Seaweed Organic Fertilizer
Ashes to ashes…grass to grass…huh?!
Well,
to dispel your initial confusion, let me first tell you a
little about organic gardening. The term was
first used when farmers and plant growers began shifting
to organic fertilizers rather than commercially
processed ones because of certain environmental
issues.
Organic fertilizers are a good
source of nutrients for plants in their growth cycle.
Organic fertilizers can
be made from compost (such as backyard
manure), corn meal, bone ash (a great source of calcium), fish
emulsion, and sea grass. Grass benefiting from grass. Get it?
It’s not exactly rocket science.
 The sea acts as a gigantic septic tank for
the earth. It’s where all bits and pieces of trash and
trace elements go after being flushed through rivers
and streams. Seaweeds found on the ocean floor thrive on these
trace elements for sustenance. It's exactly for this
reason that for centuries, seaweed organic fertilizers have
been used to supplement the nutrient needs of
plants.
Trace elements found in seaweed organic
fertilizers include magnesium, potassium, zinc, iron, and
nitrogen — all of which are beneficial to plants.
Nitrogen, for instance, is essential to the production
of nitrate, a critical component needed by plants during
photosynthesis.
Seaweed organic fertilizers
can also be used as a soil treatment to grow healthier, stronger and more
disease-resistant plants. The application methods of seaweed
organic fertilizers are quite simple.
You can spray seaweed organic fertilizers over your
plants using foliar spray, the
preferred method by most since it allows greater
nutrient absorption.
The other application method
is the dry one. Powdered seaweed organic fertilizer is applied to soil around
the plant like tea to hot water. Just a few dips, and
voila! Tastes like dried leaves. In the case of dry seaweed organic fertilizers, however, the
leaves don't dry but turn to an invigorating color of
green.
Seaweed organic fertilizers can be used for soil
“watering”, hydroponics, or foliar feeding.
For best results, seaweed organic fertilizers can
be used in combination with other supplemental solutions like
guano, blood meal, worm castings,
etc.
Here is a sample
step-by-step method for preparing seaweed organic fertilizers
(tea type) for application:
Add one quarter
pound of seaweed organic fertilizer powder into a gallon of
water.
Stir and let your seaweed organic fertilizer
mixture “steep” for 1-3 days.
After three days, shake
your seaweed organic fertilizer mixture gently and
strain it. You can also choose to make a “teabag” out of an
old pair of pantyhose, sackcloth, or whatever else you can
find in the garage.
Your seaweed organic fertilizer is now ready for
application.
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