[poppy]

Hello, looking for a bit of advice...
I live close to the coast, and was thinking about collecting some seaweed to use as an organic compost for my allotment. Does anyone know if it would prove worthwhile, and if I put it on now will my allotment be ready to plant on in the spring or am I too late?

[muntjac]

if you can get it  do so ,. spread it on the surface as you plant things you can dig it in and sow on top of it .welcome to the gang poppy  we seem to be attrcting more new members every day  

[poppy]

Thanks, for your quick reply, do you think I need to rinse it first to get the salt off?  :roll:

[muntjac]

no if you live near the coast as i do u already got plenty salt on ya plot , besides saves ya adding more when ya cook ya taties  

[poppy]

Good point.  

[beansticks]

Welcome poppy,you are lucky to have such an asset on your doorstep

[poppy]

cheers beansticks.
Do you know how to make a seaweed liquid fertilizer?
Going seaweed crazy now!

[muntjac]

put it in a barrel or bucket with a lid cut it up roughly ,then pour hot water on it . leave to cook for a month then strain and bottle ,dont shut the lid down fully as it ferments

[JayBee]

I get seaweed all year round from the coast here.

I spread mine out in the never-ending rain for a week to wash the salt out naturally. Worms hate salt as much as slugs do.

Some of the seaweed is then mixed into the soil, some goes into the compost heap and the rest is used as mulch.

[little sweetpeas]

Two weeks ago we went to the seaside and the children collected two black binliners full of seaweed, (another parent said it would be good for the plot) haven't done anything with it, do you think it will still be ok?

Can I just dig it into the soil?

[JayBee]

Two weeks. Fine, put it in. Is it still green? I never pick up brown or black seaweed that has been lying at high tide for weeks.

[little sweetpeas]

It is more or less black, there's another race there this weekend or next so I could get some more.

Should I only get green and why?

[JayBee]

Black seaweed is dead seaweed. I'd rather have nutrient rich green seaweed.

When I get my seaweed I wait for the tide to go out and then scrape it off the rocks. Loose seaweed at the high-tide mark has been uprooted and has probably been dead for weeks, if not months. When a plant dies it no longer photosynthesises and produces the nutrients you need for your soil.

You can eat any seaweed you find in the sea. Would you eat the black stuff?

[little sweetpeas]

I'll get some at the weekend , thanks

[ziggywigs]

The seaweed above high tide is ok but below the high water mark is better seaweed if you can get it.....sometimes you have to wait until it's washed up after a storm or wait for the March Royals.