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Why dont more poeple use fresh dried seaweed

S

strain_searcher

Studies have shown that fresh seaweed has more vitamins than extract. I have been using a mix of seaweeds from a very clean beach. I dried them in the sun then ground it up in a blender. I then added to my teas and have noticed a HUGE difference. The teas smell amazing.I would think its much easier just to have the extract but my plants seem to be rewarding me for the extra effort.
 
emmy75

emmy75

Member
ive thought about it but simply put im just too lazy to drive to the beach (only 30 minutes away) and get some.
 
D

DiggityD

New member
I used to do this at my old house (which was near the beach) in my vegetable garden, but never with my herbs. I used to collect a bunch of seaweed, dry it out in the sun, crush it up and sprinkle it into my veggie garden with my other amendments and it made a huge difference!
 
M

MrFista

Active member
Veteran
Best veggie garden I ever had had a foul smelling bucket of fish scraps and seaweed. 1 cup to a watering can and get none on the veg (only apply to soil) - it was like those ads with the bragging neighbour - huge veggies.

now I got a bucket of kelp out there collecting rainwater, wouldn't be without it if the soil lacks, a watering with that, pricks everything up.

I go to the beach after a storm - fresh seaweed. I use all the varieties I can find.
 
Tony Aroma

Tony Aroma

Let's Go - Two Smokes!
Veteran
You don't need to go to the beach for "seaweed." I get it from my aquarium. Seaweed = algae (with few exceptions, no actual "plants" grow in salt water), and algae grows in any aquarium. And it's from a known, uncontaminated source. In addition to the used water, I keep the algae I vacuum from the bottom of the tank and the gunk in the filters. It all goes into a bucket and I use it for all my waterings during veg, and about every other watering during flower. All plants, including houseplants, love this stuff. And I'm convinced the high nitrogen during veg contributes to more females.

Interesting though that people use algae from the sea. I have both fresh and saltwater aquaria, and never thought of using the algae from the salt tank. I guess you would have to rinse it well. Although a benefit of saltwater algae might also be the calcium, which many species incorporate to make them stiff (i.e., calcerous algae).
 
W

Whatever

Tony Aroma said:
Seaweed = algae
Click to expand...
Seaweed ='s alga from the sea both, micro and macro, but it's the macro, either whole like kelp meal or extracts like Nitrozyme or Maxicrop that canna growers use. Aquarium micro algae is not a replacement for sea macroalgae but yes fresh water aquarium water, micro algae and the sludge you get when cleaning a tank out works great in grows. Great hormones, trace minerals and more that come from sea alga products that fresh water stuff can't touch.
 
T

THISISME

Member
I use a little powdered kelp in my tea's. I would give free a try but its just not worth it for me to drive the 8hrs to the beach and 8hrs back. I'm getting cheap though in my old age so next time I visit friends and family in Cali I will try and bring back a big bag of the stuff.

THISISME
 
pineappaloupe

pineappaloupe

Active member
So do the various types of pondweeds, native and invasive work? I have a killer source of eurasian watermilfoil and curlyleaf pondweed.
 
pineappaloupe

pineappaloupe

Active member
jiggy: you know, gutters and spares... the reason i havent posted any pictures is that I am utterly embarrassed by this run. it isnt 100% my fault but i should've seen the massive P deficiency from a mile away. it explains everything... the purpling of stems in veg, weird ass long flower time from last run... ARRRRGGGHHHHH

but yeah, im going to compost me some eurasian watermilfoil!
 
M

MrFista

Active member
Veteran
I grow lots of duckweed but I don't wanna use it for compost it's too good as fish food. But I do got the sludge they turn the duckweed into...

My algae culture is so minimal now I'm culturing shrimp too, I run some water through clear hose just to collect extra algae.

I can't imagine not being close to the ocean. Well, I grew up away from it, 1st chance I got I moved close and never left.

@ Tony Aroma - you vacuum your gravel? You are removing humus, and destroying the interface for iron and sulfur cycles. Unless your fish are big and messy.... probably better off with the humus (in planted tanks).

People supplement iron in aquariums all the time when often there is plenty of iron it's just insoluble. An iron cycle helps deliver iron to plants without needing to keep dosing a product that becomes insoluble on oxidation.
 
C

CT Guy

I think part of the issue is that 90% of the research has been done on a particular species, ascophyllum nodosum, and not all the the benefits of seaweed can be attributed across the board. The way the seaweed is processed will also determine the final benefit for your plant. I suppose if you have an abundance of free seaweed and are willing to remove the salts and then put into your garden that could work. However, seaweed extracts are not expensive in my opinion. We sell it for $12/lb. and 1 lb. will last 1-2 years easy for most people. You're only using micro amounts, as they've found that small doses tend to be much more beneficial than large amounts (which can actually restrict germination and seed respiration). Therefore, it seems worthwhile to me to just go with the extract for the reasons I listed above. Again, this is for people who live on the beach, or don't want to spend that much time. I'd be surprised to see a visible difference in plant growth between the DIY folks and people who use the extracts.

Have seen any data on other algal plants like milfoil or duckweed, I doubt they contain the auxins and cytokinins found in seaweed.

~Tad
 
K

KJ7

Member
What would be the seaweeds used ??? Only KELP is ok ?? here in my region there is no kelp... may i use the light green ones that looks just like the salad stuff....
anyone got pics?? Ill try to get some pics of the algae that flow around here.
 
M

MrFista

Active member
Veteran
Tad - My interest in the duckweed is for several things. Fishfood, it also promotes blue green algae - shrimp food, and doubling in biomass every few days in the right conditions I believe it may have an excellent relationship with photosynthetic bacteria.

I'll look into it next year when I have access to the right equipment and people.

I grow my duckweed in a half barrel aquaponic sump under a growbed, it also breeds shrimp and snails. All 3 help feed the fish.

On adding variety of seaweed I hope/theorise I am adding plenty of compostables but not too many growth promotants etc as most varieties won't contain these. Free compost. Give it a wash and there it is.

I enjoy long walks on the beach.
 
Last edited:
Tony Aroma

Tony Aroma

Let's Go - Two Smokes!
Veteran
pineappaloupe said:
So do the various types of pondweeds, native and invasive work? I have a killer source of eurasian watermilfoil and curlyleaf pondweed.
Click to expand...
Pondweeds are fresh-water aquatic plants, not algae. If it's growing in fresh water and it looks like a plant, then it's a plant. The only algae that grows in fresh water is microalgae, which typically looks like a solid coat of slime or fuzzy, hairy stuff. If it grows in salt water and it looks like a plant, then it's algae, macroalgae. Very few plants can tolerate saltwater, mangroves and sea grass are a couple of exceptions. Algae and plants are two different forms of life. For example, plants have roots that they get water and nutrients through. Algae do not, even though they may have growths that resemble roots.

I'd guess that aquatic plants would be best used as compost, like you would any other plant material.
 
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