[quadracer]

Alg-A-Min used to be the best stuff around, but it looks like they added a preservative and a colorant (wtf?) so it is not OMRI certified.

The issue with Nitrozyme, besides the high price, is that the extract relies on Lye and other chemicals. When looking for kelp extract, look for the stuff that is cold-pressed.

Originally Posted by quadracer

Alg-A-Min used to be the best stuff around, but it looks like they added a preservative and a colorant (wtf?) so it is not OMRI certified.

The issue with Nitrozyme, besides the high price, is that the extract relies on Lye and other chemicals. When looking for kelp extract, look for the stuff that is cold-pressed.

"it looks like they added a preservative and a colorant (wtf?)"

I just found out myself.. WTF is right.. I love it.

-------------------

Algamin is not an extract, but a suspension of very finely ground sun-dried Norwegian Ascophyllum kelp meal, containing 18% solids, with over 70 different growth hormones, cytokinins, auxins, indoles and enzymes plus a wide array of trace elements. Particularly effective when combined with other foliar materials such as fish products.

I agree with these claims.. Hopefully we can get the colorant and preservative removed.

Jack

[Clackamas Coot]

Originally Posted by habeeb

CC, I asked tod to ask the supplier what seaweed it was, and they did not tell him what seaweed it was. Do you know for certain it's acadian, as I would love to switch if it is. I have seen acadian's website and contacted them for a supplier but they never responded

I'm not surprised. Acadian Seaplants (the company) is pretty restrictive about the distribution of their product.

I do 'know for certain' that the specific product sold by KIS is the Acadian Seaplant Seaweed Extract that I get from the organic farm store. They did get permission from Acadian Seaplants (the company) to break the wholesale packs into 3-lb. bags. The price as of this morning is $35.00 for their 3-lb. pack. The full pack, i.e. 22 kg. is $425.00 and these prices do not include shipping & handling.

If you want to be guaranteed beyond a shadow of a doubt then send me a private message and I'll give you the information. This is not a 'grow store' and they're pretty abrupt with people hemming & hawing about growing 'tomatoes' if you get the idea.

BTW - the overwhelming majority of kelp meal sold in North America is manufactured by Acadian Seaplants. It's widely used in agriculture (obviously) as well as a livestock feed additive.

The main advantage of Acadian Seaplants Seaweed Extract vs. Maxicrop is the difference in manufacturing. The 'clear' seaweed extracts are exactly that - extracts. A mechanical process is used to 'squeeze' the juice from the kelp. For lack of a better description.

Both companies, Kelpak and KelpGrow, talk about various manipulation(s) of specific auxins in their products. Eh.............it makes for an interesting read if nothing else.

What makes both products widely used in commercial agriculture is that it's perfect for using with fertilizer injectors (like the Dosatron) hooked up to their standard irrigation system.

And then of course there's the other market that some customers have found and that is by simply hiring graphic artists with limited skills and re-packaging the diluted original product and up-charging 2000%, you can make a lot of money!

Not a bad deal actually - if you're on the selling end of the process.

CC

nitrozyme is the tits ,creates perfect plants and is 100% organic,

Originally Posted by Clackamas Coot

I'm not surprised. Acadian Seaplants (the company) is pretty restrictive about the distribution of their product.

I do 'know for certain' that the specific product sold by KIS is the Acadian Seaplant Seaweed Extract that I get from the organic farm store. They did get permission from Acadian Seaplants (the company) to break the wholesale packs into 3-lb. bags. The price as of this morning is $35.00 for their 3-lb. pack. The full pack, i.e. 22 kg. is $425.00 and these prices do not include shipping & handling.

If you want to be guaranteed beyond a shadow of a doubt then send me a private message and I'll give you the information. This is not a 'grow store' and they're pretty abrupt with people hemming & hawing about growing 'tomatoes' if you get the idea.

BTW - the overwhelming majority of kelp meal sold in North America is manufactured by Acadian Seaplants. It's widely used in agriculture (obviously) as well as a livestock feed additive.

The main advantage of Acadian Seaplants Seaweed Extract vs. Maxicrop is the difference in manufacturing. The 'clear' seaweed extracts are exactly that - extracts. A mechanical process is used to 'squeeze' the juice from the kelp. For lack of a better description.

Both companies, Kelpak and KelpGrow, talk about various manipulation(s) of specific auxins in their products. Eh.............it makes for an interesting read if nothing else.

What makes both products widely used in commercial agriculture is that it's perfect for using with fertilizer injectors (like the Dosatron) hooked up to their standard irrigation system.

And then of course there's the other market that some customers have found and that is by simply hiring graphic artists with limited skills and re-packaging the diluted original product and up-charging 2000%, you can make a lot of money!

