Help with what Kelp???

[GodEmperor1767]

Just filled my brain for the day with kelp info. Now I have no idea what to get.

The best that I can find, imho, is 'earth kelp' from progress earth. It contains Ascophyllum Nodosum and Ecklonia maxima. It is cold pressed, so no heat nute loss.

Anyone used this before?
What is your brand of kelp?
Thanks

 

[burns1n209]

Never used it, I use age old kelp and fish emulsion. Works great, I use it when my plants need some nitrogen, I spray them down and 2 days later they cant be any greener and happier.

 

[rasputin]

Whatever you get, make sure it's kelp meal and not seaweed extract or some variant of that term. I use both kelp meal and CytoPlus, which is a seaweed extract along with a couple other goodies.

I've been using Algamin Kelp meal for the last couple of years. So far so good.

 

[NancyBotwin412]

Orcanicare Seaplex is my fav. Plants seem to like it and it does not reek of ocean stank.

 

[GodEmperor1767]

Yes, I know to make sure it's kelp meal and not anything extracted or processed. Thanks Rasputin, Didn't think to mention. I'm just asking about Kelp meals and not about any processed extracts.

 

[SeaMaiden]

You might want to take some care about breaking the 'rule' that dictates you must only use Ascophyllum nodosum. You're breaking the rule if you use Ecklonia maxima. God, what's next in our boxes, bags and bottles of ocean-based products...? an invasive Caulerpa species or, God forbid, some random Chaetomorpha species?

All that said, I use what I can find locally or order online, and that's Algamin, and I think I have a bottle or three of Eco-Nutrients around somewhere, too. I've even used Growmore's extract to my pleasure.

If I had a marine aquarium where I might be running a refugium, I would most certainly try each and every species I could fit in there and, by necessity for the nature of the beast, must harvest. Why not put it to some use?

If you're near an ocean and can harvest what washes up on the beach, why not try some of that, too? Might be breakin' some rules, but who knows what you might learn from the experience?

 

[GodEmperor1767]

Age Old Organics is what the local place carries, what does everyone else think of them?
Burns1, have you used just their kelp without the fish? I assume you are pleased with there products?
What about their castings?
The company seems to have a fine product list.

Per the rule, I have reconsidered after considerable reading.
If I had the time and space I could see setting up grows of a number of species of kelps and seaweeds to see the different effects they all produced. The Chaetomorpha might be used for cases of N overdose...A quick root drench and back on the way to healthy. What comes from the beach here I wouldn't put in my pots though.

Alas, all my experimentation goes to the little green ladies.

 

[ttaylor]

How do you use it? Foliar or to the roots? Did you find any concentrations that can burn the plant?

 

[SeaMaiden]

Ttaylor, I use it via both methods, and because I'm cheap I've never found an amount that burns. It is possible, however, to create imbalances by using too much of it, or trying to use (especially a single source) kelp as the sole source of nutrition.

 

[burns1n209]

Age Old Organics is what the local place carries, what does everyone else think of them?
Burns1, have you used just their kelp without the fish? I assume you are pleased with there products?
What about their castings?
The company seems to have a fine product list.

Per the rule, I have reconsidered after considerable reading.
If I had the time and space I could see setting up grows of a number of species of kelps and seaweeds to see the different effects they all produced. The Chaetomorpha might be used for cases of N overdose...A quick root drench and back on the way to healthy. What comes from the beach here I wouldn't put in my pots though.

Alas, all my experimentation goes to the little green ladies.

I havent used anything else by them other then the fish and kelp. I do know it works great. I need some nitrogen in my trainwreck they were really pale green, 1 spray with the age old and 2 days later couldn't have had greener plants. Seems to me they had a big line of oragnic nutes. Dude at the store I go to said its his number 1 organic line he carries. How true that is not sure, cant believe anything they say or recommend.

 

[sweetestsin420]

1

 

[SeaMaiden]

so kelp meal as in the powder?no liquid seaweed reado to use?like maxicrop?how do you guys use the kelp meal?make a tea?dilute in water?add to rez,or just add to soil?

Yes. Wait.. I wouldn't put kelp meal in a reservoir that's being recirculated or anything like that, so no to that. I've also used liquid concoctions, the purists don't care for it, and I don't want to pay for water so I've gone to dried meals, Algamin, another brand in a box I can't remember, and I also have powdered soluble Maxicrop. Growmore is another liquid seaweed that I've used to good results, but it doesn't fit with an organic program so I'm no longer using it.

Just GO EASY with it, k? Til you get a feel for it. Macroalgaes can provide a lot, but they also provide a lot of micronutrients that can be overdone. And K, they can provide a lot of K, so in coir cultivation specifically, you've gotta go easier with the kelps.

 

[sweetestsin420]

1