Give Your Plants a Special Treat with Seaweed Fertilizer

By Sarah Duke

For as long a time as people have planted and reaped, fertilizer has played a role in farming. Countless kinds of fertilizer have been experimented with in the quest for a larger and higher quality crop. A few of them have been more effective than others. As odd as it might appear, seaweed fertilizer is among the most valued ways to improve soil quality.

For hundreds of years, coastal regions around the world have depended on seaweed fertilizer. In England, in the Channel Islands, there's actually an industry exclusively dedicated to harvesting and drying seaweed. It's utilized in a variety of products, including garden fertilizer.

In Ireland, seaweed also enjoyed popularity as an effective fertilizer. The soil would be lifted up in rows, the seaweed laid down, and then the soil would be replaced. Though it's not as popular nowadays, this was the common routine for sowing and cultivating potatoes in that country. Even today, the coastal industries of Ireland reap large amounts of seaweed and kelp.

You can make a big difference in the quality of your garden soil by using seaweed. The reason for this is that seaweed grows in seas and oceans, where all the elements that are known to exist can be found. These elements become part of the seaweed, and are then passed along to the benefit of your garden soil.

Environmentally conscious gardeners are particularly attracted to seaweed fertilizer. The reason for this is that it's an organic product derived from plants, and can enhance the soil in cooperation with other varieties of pure fertilizer. It doesn't carry the stigma of a lot of the commercial products that are full of chemicals. These products frequently contain uncertain ingredients. As well, the manufacture of these products releases a significant amount of contaminants into the atmosphere.

Seaweed fertilizer can be added straight on to the earth, similar to mulch. Place it around and in between the plants. It tends to break down quite rapidly.

You can also include it in your compost pile. It will add nutrients and help to decompose the other ingredients in the mix. Moreover, both the powder and liquid varieties can be made into a tea-like solution. Then you gently spray the mixture on the leaves, thereby supplying them with an easily available source of nutrition.

The history of seaweed as a fertilizer goes back countless years, everywhere around the globe. If you are lucky enough to live near a large body of water, you can almost certainly find it at the water's edge. But taking a trip to a neighboring garden store is an alternative for pretty well everyone. Ask for kelp meal or other types of seaweed fertilizers. Since you're there, endeavor to get some information on how to use it for the maximum effect in your garden. - 29857

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