Part 1 of Using Seaweed in the Garden was posted back in July 2011. I thought it would be nice to go into more detail about the Why and the How of using seaweed as a natural fertilizer (and more).
Seaweed has many uses but I'm going to talk about using seaweed for Fertilizer, Mulch, Pest Control and Compost Activator.
Fertilizer
Seaweed tea is simple and easy to make. It can be stored up to 3 month but is best used within 4 weeks. Seaweed contains trace elements and minerals and is a Nitrogen-rich soil amendment. Use seaweed for those heavy feeders such as Tomatoes, Peppers and Squash.
Mulch
I use all types of organic material for mulch such as dry leaves, store-bought bark (mulch) and seaweed. Once I have used up the last of my tea, the rest gets used as mulch around my tomatoes. Mulch is important to keep down the weeds, retain moisture, protects close to the surface roots, all while providing nutrients to the plant as the mulch breaks down.
Pest Control
While using seaweed hasn't kept the neighborhood cats out of my garden, I have very little snails or slugs. For natural pest control I also use companion planting for an all around happy garden (and happy bees).
Compost Activator
If you have a compost pile of bin, seaweed is your friend. What is Compost? was also posted July 2011 and is a great starting point for new gardeners. "Compost is a natural soil amendment and garden fertilizer. It can be made FREE using kitchen scraps (and yard clipping)." Add seaweed to the compost pile to add nutrients and speed the process by feeding the beneficial microbes.
As I mention in my original post, clean the seaweed before you apply to plants, tea or compost. It's important when collecting seaweed that you observe you state and local laws. There are many protected beaches that do not allow people to remove anything from the shore or water. I collected my seaweed first thin in the morning so it was fresh and relatively clean.
Please be aware of tiny creatures. Inspect the seaweed or rinse before you leave the shore so you don't bring home (and possibly kill) helpless creatures.
That's right, SEAWEED!!! It's free and plentiful if you live near the coast.
This morning I got up early (free parking before 8am) and went down to the beach with 2 grocery bags and a big plastic bin. I took my plastic bags down to the shore and picked the freshest seaweed which was just washing up on shore. After just 5 minutes both of my bags were full.
Back at the car I loaded the bags into the bin. I use the bin because it has a lid and I had a few errands to run before I went home.
Here it is!
Cleaning the Seaweed:
I used an old towel and spread the seaweed out over the towel. Just turn on the hose and rinse it down, picking up larger chunks to rinse more thoroughly. I'm going to let the seaweed dry just a bit before I use it.
Uses for Seaweed in the garden:
~Mulch
~Fertilizer
~Pest control
How to use Seaweed:
1. Make a tea. Put clean seaweed in a bucket and add water. After 2 weeks or up to 3months later, use the water on plants to fertilize the roots. Do not splash this "tea" on plant leaves and as with any fertilizer, do not over use.
~5 gallon bucket~Add 1/5 bucket of seaweed and fill with water.
2. Add to the compost bin or pile. Seaweed is a great compost activator and adds beneficial nutrients.
3. Apply directly to topsoil as mulch. As the Seaweed decomposes it will naturally feed the plants.
4. Use Seaweed when planting potatoes as the salt may deter slugs and other pests.
