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For those of us who amend our soil with compost before planting and then hope for the best, Benecki has one quick tip: Add a bag of what’s called “complete fertilizer” for plants or flowers to the soil, following the directions based on the size of your garden.

Benecki notes that “complete fertilizer” — which is long on nitrogen for plant growth — is just a generic solution.

Fertilize: In addition to adding complete fertilizer to the soil, use a soluble fertilizer like fish emulsion around transplants, especially early in the season or if the plants are not thriving.

The excrement-laden water offers a complete fertilizer for the plants and is pumped into growing beds where naturally occurring, but beneficial, organisms break down the ammonia into nitrite and then nitrate, Terry Stapley explained during a recent visit.

Figure 5.—Effect of omission of phosphorus from complete fertilizer in Western New York.