Bat guano...

Hi,

I have two 50kg bags full of bat guano, but I need some advice. How much do I use per square meter? Should i dilute it or something? I would appreciate any info, I have no clue about it other than that its very fertile! its fresh, got it from a house that was torn down.
thanks in advance!

Isaac

 

bat guano is brilliant and I have recently started using it ... The ones I use are imported and there are several types that have different NPK ratios and are from different areas of the world

some bats eat fruit, and some eat insects/meat ... this effects the NPK ratios

if used as a fertilizer, a tablespoon per shrub is plenty

problem is that the OP says it is 'fresh'

perhaps I am reading things wrong, but has the bat guano been collected from the loft of the house that was demolished, or was it already packed in bags and kept there?

If it's fresh, I would not use it (perhaps can be added to a compost heap and wait till it breaks down before using)

 

Illegal to disturb bats, even if you need to repair your home let alone demolish it?

Jack McH

 

thank you so much for the input, yes it was collected from the loft. its already quite rotted, its been laying up there for years probably. its already powdery, so i think i can use it already. What do you all think?
Jack, this is Mozambique, bats are a PEST here, their natural enemies (esp owls) are killed by the native mozambicans for superstitious reasons. the owner of the house did build a bat-house for them anyway though.



isaac

 

to be on the safe side, make some compost tea with the guano

get a 20 litre bucket ... add some water ... get an aquarium air pump with an airstone (to make bubbles) .... bubble the water for 24hrs to get rid of the chlorine if you are using tap water ....

water needs to be between 20-25 degrees C (you can use an aquarium heater if it's too cold)

place 2 cups of bat guano plus 2 cups of garden topsoil in an old cotton sock or a pillowcase

add that to the bucket with water .... add 3 tablespoons of soluble unsulpherd black strap molasses .... if you cannot find that in Mozambique, you could use unrefined brown sugar

mix with a stick and let if bubble for 48hrs

once the tea has been bubbling for 48 hrs, you can add extras such as seaweed extract, etc .... the compost tea must be used within 1 hr of switching the airpump off

after 48hrs, the compost tea should smell like damp soil/compost .... if it smells 'rotten'/sour, don't use it!

then water your plants first but try use rainwater or pond water instead of tap water .... then after you have watered, water with the bat guano tea (undiluted) ...

you can also use this tea as a foliar spray on the leaves, but you must spray the leaves on the undersides aswell .... If you do use it as a foliar spray, do so late in the afternoon (just before sunset)

and the remaining guano/topsoil that is in the old sock/pillowcase can be spread around the base of your shrubs/trees

here is a youtube video explaining a very simple recipe of compost tea .... a lot of people add extras such as nutrients, kelp, humic acids etc

 

pleasure .... and be careful with that stuff ... some people say you should wear a mask when handling bat guano as it's not good for your health to inhale it, especially if it is in powder form

very good stuff, (one of the best manures on the market) ... but it must be used in moderation

search youtube for more videos of compost tea .... you can also add normal compost to the guano and topsoil when making compost tea ... even better if you can get some worm humus (worm castings/compost)

and first try it on 1 or 2 plants for a while before watering all your prized plants in your garden!

 

I will do that!

 

Bat guano is great stuff.