Organic food for veg

[Windyhill]

Hi to everyone, I'm a returning to gardening after a long lay off (due to job commitments)..now retired and back to the garden to fill my time. My question is regarding Organic, or natural fertilizers.
What are the do's and don'ts of using seaweed as a fertilizer? I have a ready supply from a nearby beach.

[nick the grief]

Hi Windy,

Welcome to the Vine. You shou nip round & see JA one of our mods, she's from you neck of the woods.

If you do a search there has been one or two threads about this. As I live about as far from the sea as is possible it's not really up my street but I was always told that so long as it was fresh it wasn't a problem either straight on hte beds or in the compost heap. The stuff from the high water mark is laden with salt ( from all the wind etc) & this needs to be washed off first.

[rustylady]

Hello Windyhill, welcome back to the treadmill

I should think seaweed is about the same as fresh manure. Good stuff, but to hot to use fresh. Stack it and let it rot down before you put it near crops. Full of useful stuff though.

I've also heard that if you get the right stuff (bladderwrack) it's better at forecasting the weather than the BBC. You hang it outside your back door and if it's dry and crispy the weather is going to be good. If it's soggy get your umbrella and wellies out.

[Windyhill]

Hi folks, nice to be back 'on the treadmill' as you so rightly put it! I have rediscovered the pleasure of aching limbs etc!!
I have read, somewhere, that seaweed is high in all the good stuff, but I have never used it before, I used to have a very good supply of horse manure from my mates stable, and thought that I would give seaweed a go up here in the far north. It seems that the native Shetlanders used it years ago on their crofts, as I said there is a plentiful supply of it here.

[Lady Leek]

I remember as a child bringing it home and hanging it outside the back door to forcast the weather realy worked.
Just wondered you can buy it in bottles the fert, if you collected it and put it in a bucket with lid covered with water ( like you do for comphrey) could you make your own liquid fert to use?

[Alice]

Hello Windyhill and welcome to the vine. I think Jennie's your woman on this one. She'll be along.