---

I love a good guest post! Since I live on the coast, this one is interesting. My gardener at our rental property uses a fish emulsion as a natural, non-toxic fertilizer, and that lawn is chemical-free and SWEET!  (Application days can be a bit stinky, but it goes away.) So I can imagine seaweed does a fine job as well.

________________________________________

Fresh Seaweed as Fertilizer:

 

Did you know seaweed isn’t just a healthy wrap for sushi but also makes good fertilizer? Whether for the garden or indoor greenhouse, it provides great nourishment for plants year round.

Its rich nutrients enhance soil composition ensuring healthy decay of organic matter, strengthening of roots and plant limbs, and boosts immunity against disease.

And of all the types of seaweed, kelp, the long rubbery type found in abundance on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, is the variety preferred by most organic farmers and Green-minded landscapers.

If you live near a public beach you know exactly what it looks like and that it can be collected easily on most days. Just make sure to select fresh pieces that are still wet as dried strands may have lost some “oomph” or could be infested.

For those that live far from any body of water don’t feel left out of the seaweed fix since most home improvement stores carry dried kelp for use at home. Just make sure it is 100% natural and hasn’t been treated with any chemicals, which would defeat the purpose of trying to harvest its goodness.

Application – Foliar spraying

Once you’ve decided to fertilize with fresh seaweed know there are two main ways to apply it, both of which are cost-free when kelp is collected from the beach.

The first involves placing fresh strands of kelp on the garden floor around plant roots where it keeps the ground moist and stops weeds from growing before drying and decaying into the soil.

The second, and more efficient way, is making a seaweed fertilizer concentrate, diluting it, and doing what’s called foliar spraying. Foliar spraying is a process where the plant is lightly sprayed from all directions in order that the stoma, porous regions on leaves that absorb moisture and oxygen, will soak up the solution.

This second option is more efficient because the plant immediately receives nutrients and doesn’t have to wait for the roots to send it upwards.

How to make the spray:

Making the spray is easy and can be done through the following steps:

1. Prepare a five gallon bucket that can be sealed air tight with two gallons of water.

2. Collect about a pound and a half to two pounds of kelp breaking it up with a hand mixer, blender or by chopping and add it to the water.

3. Keep the container sealed for a few days (some people like to leave it brewing for several weeks) in order to grow beneficial bacteria but stir every so often. Know that the mixture may begin to smell so keep it in a shady area away from interior windows and extreme temperatures.

4. After three or four days strain the mixture and any pieces of seaweed left in the strainer can be tossed in the garden around plants.

5. Pour some of the concentrate into a separate pitcher diluting it one part seaweed solution and two parts water.

6. When the solution is ready spray a light mist on plants above and below leaves until moisture from the solution is visible.

7. Schedule sprayings twice a month.

Finally, note that spraying in the morning or evening is best since that’s when the stoma opens widest and if the goal is for the plant to “swallow” the solution, there’s no better time. Also, try not to spray just before rain as it will wash away the solution.

Jakob Barry writes for Hometalk.com, a growing community of homeowners and contractors getting the most from their resources by sharing and monitoring home improvement projects. He covers various home improvement topics including Green Living and gardening services.

• Pin It
• Share
• Tweet