hemp and seaweed in compost????

[BayViewPlot]

Thanks to carlseawolf for the seaweed links, however I have one query about the garden organics factsheet if anyone can answer.

"Living seaweed should never be removed from rocks."

www.gardenorganic.org.uk/factsheets/gg15.php

I have recently done just this to add to my compost bin - I would collect wild food so why not wild compost?

Anyone have any other ideas or opinions on this?

[Peter]

Two reasons spring to mind

1/. The wildlife and countryside act.
This prohibits the picking of various plants and the removal from the countryside for gardening use of many other plants.
Dig up a primrose to replant in your garden you break the law.

2/. What if everyone does it?
OK 100 people visit your little beach every day and each take one sackful of seaweed. thats 1000 sacks every ten days, pretty soon they are plucking the living stuff from the marine forest (for that is what it is) then it too is gone and there is nowhere for the smaller creatures to hide, nothing for the planteaters to eat and no more seaweed, this no bottom to the food chain.

If you pick sloes for example, the sloe bush is still there next year and it suckers, also birds WILL get some and crap the seeds out somewhere.

So if you pick up dead seaweed from the high tide mark, you are collecting fallen leaves blown from the marine forest. If you collect some here and some there thats fine.
But if it all gets hoovered up, somewhere some species will be loosing out as you will have taken its home/dinner/nursery or a bit of the beach that would have been there next year.

[Lesley Jay]

Excellent Peter. Thank you.

[carlseawolf]

in norway they have kelp barges ( kelp is a seaweed ) and they go to sea and use grapples to harvest the seaweed for fertilizer and these are not small boats 60' plus , there's no need to take it from rocks all you have to do is wait for windy weather and a wind blowing on shore and there will be lots to gather .
some beaches get cleaned by the local council so if your and allotment association you may be able to get it deliverd to your lottie.

[BayViewPlot]

Thanks for the advice, consider wrist slapped and lessons learned!

[buttercup]

good man peter!
its very easy to destroy the little eco systems around a beach!
kicking lipets off rocks, anything no matter how insignificant it seem can result in a dramatic change for all life concerned!
they have to live there and too often they have to put up with damaging human contact like litter or dredging or polution in general!
we can grow our own food and they cant!
no slapped wrist, its just something people take for granted, or dont realise, seaweed is such amazing stuff so we have to make sure that we only take what is given, so there will be enough left alive for the future.
rant over
cheers buttercup x x

[rustcrow]

during rope making times waste water which the hemp stalks were soaked in was a much sought after bi product especially by market gardeners , i read in a book about country crafts

[Paulottie]

[QUOTE=muckdiva;63868
I did wonder if putting plain hemp from the pack (sans horse droppings!) around plants would work as a slug deterrent,[/QUOTE]

It'll probably give them munchies

[Paulottie]

I agree with Peter there is so much washed up there is no need to 'pick it.' It doesn't 1/2 make your heap hot tho. Generally great stuff that is full of trace elements- i have made a 'tea' with it before(and boy did it hum)

[Cutecumber]

I've got a sack of hemp pellets - can't source them anymore, I've had them about four years. They are similar to wool pellets, if you're interested in that kind of thing!

I mix them in with compost and in the soil - helps to retain moisture and adds some nutrient.

Very easy to use and pleasant smelling - it is unfortunate that it is difficult to get licences to grow hemp here (even this harmless variety) as it has some excellent potential uses for agriculture etc.