TheMushroomMan
Member
Living so close to an abundant source of fresh, natural, free kelp, I can't quite stomach the thought of paying $15 per liter of of liquid kelp. I thought that surely there must be a way to make my own at home, but a few searches of the forums returned nothing. After expanding my search too google, I found this.
http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles/nyerges44.html
Specifically,
Has anyone else tried this? It looks pretty simple and straightforward. The only step I would add is to give the kelp several rinses to get rid of as much salt as possible.
Anyways, I'm going to give this a go. Just thought I'd share
http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles/nyerges44.html
Specifically,
Seaweed
There are many low-cost methods for making your own fertilizer. One of the easiest and best is manufactured from seaweed.
We learned a lot about the beneficial properties of seaweed from Ernest Hogeboom, who used to be a professional gardener in the Pasadena, California, area. Hogeboom would collect several plastic trash bags of kelp from areas along the Pacific Coast. He would empty the kelp into a 55-gallon drum, fill it with water, and then cover it. As the seaweed began to decompose, the water would turn brown. Within about two months, the seaweed was fully decomposed. This liquid was used as a concentrate, which Hogeboom would then dilute with water before spraying it on or pouring it around his customers’ plants.
We’ve used this for our own garden service clients, with the addition of fish emulsion. Plants sprayed with this mixture seem more insect repellent, and generally show some renewed growth. The only pitfall is the fishy, oceany odor that is detectable for a day or two after the application.
The authors with their earthworm compost pit, to which their rabbits contribute by direct deposit. (Photo by Raul Castellano.)
Seaweed is a rich source of potassium —up to 12%. Though seaweed contains many trace elements, it is relatively poor in nitrogen and phosphate, which is why the addition of fish emulsion makes a nearly perfect fertilizer. Also, rather than use the heavy and bulky 55-gallon drum that Hogeboom used, we purchased a plastic trash can at a building supply store for under $10. This has served us quite well.
Has anyone else tried this? It looks pretty simple and straightforward. The only step I would add is to give the kelp several rinses to get rid of as much salt as possible.
Anyways, I'm going to give this a go. Just thought I'd share