I heard recently, but cannot remember where, that liquid seaweed should not be given to areas where bamboo grows. Does anyone have any ideas why this may be so?
Sorry to witness the demise of the forum. 😥😥😥😡😡😡I am Spartacus
I'm well aware of the fact that you like disagreeing with me @MrMow. However - I stand by what I've said. Liquid seaweed, in particular, has been used for a very long time in gardens- mainly for foliar feeds, and those plants which don't need help with flowering. There are long time posters here who use it on a regular basis as they believe it promotes healthy growth in all plants - @Pete.8 does. I don't, as my soil is clay, and therefore quite rich in nutrients, although I've used it now and again in the past for things like Fatsias, which are largely grown for their foliage. Different products will have different levels of nutrients because of the nature of the product it comes from. Plenty of places offer the same viewpoint - took less than two minutes to find these : https://www.rhs.org.uk/soil-composts-mulches/seaweed-products https://www.envii.co.uk/garden-blog-post/seaweed-fertiliser-guide/
I also said early on in the thread that feeding the soil with organic matter [ home made compost etc] is better for most plants, rather than too much extra artificial feed, but you can't just magic that up out of thin air either if you don't already have it, so it's about compromise for @M33R4. It's why many of us offered other info as well as suggestions. It's why it also pays to read threads properly as the OP could have difficulty using organic matter due to her wrist problems. Lugging bags, or containers, of organic matter around can be painful due to the weight, and shovelling stuff onto beds can also be painful, unless you have someone to help. I have similar problems, because of my back, so I understand that
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I first started using seaweed extract when Geoff Hamilton promoted it on GW so many years ago. He always used it as a foliar feed and did indeed get amazing results. Obviously he'd improved the soil previously too - he'd made the gardens from scratch - just a bare bit of grass and showed the progress over about 2 years.
At that time it seemed that N was predominant in seaweed extract. I now see that it appears to be K that is predominant. But as previously mentioned the levels of NPK in seaweed extract are negligible. What it is packed with though is vital micronutrients some of which are in sort supply or non-existent in typical garden soil.
N.B I know that Monty uses nothing but seaweed extract on his citrus and they always look good (except for the frost damage last winter)
Alongside a NPK fertilizer, seaweed will ensure all the minerals and elements are there for your plants. In my opinion over many years I find it does help a lot - not necessarily with lush growth, but it does seem to ensure excellent plant health. With excellent plant health and sufficient nutrients in the soil plants should thrive.
That said, bear in mind that plants get all their energy from sunlight and turn starches into sugars by the magic of photosynthesis. NPK and all the micronutrients are not needed in large amounts - there's usually about enough in the soil. But if we want bigger leaves, bigger yields, more flowers etc, then we supplement what is already in the soil and the seaweed extract ensures that ALL the micronutrients are available to support the plant if needed.
Mr Mow is quite right in saying that molasses is also beneficial to plants, but I'm not sure how it works. Not something I've really looked into, but as far as I know, plant roots are not able to absorb sugars as the molecules are too large to enter the roots. Adding fulvic acid can help (so I've read) it acts like a saponin (soap) that helps the sugar molecules squeeze into the root. It's not something I've really researched though.
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
1. That said, bear in mind that plants get all their energy from sunlight and turn starches into sugars by the magic of photosynthesis. 2. NPK and all the micronutrients are not needed in large amounts - there's usually about enough in the soil 3. molasses is also beneficial to plants, but I'm not sure how it works. as far as I know, plant roots are not able to absorb sugars as the molecules are too large to enter the roots.
correction: 1. Plants use the sun's energy to turn CO2 and H20, through a series of steps, into simple sugars. These sugars are further converted into starch, cellulose and similar chemicals. 2. Nitrogen may be enough in the soil, although some plants cooperate with bacteria to "fix" their own from atmosheric N2. 3. As plants make their own supply of sugars, they have no need to absorb any more. Bacteria and fungi are known to use plants to supply their sugars. Some do this benignly, others cause diseases. (Xanthonamona campestris, a bacteria that cause lesions in brassicas, is used in biofermentation with molasses to make xanthan gum, a useful thickener. It is possible- only possible - that supplying an extra source of sugars to harmful bacteria might reduce their need to raid a plant.)
location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand. "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
I heard recently, but cannot remember where, that liquid seaweed should not be given to areas where bamboo grows. Does anyone have any ideas why this may be so?
I read this in a book on Architectural Plants by Christine Shaw, an exotic plants nursery manager, and have avoided using it on my bamboo since. However, there are conflicting views on this. I find that a few handfuls of Blood Fish and Bone in spring and again in mid-summer help, but it depends on the quality of your soil as to whether it's necessary. As has already been said, improved soil with plenty of organic matter is the best way to support most plants.
