One of the best liquid fertilisers available is Seaweed Fertilizer, it is organic form from the ocean and effective in the garden. Both seaweed fertilizers and fish fertilizers are available in liquid and powdered forms.
Liquid Seaweed Fertilizer is one of the most widely used fertilizers in the garden. Being an organic fertilizer made from seaweed or kelp it can be applied directly to the soil or as a foliar spray.
Providing a range of nutrients to garden plants that assist with root growth, and nutrient uptake as well as promoting healthy plant growth in a form that is readily accessible as nitrogen to plants.
So why is liquid seaweed fertilizer so widely used?
- Used widely for centuries in Scandanavian countries as well as the Brittish Isles Seaweed or Kelp improves soil condition as well as plant growth and crop yeild. Also improves frost tolerance in a range of plants.
- Seaweed when in a liquid fertilizer form breaks down very quickly and releases nutrients to the soil, it also enhances microbal activity. Many gardeners add liquid or powdered seaweed extract to compost heaps to help with decomposition.
- Seaweed can be provide nutrients through release to the soil or as a spray. It is especially useful on plant species that like iron. Seaweed fertilizer also helps increase sugar level in plants.
- We use seaweed fertilizers on new seedlings and when transplanting or ‘potting up’ as it enhances root growth and helps overcome ‘transplant shock’. Also useful for speeding up seed germination
Application of liquid fertilizers.
In the home garden liquid fertilizers are most commonly applied using watering cans, or in the case of foliar application spray packs are used. For larger areas liquid fertilizer carts are available that allow application to commercial crops. Liquid fertilizer is one of the most common forms used for bonsai.
Two from the Sea
We also have Liquid Fish Fertilizer is also widely used as an organic fertilizer. Many vegetable growers use fish fertilizer every 2 weeks to help promote growth.
Seaweed or Kelp fertilizer is an organic product available in both liquid and powdered forms.
Seaweed or Kelp fertilizer is particularly useful to assist seed germination as well as promoting root growth in new plants.
Seaweed for the Garden
As a fertiliser and soil improver seaweed is great for the garden, it can be applied as a liquid fertiliser, or indeed it can be applied ‘as seaweed’.
For centuries it was used to improve poor soils as far back as the 1700s in the UK and even earlier in the Mediterranean. So can you just collect seaweed from the beach and use it as a mulch, Well NO!
Firstly, depending on the council and state it may well be illegal. And secondly, you will realise that seaweed when dry forms a fairly hard substance, and takes a while to break down.
- Do you need to wash it first
Not really, the salt you can wash away is only the seawater on the surface, so not much. If you collect after a storm it will most likely have been rained on anyway. You might want to wash away sand and other bits of shell. However if you are collecting at the right time, probably not worth washing it. - Using Seaweed as a Mulch
If you are in a spot where it is OK to collect from the beach, the procedure is simple. Wait until a storm has past, and you are sure to find mounds of the stuff, look for fresh, clean smelling seaweed not old smelly stuff that was washed up a month agoA few gardeners say you can use it as a mulch, and you can but its not a great mulch as such. For a start it smells for a while even if it is fresh and secondly it really does dry out and go hard. However if you want to you can us seaweed as a mulch, chop it up with a sharp spade first, especially the larger kelp type, it will take a while to break down, especially in summer.
- As a liquid fertilizer
Many use it to make seaweed fertiliser, soaked in a barrel of fresh water, 50% seaweed and 50% water for 2- 3 weeks. Stain of the liquid and use about 200ml to a 10 littler watering can of water. Test out your brew before spreading it around to much, any strong fertiliser can burn plants and seaweed is no exception. - In Compost
You can use the residue in the compost heap, just remember to layer it with other materials as you normally would, not just a great lump of seaweed. - As a soil improver
You can break up the residue and use it as a clay breaker. Seaweed needs to be crushed and broken up before being dug into the garden as a soil improver. Most gardeners who have used it have simple left it to dry in the sun, wash in the rain and then broken it up. You can actually buy crushed seaweed in Tasmania, however we are not sure of anywhere else.
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Liquid fertilizers are available from the following suppliers
e-mail ajproducts@adam.com.au
Suppliers of an amazing soil conditioning & plant food that will improve the health of soil whilst feeding plants. Natural organic and suitable or all plants. Protects plant from stress., i.e. heat, frost and pest attack. )
www.ajproducts.com.au