The veggie and flower gardens have been put to bed but there remains one last little task that I have been meaning to do for a number of years now. I now own an auto so it is a dream realized. What I am talking about is seaweed. Man, I have wanted to put seaweed on my veggie plots now for so long. Seaweed is so enormously helpful for your soil in terms of bulk, structure and it is rich in elements that a gardening plot can really use. Well, the benefits of using seaweed is widely known and the internet is full of info if you are interested in using seaweed or commercial seaweed products for yourself. I shall just write a piece on how I use it. Location First of all....where to go for the seaweed? Well, that was not so easy as it may sound. I needed a place that was reasonably close and I needed a tide table for that place. I also wanted a location with a live-streaming webcam so that I could see if there was seaweed lying on the beach. I do not want to drive up there for nothing, you see. One further aspect was that access must be close to the beach from the parking lot. One does not want to have to lug heavy containers with wet seaweed uphill (over a dune) and through soft sand for a distance any longer than is absolutely necessary. I used the internet and physically drove along the north-western and north-eastern coastlines. I came upon a place called "Camperduin". So, here is the link for the cam. It may be unclear in the daytime when it had rained or had hard winds blowing off the sea. Camperduin Webcam: http://www.camperduinaanzee.nl/nl/webcam.html The location as seen from a satellite. You can see the brown seaweed up on the beach if you look carefully. So all set to go then. Hop into the yellow auto and off to Camperduin. The parking was simple, as it is not high season. A stroll over the dune and down to the beach revealed right away that there were big deposits if seaweed to gather as there was a sort eddy-place near the seawall and sand. You can see the large plastic trugs that I employ to transport the seaweed back up and over the dune to the auto. Once the auto was all loaded then it was time for a little walk about. The first thing was the horses calmly hanging about near the fence at the end of the parking lot. In the summertime folks can rent these for rides through the dunes or along the beaches. You can see the huge dark green dike back behind the horses. There are also some old "tank traps", left over from the WW2 era. In some places the wind had created lovely patterns in the fine sand. Walking through the dunes gives one the impression that they are wild areas. Driving back the old church of Schoorl looked so attractive that i stopped briefly to snap a foto. Once back, it was too late to spread the seaweed, so it was left in the back of the auto. The next morning there was the smell of the sea in the cabin. Actually it was a lot less "low-tidey" than one might think. It didn't smell like decomposing sea life at all, just sort of salty. Out to the lotties then. The plots that I would cover would be these. They are already under their winter mulch, but that was removed and applied back over in the new garden. Here the seaweed is then spread out over the same area. Look at this nice, thick layer: Now then, after a week on the soil surface, a bit of the seaweed had to be removed to in order to plant some garlic. The seaweed was already decomposing--it was like gelatine. Seaweed is known for it's quick breaking-down quality. Most...no, all of my fellow-gardeners looked upon this new project with apparent scepticism. They had never heard of it but politely nodded when I told them a few things about it and the benefits. All they could say was that I would poison the soil with salt and that they had never heard of it--I was to infer then, that it was not a bona fide gardening practice. I did tell them that the island inhabitants across the channel had been doing it for donkey's ears...but that made little impact. I also mentioned the elements that seaweed was rich in and that it would combat snails, slugs and nematodes....all to no avail. Were they interested in plant health and seed germination then? Nope. If they even remember this experiment, I am sure that they will be checking out my veggie plots to see the failed crops. chuckle. People are funny sometimes. I wonder if any of you guys use seaweed in your gardens.
I haven't tried it yet, but liquid Seaweed is available at most all gardening centers around here. I have some left over dried seaweed that my youngest bought to make Sushi that I am going to soak in water and use next spring.
do you have a moment to explain some of the benefits of using seaweed?? does it benefit all kinds of veg and plants?? how much would i need to satisfy an area 4m by 3m?? i have a plot for my veg next year which could really use some nutrients ready for planting. im right on the coast too which is helpful, i've heard of people using it but thats where my knowledge ends
I've never used it myself but in my studies of soil care, seaweed is one of the most highly recommended additives.. I don't think I've ever seen a negative report on it.. Hank
I live near the ocean, only about an hour away, and have thought about it, even collected it to use, but always shied away because of the salt....even though I have read the salt content is not high enough to cause harm...next season...I'll do it.
I'm not far from the coast either. Does it have any benefits for flowers? And thanks for taking us along on your little outing! I enjoyed the photos very much.
Cheryl, seaweed (aka Kelp) is a soil conditioner which in the long run benefits everything growing in it. The spray on plant food feeds a plant but it doesn't improve the soil so after the short term beneficial help of the plant food is gone you still have poor soil to contend with. It makes the soil more fertile, aids in germination of seeds, helps grow healthier root systems, gives plants a stronger resistance to disease and pests and in general is an all round good thing. Yeah, I know that sounds like an advertisement but everything I have been reading up on says pretty much the same thing. When you collect the seaweed from the beach, you can rinse it to dilute the salt or apply as is.
