[sion01]

I've used seaweed for quite a few years as a fertilizer/soil conditioner with good results especially with potatoes as they seem to be cleaner then with farmyard manure but i've always steered clear of useing it on ground that is for other rootcrops like carrots and parsnips because it is well known that freshly manured soil will make them fork.But is seaweed a manure as such and would it make carrots and parsnips fork?

[solway cropper]

Carrots and parsnips fork when the root hits an obstruction. It could be a stone or a lump of manure but manure itself does not cause forking. If you gather seaweed then dry it out completely it can be crushed down almost to a powder and applied either as a base or top dressing. I normally use it as a liquid feed and then compost it but I've tried it in all sorts of combinations and wouldn't be without it. Thank goodness I live by the sea.

[sion01]

I know what you mean,I've used more and more these past few years.I use very little farmyard manure now just seaweed and homemade compost.

[solway cropper]

Too risky using farmyard manure unless you can be absolutely certain it contains no herbicide residues. I've found that seaweed, while it may not be high in major nutrients, has a lot of other stuff which seems to be very beneficial to soil and plant health.

[Aunt Sally]

Just a warning to all members that seaweed should be harvested legally and the permission of the shore owner should be sought.

Shoreline ownership relating to seaweed harvesting:

http://www.thecrownestate.co.uk/media/174947/shoreline_management_briefing_note.pdf

Approximately half of the UK foreshore and around half of the tidal riverbeds are owned
by the Crown and managed by The Crown Estate,

The intertidal zone is otherwise known as the foreshore.


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[Kristen]

manure itself does not cause forking.

Although high levels of Nitrogen also causes forking, and some Manure is rich in Nitrogen (particularly urine-rich manure, for example from cattle overwinter bedding, and Chicken manure).