Liquid Seaweed Fertiliser?

Following a stormy night recently the beaches around here are piled high with washed up seaweed. I collected a load for the compost heap and I am also going to have a go at making liquid seaweed fertiliser.

The accepted method seems to be to half fill a container with washed seaweed and then add water until it is covered. Leave it ferment for several months and then strain off the liquid and dilute as required. In this regard the good old internet again proves that it liberally conveys both information and misinformation, since the dilution amounts seem to be anywhere from 1:1 to as much as 80:1 even though the production procedure is identical in both cases and the intention is to add it to the soil with a watering can and not spray it as foliar feed.

Now it would seem to me that if 1:1 is correct then 80:1 is some kind of horticultural homeopathy. On the other hand, if 80:1 is correct then 1:1 would burn your plants as effectively as a flame thrower. I suspect that some of the in between ratios like 10:1 make more sense.

Any ideas?

 

I'd be interested to know as well kevinm as seaweed is in excellent supply here on the Isle of Wight

 

Yup, and you sure can't beat the price.

BTW Aesculus, I seem to have posted an identical thread. I was given the message on posting that the server didn't respond and to try again. Apparently it was telling me porky pies

 

Interesting Kevin. I have put a sticky on this thread too.

 

I know I use liquid seaweed fertilizer bought from the shops to great effect, love the stuff either used through a watering can or sprayed as a foliar feed through the summer. Will be interesting to know how home made stuff will compare with the shop bought equvilant..

 

I also use the shop bought Liquid Seaweed so i'll be watching this with interest

 

I used to get bags of seaweed from the beach. It was the best soil conditioner, mulch and slug deterrent. I use seaweed spray that I get from my local allotment store. It seems to be better for the plants than phostrogen, etc.....is more of a tonic than a straight feed I think.

 

I've read somewhere that too much seaweed can lead to the build up of heavy metals in the soil, couldn't find a citation but did find this interesting page.

https://sites.google.com/site/fertilizertoincreaseyields/

 

I find Seaweed "expensive" to use exclusively, but I use it for foliar tonic, and as root drench on potting-on / cuttings etc.

I buy Brand-X from Horticultural wholesaler, rather than retail brands like Maxicrop, which are a fair bit cheaper, but still "quite dear", so if its easy to make-you-own then I reckon that's a good bet for anyone near the sea.

Does seaweed "rot" down to nothing such that you need bags and bags of the stuff? If not then a single annual trip to the beach would be worthwhile for me!

Jersey Royal potatoes owe much of their flavour / uniqueness to the seaweed used in their growing as the variety (International Kidney) is widely regarded as tasteless when grown elsewhere.

 

I am not sure as to how far it rots down in water - but it took 100 litres of water to cover which - depending on the dilution rate - should last quite a while.

Regarding seaweed and potato flavour, I spent quite a while on the West Coast of Ireland where some grew their spuds in mostly sand and seaweed because actual soil was in short supply. I still think that they were the best tasting Kerr's Pinks that I have ever eaten.

Kevin

 

Seaweed does rot down to "nothing" over the winter and spring, Kirsten, but I think it's still worth picking up the odd bag.

 

I am confused, which is usual, does the salt from the sea not affect, the soil, or plants growing in it. I remember that we used seaweed in Cyprus, years ago, but we mixed in with the soil, as suggested by one of the locals. But it seemed to cause us no end of problems.

 

Liliana, I have never had a problem with using seaweed. I used it for many years, we all did. I always used it as a mulch in winter. It caused no damage to plants whatsoever. It's,great for veg too. I believe islanders the world over use it in abundance. What problems did you experience?

 

Hi Ziggs

I think this happened on one of the island of Scotland and the crops failed (1930's)?, sorry I cant remember the programme it was on , plus they nearly all starved over the winter
But you were talking years and tonnes of the stuff being used I think its still contaminated today

Spruce
Spruce

 

Hi Verdun, It was a long time ago, but as far as I can remember, we had some type of scorch. Of course, the climate was very hot, maybe we should have watered more, who knows? We lost a lot of veg that year. I do use a bit of liquid -Maxicrop, and was very pleased with the results.