I am really writing this article under protest. I don’t know why this question keeps being asked.  However, the question, can I use Kricket Krap® on my houseplants? Of course it can!  Kricket Krap® is an organic fertilizer and can be used on anything that grows.  I have used it on everything. Plants are like people. They need food and water almost constantly to be healthy, but too much of these elements can cause problems to you and your plants.

Here are my methods and techniques for feeding Kricket Krap® to your houseplants and other plants too.

The first and most important is to determine the health of the plant.  Ask yourself these questions:  is the plant blooming if it is a blooming plant?  Is your plant sickly or in a yellowed condition?  Are the leaves scorched (tip end of the leaves brown)?  Is your plant growing or stunted?  Are the leaves at the tip dripping with water?  Does your plant look healthy?  Is it green and sturdy looking?  Are you proud of your plant?  Are you using a quality potting soil bought from a nursery or garden center, not the discount house?  Did you buy a healthy plant from a quality garden center, not the discount house?

If the answer is:  yes, I bought a healthy plant, potted in a quality potting soil and have provided the proper amount of light and water for the past 30 days and it still looks poorly, most likely your plant needs some Kricket Krap®.

Here is what to do:  place one cup of Kricket Krap® into a container holding 5 gallons of warm water, or one tablespoon in one gallon of warm water. Add 1 oz. Of yucca soap per gallon of solution and stir well. Allow the solids to settle to the bottom of the container.  Skim off the tea on the top and apply to your plants.  How much?  Insure the soil is soaked and the solution is draining freely from the bottom of the container.  During the growing season you should do this twice per month.  During the dormant period of the plants cycle do this every two months.  Of course you may be required to do this more often during very hot weather.  Here is a quick way to check if the plant needs water.  After watering or fertilizing your plant, pick up the plant and note how much it weights.  Stick a lead pencil two inches into the soil.  If soil remains on the lead, the plant does not need water.  If there is no soil on the lead and the plant when you pick it up is much lighter in weight, water the plant thoroughly.  For goodness sakes don’t water the plants with a little dab of water daily.  Remember: when water goes in, air goes out.  Too much water will drown your baby.

Liquid feeding is the most efficient if your soil does not contain a quality organic fertilizer.  A good rule of thumb when potting plants is to add one cup of Kricket Krap® to a 40 quart bag of soil, mix well and then moisten the soil with yucca soap (1 oz.  Per gal of water). This soap makes water wetter and therefore will penetrate the soil better (surfactant).. Most folks make fresh tea and use it within three days.  If you don’t the tea will sour.  The plant want mind but some do not like the smell.  It’s best to use the tea within three days and use what is left over on your compost pile.

A note about water, for the best results use quality spring water or rain water.  Many of our municipal water supplies contain fluorides, chlorine and too much lime, which can be detrimental to your plants.  It is best to check your water source frequently.

Note:  only 2 1/2 % of Kricket Krap® is initially soluble.  Bacterial action is required to break down the remaining solids into usable food for the plant.  You can make about 10 gallons from a cup of Kricket Krap®.  The remaining solids can be placed into your compost pile or added to your soil. Plants are like people.  They love attention, proper food, water and light. Give them all of these and you too can say with pride,  I have a green organic thumb .

Doc and Katy Abraham, the green thumbs of WHAM 1180, Naples, NY. 14512 call me, America’s No 1 Entramanure.  If you are really serious about growing plants you should buy their book.  The green thumb garden handbook by George Abraham. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.. It was printed in 1961 but is still the best buy on the market.

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This page was last updated: 03/20/2007