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Did I screw up with my bulk kelp purchase?
- Thread starter pinecone
- Start date
organicterra
Member
Looks like the right stuff to me. How much was it?
I have the same bag.
I have the same bag.
sbtransplant
New member
That seems like a lot of salt. You may consider washing it prior to use to rid it of a little of that salt. All the kelp meal around here for sale claims to be washed to reduce the amount of salt to a minimum.
The cost was $40.00. I know Acadian Seaplants Kelp is the right stuff. I'm just wondering if I got a version intended for animal feed rather than plants.
Pine
C
CC_2U
Pine
They're one and the same.
BTW - that is THE lowest price on Acadian Seaplants kelp meal I've ever heard of. Lucky you!
CC
organicterra
Member
That's what I was thinking. I paid $55 but I've seen it as high as $90.
C
CC_2U
OT
The local price in PDX is $55.00 but I've seen it as high as $4.40 per lb. in the Dr. Earth box at mainstream garden centers. A couple of nurseries sell it (in bulk) for $2.50 per lb.
This kelp meal makes a kick-ass tea when combined with alfalfa meal. Aerate for 36 - 48 hours. and apply full strength to your soil. The remains of the meals can be top-dressed around your garden plants, compost pile or worm bin. Even after the brewing cycle there is still a lot of value left in the meals.
CC
The local price in PDX is $55.00 but I've seen it as high as $4.40 per lb. in the Dr. Earth box at mainstream garden centers. A couple of nurseries sell it (in bulk) for $2.50 per lb.
This kelp meal makes a kick-ass tea when combined with alfalfa meal. Aerate for 36 - 48 hours. and apply full strength to your soil. The remains of the meals can be top-dressed around your garden plants, compost pile or worm bin. Even after the brewing cycle there is still a lot of value left in the meals.
CC
organicterra
Member
I've made that tea a few times now. I actually added some Neem seed meal also a couple times. About 1/2 cup of each in 3 gallons.
Is that overkill?
C
CC_2U
OT
Neem & kelp meal tea is a very good thing to add to your garden's soil as well as a foliar spray.
Adding alfalfa would make it even better. You might want to dilute with water 2:1 or even 1:1 - something like that.
Neem & kelp tea is also effective against both mites as well as mildew. The neem component is obvious and in addition are compounds in the kelp which inhibit the hatching of leaf-eating insects.
And then there's the fungicide benefit from applying this tea.
And both meals feed your plant in the process. No poisons involved.
CC
GoneRooty
Member
Wow amazing price!! Do you mind if I ask where you get from in PDX? I'm down there every few weeks, and if would pay to get it when I'm there.
And I thought paying $1.44/lb was good
Thanks
GR
GoneRooty
Member
organicterra
Member
organicterra
Member
No worries. Don't forget the Glacial Rock Dust.
Pinecone:
Nice score on the kelp meal. Amazing stuff!
OT
C
CC_2U
For 5 gallons of tea
About 1 cup of alfalfa meal/pellets (again from Concentrates and they source from the High Desert in Eastern Oregon = incredible protein levels as well as mineral levels) and about 1/2 cup of kelp meal.
Aerate for a couple of days just to get things bouncing around in the bucket - strain out the meals and apply the tea to your soil.
It's "almost" as good Humboldt County's Own Gravity - "almost'
HTH
CC
Concentrates now has bulk bins and you could buy amounts you want by the pound, kelp meal, fish meal, alfalfa etc, etc
Cheers
GS
Cheers
GS
I totally disagree with CC2U. That Acadian kelp is not the same Acadian kelp I get bulk in farming. The ratios are completely different. 2% K by weight is a long long way from 17% k by weight.
So I'm sure it will offer some goodness but it is NOT the same product.
See my label ratios below.
So I'm sure it will offer some goodness but it is NOT the same product.
See my label ratios below.
GoneRooty
Member
Sweet, thanks for the ratios CC. I checked out Concentrates website and love their prices, but also found out that they link to a talk by the owner of the shop I get my stuff from already. I'm sure he's getting everything from them, and his mark up isn't horrible on most of it. But I'm gonna grab some of the stuff I use most from concentrates.
Next time your on their site, check out the "Gary's Bits" section, he's who I get most of my amendments from.
