Kelp
grow cycle | soup up your soil
Rick Weller , founder of Organically
Done in Michigan , likes to talk about “ souped-up soil ”— soil that ’ s loaded with organic amendments thoroughly blended in before you plant . The point of souped-up soil is to combine all the nutrients , amino acids , and minerals that plants need to grow to their best potential and produce a high-yield crop by only adding water during the growing season . There are many ways you can soup up your soil using organic amendments , starting with kelp , molasses , and guano .
Kelp
If you ’ ve ever walked along an ocean beach after a storm , you ’ ve seen seaweed — probably kelp — lying tangled along the high-tide mark . It grows in long , leathery strips that are slippery when wet . Many times here on the coast of Maine , I ’ ve gathered dry seaweed with a pitchfork for my compost pile . It ’ s always mixed with small mussel and clam shells , crab shells and claws , seabird feathers , chunks of weathered white Styrofoam , and frayed bits of orange polyester rope . I only pick out the non-organic bits . