Seaweed advice needed

[Burnzie]

Heavy seas have washed quite a lot of seaweed up on to our local beaches. Has anyone got any experience of using it on their veggie plot?

Dig it in ? Spread it on top ? Compost it ?

Any advice gratefully received.

Tony

[nick the grief]

.....................Dig it in ? Spread it on top ? Compost it ?

Yes is the easy answer

As it's fresh it shouldn't be too bad for salt although it may pay you to give it a wash over with the hosepipe incase you've got any of the old seeweed thats been lying on the High water mark.

[JennieAtkinson]

Used a fair bit up here, but I think most people compost it rather than laying it straight on to the veg beds.

[eskymo]

I collect seaweed regularly and add it to my compost heap.

I also make a seaweed liquid feed for plants which I'm mentioned somewhere in another thread.

I noticed that a few people in the village use it as a mulch - so I got a bucket full the other day but that didn't go very far - so going to have to go back with the car and get more.

I normally bung mine in the bath and shower it down with cold water to reduce the salt levels before I use it.

Hope that helps.

[yoanbob]

Good call eskymo, yes t pays to rince it, use as you would comfry, either compo or mulch.

[Burnzie]

Many thanks for the replies. I'll start collecting this weekend.

I've read a few articles and all seem complementary.

Tony

[Saoirse]

How great: to be able to collect your own seaweed. One day...

Nicky

[WiZeR]

damn I was at the seaside this weekend and forgot al about collecting seaweed!

[pickledtink]

I live literally yards from the sea and really should get out there and collect some * hangs head in shame*

[auntsally]

Best to check the seaaweed before you bring it home, I had lots of jumpy things and crabby things crawling about.
I collected them and took them back I hate to hurt anything, particularly for the sake of my garden, its not their fault they live on good compost material is it.
Sal

[rauni]

I've jusy got an allotment right by the sea (well, the banks of the Menai Straits), nothing growing, just lots of digging to do at the mo. Of the other 5 plots, there's one old boy who seems to be trolleying up seaweed from the shore every time I see him. He composts some, I think, but loads of it just goes straight on as a mulch. His veg look amazing, and he gave me some calabrese the other day, which was just delicious, and so healthy-looking. I'll be taking a leaf out of his book, for sure.

[eskymo]

I've started using seaweed as a mulch and I can highly recommend it - it's great!

[Earthbabe]

The farmers at home used to use it every season to mulch the potato fields. I think they stopped due for "economic reasons" which in jersey speak means - I've got to pay someone to do it!

[Lesley Jay]

From what I have read Earthbabe there were also problems with the amount of salt in the soil.

[Burnzie]

Rauni, an old guy on our site also uses it neat, on his potato patch, reckons the salt keeps the slugs away. His potatoes all looked as clean as a whistle.