chemical solutions.
Use nitrogen guano for growth, phosphorus guano for budding and all guano for your plants general health and well being. Guano can be blended with topsoil before laying sod or grass seed and while planting trees and shrubs. Add guano to your container growing mix for a supercharged potting soil.
Giving your outdoor garden a good helping of bat guano and seabird guano will produce amazing results. Just a couple of applications of organic fertilizers will replace the weekly routine of dousing your plants with chemical fertilizers.

 

[I.M. Boggled]

We got lots of guano now...

We got lots of guano now...

Thanks for the additional info stankbud, I think weve covered most of the technical aspects pretty well.

The practical aspect to tackle now would be "how to use guano successfully".

I think it might be time for any tried and true "secret guano recipes" out there that any member would care to share... as a way to cap off this "Everything you wanted to know about GUANO, but were afraid to ask" type of thread.

I don't think that the fact has been empasized enough in these various articles that the various guano teas/ concoctions should be pH balanced before using for optimum results... Guano, It's a good thing.

Happy Growing

 

[Guest]

step by step

step by step

Hey what a great thread
we have just recently (sp) switched over to guanos from other ferts and wow what a difference They absoulutely love it . Thanks Soma for a great book on organics
ok my method per gallon of water
2TBsp super tea mix
1tbsp of Ej microblast
1tbsp of Ej catalyst


ok
I use aknee high stocking as a tea bag i'll tie it in a knot at the bottom so that the cotton toe does not hold it in.
For this batch I'll be making 2 gallons of tea so 4Tbsp of guano (It puts the guano in the stocking )
2 gal of water ( I use warm to hot seems to get the tea going faster )
now hang your tea bag in the bucket and bubble the tea with an air stone for 24 hrs ( This usually raises the PH from 6.5 up to @8 in my neck of the woods )


after the 24 Hrs
add (1tbsp per gal) 2tbsp of each micro blast and catalyst ( PH will drop to @4 after adding these products) Bubble for 12hrs more (Ph will sit @ 6 we will adjust it to 6.2 to 6.6 )


ok
6 plants in in 1 gal pots sitting in a deep tray
will pour 1 to 1.5 gal in the bottom of the tray and let them fight over it


As you can see they really LOVE it
i will feed them like this every other watering
For flowering switch to a high phosphorus guano
Hope this helps

 

[I.M. Boggled]

Heres another basic guano tea description...

Heres another basic guano tea description...

[by "glass joe" @OG.)

"I have a recipe for an organic guano tea fertilizer...
...Try this recipe:

Put 2 cups of high-nitrogen bat or seabird guano (found at your local garden center or nursery) in the corner of a cloth bag, old pillowcases are perfect. Tie it in a knot around a stick and suspend it in a 5-gallon bucket of fresh water.
It is now a tea bag.
Just shake the tea bag around several times a day.
It should emit a dark secretion from the bag.
After about 2 days the water should be pretty dark.
Take out the tea bag and dispose of it, or rinse it out to be reused.
Use this dark tea water at a rate of 1-2 cups per gallon of fresh water and mix it up.
This will give you a "tea" to water your plants with.
Use it to water once, and then wait a few days to see if your plants like it.
You can use this high Nitrogen tea whenever your plants tell you they need it (yellowing leaves).

To make a bloom tea, use the same steps but replace the high-nitrogen guano with high-phosphorous guano...
You can also use either tea more frequently, according to the growth rate of your plants, to greatly increase growth rate and flowering."

....................................................................................................

Remember the kelp &/or molasses to balance the K.
The Molasses will naturally chelate the nutrients in the tea.

When foliar feeding, I suggest that one start with a very dilute (weak) form of your full strength (10% ?) "Guano Tea".
Some people go considerably stronger I suspect.
Impatience (sometimes greed) clouds peoples judgement and they go and try to push things a wee bit to hard, and end up with toasted, fried, dead plants.
Foliar feeding can be very unforgiving, especially with the high-nitrogen guano varieties. It realy sux big time when instead of accelerating the growth process they just blow the gig (accelerate death).
Whoopsie doodle, Time to start over.

When growing indentical genetic Clones, testing by foliar feeding/root feeding just one clone plant initally can be a very good tactic to circumventing disaster when dialing in/increasing the strength of a recipe to a particular strain..



Any other tea recipe recommendations...
Foliar feeding... dilution rates and tactics...use schedules...with guanos?

 

[BigToke]

Years ago when I grew in soil I used guanao but it is very potent and so I found it best to only use half of what it said to use.

 

[I.M. Boggled]

Very good point to emphasise...

Very good point to emphasise...

very potent stuff.
As a nutrient source, guano is considered to be moderately available, as are most manures .
A teaspoon per gallon is a good starting off point in my experience...1/2 tablespoon maybe type thing. "Better safe than sorry" as granny constantly said.

Since we're emphasising things here, I wish to point out the possible risk from the inhalation of the dust from cave dwelling creatures..
(I recommend the pelleted guano products for its minimal dust producing qualities with the following health reason/concern in mind..)