Not a bad deal actually - if you're on the selling end of the process.

CC

CC,

I can't say where our seaweed comes from originally, except that we get it from Organic Approach in 44 lb. boxes and break it down for the small consumer (a little goes a long way!). I know it's cold processed ascophyllum nodosum, but beyond that our distributor is unwilling to give any more info. (they're very secretive about their Tera Vita Humates as well). Having worked with them for years, I can vouch for the quality of their products, but not their sourcing on materials.

On a side note, I just added some seaweed to my latest batch of biodynamic wheatgrass that I'm growing. I grew the last batch strictly on tonic from the manufacturer (seawater and himalayan salt). I'm curious to see if a dilute seaweed spray will help with germination. I'd really like to figure out what will increase the water content in the grass, so I can maximize the juice I'm getting out of it!

[habeeb]

^ I notice with cannabis seeds, I have a fair amount that pop the surface without shells, but when I use seaweed to germinate I get almost 100% that pop the surface without shells. off track a little maybe, but seems seaweed is a little booster for germinating

good luck with the experiments

I love the tera vita humic acid as it dissolves in water so easy, beyond that I'm not sure I can vouch for the quality personally as I have been gardening such a short time, but we all know there reputation..

[Clackamas Coot]

Originally Posted by CT Guy

CC,

I can't say where our seaweed comes from originally, except that we get it from Organic Approach in 44 lb. boxes and break it down for the small consumer (a little goes a long way!). I know it's cold processed ascophyllum nodosum, but beyond that our distributor is unwilling to give any more info. (they're very secretive about their Tera Vita Humates as well). Having worked with them for years, I can vouch for the quality of their products, but not their sourcing on materials.

On a side note, I just added some seaweed to my latest batch of biodynamic wheatgrass that I'm growing. I grew the last batch strictly on tonic from the manufacturer (seawater and himalayan salt). I'm curious to see if a dilute seaweed spray will help with germination. I'd really like to figure out what will increase the water content in the grass, so I can maximize the juice I'm getting out of it!

CT GUY

As someone who has a long experience with BioAg.com's 'HumilSolve 100' product for several years (made in the EXACT SAME PROCESS as the TeraVita line of products), I can personally vouch for the line of products that you offer your customers.

RE: Seaweed Extract (specifically Acadian Seaplants)

When both private industry and the Canadian government set-up 'Acadian Seaplant' there was a business model developed that included agriculture/livestock (the smallest section of the company) as well as their 'HABA' (health and beauty aides) division which is their most profitable division as you would expect.

For their 'human food-grade' product it HAD to be COMPLETELY soluble, resulting in the SP-90 product vs. the SP-85 product which was originally developed for agriculture application in conjunction with fertilizer injectors like the Dosatron and similar products.

Bottom line is that people don't hit the lottery and win $200 million and then decide "Geez - I think I'll open up a seaweed extract operation and let's see how much I can make!" paradigm.

Take fish hydrolysate as an example. Up in Anacortes, WA is a fairly large fish hydrolysate processor who packs for at least 20 manufacturers. Reading arguments, online, about the variables between this or that 'fish hydrolysate' is fairly amusing - to say the least given that many of these products come out of the very same factory.

Same with 'kelp meal' - the largest producer in North America for 'kelp meal' is from Acadian Seaplants. One of their 'bragging rights' is that their kelp meal is sun-dried rather than processed immediately after harvest with lye and other chemicals.

One way to DEFINITELY tell if your specific 'seaweed extract' is from Acadian Seaplants, per se, is to simply smell it. This is the only specific product that actually smells like the ocean - it's weird. Canada (Acadian Seaplants) and Norway (Maxicrop, et al) and especially the 'clear' seaweed extracts (Kelpak & KelpGrow) all have specific aromas. Acadian Seaplants Seaweed Extract is the only one that smells like 'the ocean'

When I ordered your seaweed product (to compare with a 'known source' of Acadian Seaplant Seaweed Extract) I knew within 3 seconds that your source is the 'real deal' and at a very good price indeed. Best product that I know of and I've used them all.

Having said that - it's still my opinion and little else, that using 'kelp meal' in teas of all kinds is my preferred method of using seaweed products. That has more to do with 'tradition' than actual science, if you KWIM

Peace

CC

CC,

Like I said, I have no idea, you may very well be right. :smile:

[habeeb]

I guess you could sit down in front of a light and look at the seaweed to see how it's cut, size, color, and as you say smell to distinguish from them also, but I'm sure CC knows what he's talking about..

[pedrodepaco]

I used to use maxi-crop but switched to algamin its made by the same people its just not a concentrate so you have to use twice as much but it is just ground up seeweed thats pretty much a natural product and it is way cheaper.