Frass comes from the German, Fraß, which means: “food taken by an animal”. In English, in the middle of the 19e century, it designated the excrement that the larvae of xylophagous insects produced when they attacked wood. Today, frass sold as fertilizer contains droppings, uneaten food remains and insect molts.
How is frass produced?
It is in fact “waste” obtained during the cultivation of insects and in the form of fertilizer, frass is in fact the recovery of waste. It is sometimes produced by mealworms (Tenebrius molitor), an insect that feeds on dry matter composed of cereal flour, dead insects and decomposing fruits or vegetables. We also use locusts.
The frass offered by Les Jardins de l'écoumène is produced by black soldier flies (Hermetia illucens), a non-harmful species native to the American continent that feeds on diverse, moist decomposing organic matter.
An effective fertilizer
There must be a reason why frass is becoming more and more popular! In fact, it shows very high nitrogen availability and generates higher yields than other fertilizer products. In the study Using frass in the vegetable garden or on an urban farm*, published by The Urban Agriculture Laboratory (AULAB) of the University of Quebec in Montreal in collaboration with Entosystem (supplier of frass marketed by Les Jardins de l'écoumène), the authors come to the following conclusion: “ […] that frass allows a total production 2 times higher than a mixed fertilization treatment** containing frass and at least 3 times higher compared to other treatments. »
In frass, on the one hand the soluble and assimilable compounds are released quickly, and on the other hand the carbonaceous and nitrogenous polymers are released slowly, which prevents the leaching of nutrients.
What does black soldier fly frass contain?
If it includes the usual major nutrients, nitrogen, 3,5%; phosphate, 2,2% and phosphorus, 1,6%, this 100% natural fertilizer is also composed of many other very interesting products for the plant. We therefore find:
- Organic matter: 69%, good for soil life;
- Calcium: 1.19%, which can influence soil pH depending on conditions;
- Magnesium: 0,95%, useful for photosynthesis;
- Chitin: a natural polymer that helps the plant to structure itself and defend itself against certain aggressors;
- Antimicrobial peptides: powerful broad-spectrum antibiotics with antibacterial, antifungal and antiparasitic properties.
Also known as insect larvae manure, frass is both a fertilizer and a biostimulant.
Where to use it?
Frass is well suited to growing in the vegetable or fruit garden, and also in market gardening. In fact, it can be used anywhere in a garden...even on the lawn.
How to use it?
Frass can be incorporated into the potting mix before sowing or for growing in pots, mixed with the soil before sowing or planting in the ground. It can also be added above ground when plants are growing.
Frass sold by Les Jardins de l’écoumène
Our frass is a fertilizer and biostimulant that contains 100% manure from black soldier fly larvae, from the 100% circular economy in Quebec, which is 100% organic. It is an Ecocert approved product for organic cultivation. Thanks to our frass: “Unleash the superpowers of insects to shape a sustainable and responsible food system!” »
Notes:
*: http://cretau.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Effet-du-frass-comme-fertilisant-au-potager_resultats-de-recherche.pdf
**: “treatment” means the different fertilizer inputs during the study.