Guano is advertised as being quite safe and non-burning to plants,
"foolproof" is the term sometimes employed.
There does not appear to be any evidence to the contrary.

There is, however, one serious human illness connected with guano.

Histoplasmosis,
caused by the fungus Histoplasm capsulatum, produces symptoms similar to influenza in mild cases, or pneumonia when severe.

In persons with compromised immune systems, histoplasmosis can produce complications leading to death.
Its symptoms vary greatly, but the disease primarily affects the lungs. Occasionally, other organs are affected—this form of the disease is called disseminated histoplasmosis, and it can be fatal if untreated.

Accumulations of both bird and bat guano can contain the Histoplasm spores, as can manure from old poultry houses.

The problems are most severe in piles that have aged for two or more years, as the fungus has additional time to proliferate and produce spores.

In a fresh state, bat guano is more hazardous than bird guano because infected bats can "shed" the organism and rapidly inoculate the manure.

It appears that those who spend time in caves, and those who harvest and package guano, are at the greatest risk of infection.

Cases of infection through later handling are apparently not common, though if they have occurred, they may well have been misdiagnosed as influenza or a similar ailment.

Infections come about when dust and other aerosols bearing the fungal spores are inhaled.

Therefore respirators and masks are recommended when handling guanos.

Also, clothing should be removed carefully afterwards to avoid inhaling accumulated dusts. .
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Histoplasmosis

At the present time, the NOP regulations treat guano as raw, uncomposted manure.
It is therefore subject to the same 90- and 120-day application restrictions (refers to organic edible produce).
It is relatively safe but rather expensive for organic production.
It's use is best justified on high-value crops.

 

[budrunners]

I am very happy with my results using earth juice bloom along with black strap molasses running air stones thru for 20-24 hours to oxygenate the mix and to activate all the goodies and stuff. Honestly this mix has made a big difference in flower production.

 

[Dr.Ganja]

hy people!

here goes what i use/will use in a near future!

for veg
1part peruvian seabird guano
1part worm castings
1/2part seaweed meal
black strap molasses

for flowering
1part peruvian seabird guano
1part indonesian bat guano
1part worm castings
blackstrap molasses

note that this is in it's majority mr.souls guano tea recepie( thanks I.M BOGGLED)

well folks in a near future( just wainting for them to arrive at the shop ) i will be adding these to the compost teas, a little of humic acid(diamond nectar GH) and sub culture ( beneficial bacterias and beneficial fungi, also from GH).

as foliar feeding i have been doing a tea based on
1part seaweed meal
1/2part worm castings
blackstrap molasses
and little neem every other week

later i will also add the humic and the benefial bacterias and fungi to this foliar feed mix!
soon i will also be trying to add 1/2 part peruvian seabird guano to the foliar mix!

well people i hope this can help some!!!

by the way I.M BOGGLED what do you think about my future addings to the compost tea ( humic acid and the beneficial bacterias and fungi)?

thanks and good luck to you all!!!!!!!!

 

[budrunners]

Blackstrap Molasses is a poor mans version of using EJ Catalyst, since catalyst is molasses based and its sole purpose is to supply a touch more of K, it also helps feed the microbes to further break down the nutes in the EJ bloom. Molasses acts as a chelating agent to make more micronutrients available for plant uptake. End result is you feed more to the plants with less fertilizer. I do areate the mix for 24-48 hours to supply the oxygen it needs to start the microbe feeding action and to somewhat help bring up the PH a little since EJ bloom has a low PH range.
I had used EJ bloom before as a sole flowering fertilizer and now I have found much better results using the molasses added in with the bloom fert.

 

[Kool Tall 1]

Hi All ...I use this in flowering...It's already a tea, no harmful dust and they tell me you can also use it as a flush in the end....Grow Safe Friends

"Quote"
Budswel, a mix of high-phosphorus bat guano, worm castings, and seabird guano, boosts production in fruit trees and fruit-bearing vines like watermelon, cantaloupe, tomatoes, squash and grapes. Also an excellent base mix for roses or flowering beds. This liquid concentrate (0-7-0) is easy to use as a water-on fertilizer, is an ideal companion mix to our Super Tea, and produces some of the best fruit you'll ever sink your teeth into. Undoubtably one of the finest organic fruiting fertilizers available anywhere.




http://www.bghydro.com/BGH/itemdesc.asp?ic=NOBL&eq=&Tp=

 

[Guest]

I found this thread very interesting, especially the factors that contribute to the overall composition of "bat guano". I saw a lady on t.v who raised fruit bats and I thought to myself, now there is a good way to actually control the composition of your guano, -you feed them all organic fruit/table scraps, and they "crap" pure earthly goodness!! I have a couple questions though - What brand/s of commercially available guano are trustworthy, I mean not just in terms of npk ratio but freshness, and are there any brands of guano that still contain a good amount of potassium/k. Great information guys, and keep it rolling!!

 

[Guest]

once again another great read. thanks guys