Hiyah TONI--Good for you that you will use the dried bits that you have for sushi. That will work just fine for a foliar spray for instance. You are a good sport to try it next year. Thanks also for supplying answers to Lukey's questions. Hey there, LUKEY-- I see that Toni has already answered a number of your queries. If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to ask further. It is difficult for me to react to your question about "How much". I tend to put as much as I can. You can see how thickly I put it on top of my soil...so I would say put on enough to completely cover every cm of bare earth that you have on your bed. BTW-- I put mine on top of the soil as a mulch to protect it from the harsh weather and the suns rays. Many folks who use it work it into their soil as soon as they apply it. I think that this is a good practice if your soil is clay-based because it makes that hard packed clay nice and crumbly and the globules will retain moisture for you during the dry spells. As you know-- one of the very most important aspects of soil is "structure"... that is why I apply my own compost which has little bits of bark, twigs and pieces of plant stalks...for structure. I believe that seaweed benefits all plants--it consists of all the elements that healthy soil needs. Going back to the "how much" questions--you know there are folks over there where you live and out in the islands who put loads of seaweed on their plots year after year and through the centuries it has built-up quite a thick layer over that time...so I would say just put on as much as you like. I saw a YouTube vid that showed a man that filled a trug with seaweed and planted his spuds in it. He didn't wait until it it composted first...and he showed his harvest at the end of the season. It was quite nice. Another benefit is the use of seaweed as a compost starter. That works really well. * I would apply the seaweed now rather than wait until next season. Thanks for your posting, HANK-- I have the same experience. I have been using extracts and other seaweed products for years now. KATHYD-- Thanks for your reaction. I did not rinse my seaweed off prior to applying it to the soil, although doing so would not diminish the effect of the seaweed I don't think. I take my hat off to you for being willing to give it a try next year. Most of the articles that I have read have also said that rinsing the seaweed is not really necessary. CHERYL-- It most definitely does have benefit to blooming plants. There is a goodly amount of potassium in seaweed. You are welcome for the outing I am glad that you liked the pics. Toni has posted a lot of helpful info about seaweed up above. Good luck with it next year...Actually, I would begin applying it right now though, I would not wait until next spring.
I don't live anywhere close to the ocean. So I have never thought to try this. it is interesting that it combats nematodes, though. Any ideas why? I have heard it is very good for the soil, so I guess I'll be watching, not with skepticism, either, for the results. Thanks for taking us along on your ride. I never think to take my camera along when I leave the house. I will try to, though, in the future, just for the pictures, so others can see what it is like around here. I always enjoy seeing photos of other areas where I don't think I'll ever get to see otherwise.
Hiyah Carolyn--Thanks for your note. I do not yet know how the seaweed helps against the nematodes. My first feeling is that what little amount of sea salt present may be an irritant. I have made inquiries to experts and if they return my mail, I will let you know what they say. I can also imagine that the broken-down seaweed may have a chemical or microbial deterrent. The bottom line is that I just do not know at this point. I hope that you do begin taking your camera along with you when you leave the house. We all here could benefit from that. I am quite curious how things go there and especially how you and your man farm on a moderately large scale. My gardening is miniscule compared to yours...so you will of course use totally different managment techniques. This interests me.
great info everyone! looks like a trip to the beach is in order this week. better find my hat and scarf!
Sjoerd,great topic for gardener, seaweed and seaweed extract is widely promoted here and rightly sne particular organic fertilizer company only use a special type of kelp-seaweed which grows in the Irish Sea...it is amazing the results.I use it as a foliar spray on orchids and other delicates as well as vegies and normal flowers, ferns love it. There is one line of thought, mainly talked about in garden magazines and clubs, that we can live solely on everything the sea offers..I dont think that could be right, I have never seen bars of chocolate under there! Of course my husband agrees that fish is all we need, being a mad keen fisherman of course what else could he say, but if waited for him to harvest our meals we would starve.Good times are had trying though! P.S. there are penalties for removing seaweed from some beaches here...everyone wants it.
Oké then LUKEY-- I hope that you had success at the beach. Perhaps you will show some pics. CHOCOLATE--I am glad that you liked the posting. heh heh heh--that's a very good point about chocolate not coming from the sea. I know a number of folks that would totally agree with you. When was in Oz, I did not do any fishing, but I did try barramundi where ever I could. Luckily there are no penalties here for gathering seaweed deposited by the waves on our shores. I do not pick it.
Lovely sights and what a wonderful haul! Wish there are some sea weeds on the beaches here.. sigh........ I'll go and look see tomorrow around the many new reclaimed beaches!
nice post sjoerd like the others i have never used it but have heard great things. one aspect to be aware of is its positive effect on the microflora of your garden. Its a wonder food for microbial growth. Which means it will help boost the the good bacteria in the garden which in turn reduces the bad bacteria.
