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gardenalive

Seaweeds...It's a miracle

gardenalive
20 years ago

Hi, everybody here seems very generous on giving away their "secrets." I like to share mine as well. Every year, during the summer Galveston would be plagued with sargassum seaweeds that originate from the Sargasso sea and flow all the way here (and elsewhere!).

Anyway, I occassionally collect a few pounds (if you see a little guy shoveling seaweed on the east end of the island, don't laugh, that's likely me), then I washed the salt off with fresh water, and applied them to my favorite plants. In a week, what used to be lifeless, stunted plants are now teeming with vigor--it's like a magic pill for those wanting to be young and vigorous again. What's more, it seems to cut down on the root knot nematode population when i'm done harvesting the plants. I do this mostly on beans and okras. I think the micronutrients and the load of dead sea tiny creatures did the job. Amazing.

Comments (10)

  • Arina
    20 years ago

    I'm going to suggest something else, a tip I got on Gardenweb.
    I put some seaweeds in and old garbage can, add some water (I prefer rainwater)and after two weeks (it may need less time, I haven't tried) I get a 'tea' that I use on my plants (both house plants -they seem to love it- and garden plants). It's a different way of using seaweeds in the garden.
    Do a search for seaweeds. You might get some good suggestions.

  • karen22
    20 years ago

    Good for you! I love collecting seaweed. Especially when it is still raining! Great stuff!

  • Lenh
    20 years ago

    Hi
    My brother in law used to collect seaweed wash it and mix it with comfrey leaves in a barrel with a little water. He had some of the most beautiful plants that I have ever seen.
    He had to dilute it to use
    I was just reading some where that using unwashed seawead under your potatoes when planting them stops slugs as they cannot tolerate the salt.I was wondering how long it lasts as the seawead would have rotted down(Iwould have thought] before the pots where mature,that is the main time that the slugs strike
    Len

  • chris_chico
    19 years ago

    How do you apply the sargassum to the plants, as is? Do you compost it or liquidify it/ I live in S FLA and we have lots of it too. It is a constant harrassment when surf fishing, constantly haveing to remove it from my lures. So, I mind as well clean some up and put it to use ;)

  • Inacio
    19 years ago

    I've collected it and added layers to my compost pileS. How important do you think washing the salt off is?

  • DRGingras
    19 years ago

    I liveon the lake (freshwater)...can this work with freshwater lake weeds as well?

  • audreye
    18 years ago

    I grew up next to Lake Ontario, and yes the seaweed is wonderful in the garden. My mother used to have the most beautiful gardens around. My dad also used to do alot of smelt fishing in the spring. He would save the carp and shiners and the heads from the smelts and my mom would bury them around her roses and other perennials. She won many awards for her beautiful roses. I can always remember our yard being full of flowers. I guess it was her version of fish emulsion back then.

    Audrey

  • AArooon1
    18 years ago

    Seaweed is excellent for plants, it contains a surplus of every trace nutrient a plant needs and can be sprayed direcly on to the plants to magically solve all deficientcys(however you spell that).

  • Silencer
    18 years ago

    AArooon hit the nale on the head. Seawead picks up all kinds of things from the water.

    You can even extract iodine crystals from them with a little chemistry knowledge. It's a great resource for the chemist since iodine can be pretty expensive!

  • commadee_gmx_com
    14 years ago

    I know 2005 it was posted but didn't want to start a new thread
    As AArooon says it has trace elements of every nutrient and impotantly it also has nitrogen which is very rare in an organic off the shelf product in fact its the only one I've seen so far
    I have just discovered seaweed extract and been doing some digging it seems awsome

    Here is a link that might be useful: place I discovered seaweed extract pictures and info

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