S
ome growers
are put off by
the idea of using organic
methods, such as making
your own compost tea
or worm composting,
because it is considered
more difficult and time consuming. There
is, however, a product that is widely
available and easy to use. It is a balanced,
natural organic fertilizer used for fruiting
and flowering plants. That product is guano, most
commonly sourced from bat feces. In farming and
gardening, guano has many uses.
The Gift of Guano
The word “guano” originated from the Andes area
of South America and refers to any feces (usually
sea birds and bats) used for crop fertilization.
Andean people are believed to have started using
it for this purpose more than 1,500 years ago,
collecting it from small islands off the desert coast
of Peru. Guano is found in extremely dry climates
where rainwater cannot leach the nitrogen-rich
ammonia out of the guano. Islands and coastlines
“Bat guano is sourced from
rainforest caves
in locations like Madagascar
and Indonesia, where insects
and fruit are plentiful.”
where there is intense marine upwelling, such
as along the eastern side of the Pacific and South
Atlantic oceans, are the perfect location because
large colonies of marine birds congregate for easy
access to their respective food sources, which
include, fish, insects, and fruit. Bat guano is sourced
from rainforest caves in locations like Madagascar
and Indonesia, where insects and fruit are plentiful,
and the guano is unaffected by climatic changes,
preventing any leaching of nutrients.
Maximum Yield
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