Seaweed Fertilizer

Franfig

Franfig

Well-known member
I think I am going to the deep end with these natural, homemade inputs. Now is the time to give it a go and try to make my own seaweed liquid fertilizer. I work very close to the beach. Yesterday, I drove to work a few minutes early and made a quick stop by the beach. It took me less than 5 minutes to fill a 5-gallon bucket. I watched a few YouTube videos, but I wanted to try something completely different from what everyone is doing. I decided to experiment with it. I am going to ferment it by inoculating it with LAB and Bokashi bran containing EM-1. I am going to let it ferment for few months. I am making about 10 gallons, with a total cost of $12. I had to buy the two buckets and lids; everything else was either free or I had it at home.
Process:
1)Clean seaweed from trash and rinse salt and sand with rainwater.

2) Chop seaweed into small pieces, and place them in a 5-gallon bucket.

3) Add 1 cup of granulated sugar per gallon.

4) Add LAB and bran

5) Add enough rainwater to submerge the seaweed and all the ingredients thoroughly.

6) Cover with a lid and place the buckets in an undisclosed secure location.

Interesting videos


 

Attachments

  • IMG_7424.jpeg
    IMG_7424.jpeg
    557.4 KB · Views: 3
That’s interesting. I look forward to hearing about the results. Keep us updated please.
 
julie said:
That reminds me: I think I read last year on @Inflorescence blog The Fig Jam that seaweed has a growth hormone component. I was wondering if anyone has tried using it for rooting cuttings and if it helped?
Click to expand...
From what I’ve read some types do have GH. I’ve seen people mentioning using it for rooting cuttings. No idea if it actually helps or not. I will say since @Inflorescence talked me into using seaweed extract on my trees, they all have shown great root growth. Idk if it’s “better” than it would have been, but I can pull all my trees out by the trunk and have no loose soil in 5gallon buckets in one growing season or part there of.
 
Fun!!

One tip next time:
After washing the seaweed, I would suggest soaking it in fresh water for an hour or so, dumping out the water and repeating 3 times, to get all the surface level absorbed salt out.
 
julie said:
That reminds me: I think I read last year on @Inflorescence blog The Fig Jam that seaweed has a growth hormone component. I was wondering if anyone has tried using it for rooting cuttings and if it helped?
Click to expand...

I haven’t tried it on cuttings, but Korean medicine says seaweed has growth and rejuvenation properties.

Eastern medicine is as much about self care and wellness than it is treating sickness/disease once it has already happened.

So seaweed soup is a regular thing to eat, especially for women who have just given birth and even more so if they plan to breast feed their baby.
 
😂 You’ve beat me to it! I have an article waiting to publish I believe for next week on attempting a seaweed fertilizer. Well… we will compare notes!

Yes, seaweed is loaded with all sorts of growth stimulants. Ascophyllum nodosum is especially noted for helping to stimulate rooting. And yes, soaking cuttings in it and/or using it during the rooting phase is very helpful.

EM-1 is great for a ferment and I ended up using it in mine as well for various reasons.

I think yours is going to be a great ferment! I bet you end up loving it!
 
Last edited:
BucksCountyFigs said:
You should have said, “I’ll try seaweed, right after you eat a pinecone.”
Click to expand...
It tasted like eating pure salt. It was on a field trip to tide pools in northern California. My teacher and the forest ranger called it sea lettuce and said it was edible. I call it sea weed. I guess if you like eating pure salt then you would love sea lettuce, gross.
 
ETXfigs said:
It tasted like eating pure salt. It was on a field trip to tide pools in northern California. My teacher and the forest ranger called it sea lettuce and said it was edible. I call it sea weed. I guess if you like eating pure salt then you would love sea lettuce, gross.
Click to expand...
Aren’t you supposed to soak it or something before eating it. Heard of it, but never been around it.
 
BucksCountyFigs said:
Lol, yes, it gets washed out A TON before eating, so it’s not salty at all.
Click to expand...
I think I've seen sea weed at the Omart. I would eat sea weed from the store, it's probably much better than out of a tide pool. I would love to have an Omart around here.
 
BucksCountyFigs said:
Fun!!

One tip next time:
After washing the seaweed, I would suggest soaking it in fresh water for an hour or so, dumping out the water and repeating 3 times, to get all the surface level absorbed salt out.
Click to expand...
I did the 1 hr soak, but only once. I will make sure to do it 3 times next time I make more.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top