Yes, pedantic. Pedantic can be useful. It's not good when someone is horribly wrong, and basing thier actions on that. I was just trying to correct Pete's misconceptions..
Not everybody consults britannica online. I have in the past been vilified for suggesting that a poster should use google.
location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand. "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
Thank you @Plantminded, very helpful of you. I always thought that as bamboo either does not or hardly ever flowers, & it is grown for its 'greenery' that liquid seaweed would be helpful, so was puzzled. I will look up Christine Shaw and her book that you mention. I don't feed or supplement my bamboo, but it sounds as though if liquid seaweed made its way into the soil nearby, it would not be the end of the world.
Sorry to witness the demise of the forum. 😥😥😥😡😡😡I am Spartacus
Posts
Remember seaweed is the only fertiliser used in some coastal areas, and they manage to grow plentiful crops.
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
There are long time posters here who use it on a regular basis as they believe it promotes healthy growth in all plants - @Pete.8 does. I don't, as my soil is clay, and therefore quite rich in nutrients, although I've used it now and again in the past for things like Fatsias, which are largely grown for their foliage. Different products will have different levels of nutrients because of the nature of the product it comes from.
Plenty of places offer the same viewpoint - took less than two minutes to find these :
https://www.rhs.org.uk/soil-composts-mulches/seaweed-products
https://www.envii.co.uk/garden-blog-post/seaweed-fertiliser-guide/
I also said early on in the thread that feeding the soil with organic matter [ home made compost etc] is better for most plants, rather than too much extra artificial feed, but you can't just magic that up out of thin air either if you don't already have it, so it's about compromise for @M33R4. It's why many of us offered other info as well as suggestions.
It's why it also pays to read threads properly as the OP could have difficulty using organic matter due to her wrist problems. Lugging bags, or containers, of organic matter around can be painful due to the weight, and shovelling stuff onto beds can also be painful, unless you have someone to help.
I have similar problems, because of my back, so I understand that
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
He always used it as a foliar feed and did indeed get amazing results.
Obviously he'd improved the soil previously too - he'd made the gardens from scratch - just a bare bit of grass and showed the progress over about 2 years.
At that time it seemed that N was predominant in seaweed extract.
I now see that it appears to be K that is predominant.
But as previously mentioned the levels of NPK in seaweed extract are negligible.
What it is packed with though is vital micronutrients some of which are in sort supply or non-existent in typical garden soil.
N.B I know that Monty uses nothing but seaweed extract on his citrus and they always look good (except for the frost damage last winter)
Alongside a NPK fertilizer, seaweed will ensure all the minerals and elements are there for your plants.
In my opinion over many years I find it does help a lot - not necessarily with lush growth, but it does seem to ensure excellent plant health.
With excellent plant health and sufficient nutrients in the soil plants should thrive.
That said, bear in mind that plants get all their energy from sunlight and turn starches into sugars by the magic of photosynthesis.
NPK and all the micronutrients are not needed in large amounts - there's usually about enough in the soil.
But if we want bigger leaves, bigger yields, more flowers etc, then we supplement what is already in the soil and the seaweed extract ensures that ALL the micronutrients are available to support the plant if needed.
Mr Mow is quite right in saying that molasses is also beneficial to plants, but I'm not sure how it works.
Not something I've really looked into, but as far as I know, plant roots are not able to absorb sugars as the molecules are too large to enter the roots.
Adding fulvic acid can help (so I've read) it acts like a saponin (soap) that helps the sugar molecules squeeze into the root.
It's not something I've really researched though.
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
2. Nitrogen may be enough in the soil, although some plants cooperate with bacteria to "fix" their own from atmosheric N2.
3. As plants make their own supply of sugars, they have no need to absorb any more. Bacteria and fungi are known to use plants to supply their sugars. Some do this benignly, others cause diseases.
(Xanthonamona campestris, a bacteria that cause lesions in brassicas, is used in biofermentation with molasses to make xanthan gum, a useful thickener. It is possible- only possible - that supplying an extra source of sugars to harmful bacteria might reduce their need to raid a plant.)
"Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I read this in a book on Architectural Plants by Christine Shaw, an exotic plants nursery manager, and have avoided using it on my bamboo since. However, there are conflicting views on this. I find that a few handfuls of Blood Fish and Bone in spring and again in mid-summer help, but it depends on the quality of your soil as to whether it's necessary. As has already been said, improved soil with plenty of organic matter is the best way to support most plants.
Not everybody consults britannica online. I have in the past been vilified for suggesting that a poster should use google.
"Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border