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Seaweed Feed
Moonlit Hare
Posts: 153
Ok, my second question for today is...
Over Easter the much beloved went collecting soft crabs for fishing bait, when he brought back the crabs to freeze he also brought back a load of seaweed. I chopped it up and have been steeping it in water since.... it's proper stinky now 
.
I'm going to bottle it and use it on the garden and then compost the leftovers or dig them in.
but what sort of ratio do I need to water this down? Also how long will it keep in air tight bottles?
cheers
0
Posts
You want Verd for this one
I though you weren't supposed to take seaweed from the beach. Is that true? I'm sure I heard it somewhere but I've probably got it wrong!
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I think if its washed up and between the high tide line and low tide line you are allowed to take it. Some councils will bulldoze it off the beach after big winter storms, because the holidaymakers complain about the smell of the stuff rotting down. When it rots it releases Hydrogen Sulphide (bad egg gas).
The environmentalists will say you should leave it because its part of the ecosystem and necessary for some kind of amphipod called a beach hopper.
There should be no problem taking a carrier bag full or two.
Thanks fidget!
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
When my friend in Perth Australia,moved house, I went over to help with the garden. I thought I had sandy soil, but they garden on what is practically pure sand. With watering restrictions constantly in place, we decided that sea weed might help.
I bought back bagfuls of kelp from the beach, and then decided to wash it in a barrel of water to remove sand and salt, before chopping it and putting it in the compost heap, to mix with all the dry stuff. Because of the heat, stuff rots really quickly.
Unfortunately the top came off the outside tap , and metered water was gushing everywhere. I was grabbing every available container to save this expensive water from going down the drain. Eventually the stop cock was found, The water turned off, and I looked like a drowned rat. So much for saving money by making compost from free seaweed. I had to make a quick trip to bunnings (oz version of b and q) get a new tap, and fit it, with instructions over internet from OH back in England, before we could turn the water back on and have a shower.
You'll not want to be in mine Verd when I bring home a couple of dozen bags of horse s**t soon for the boundary fence ....
Heh heh....I'll have the biggest hedge in town by next year.....
That'll larn 'em
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Right on, me 'ansomes. I steep nettles, or sheeps dags, comfrey or whatever comes to hand for liquid feed. They all 'goose' ! Honk like bug***y, but I always say, if it don't smell, it don't work !
I have used all sorts for feed, and generally use an old barrel for this, like a 50 litre one, 3/4 fill it with greenery before it wilts, and within a few days, you can tell where it is and what its doing ! I leave it for a month, and 'bottle' it off into a plassy can, and the 'Oh be joyful ' is ready to add to plants, seedlings in small amounts, compost heap for 'wetting' down in drought time, and let nature take it's time.
Enjoy yer garding !
Do you know I live two miles from the sea and never used the stuff! shame on me...this weekend I think we'll take a trip to the beach to see what I can gather. I do comphrey tea at 1:9 if thats any good!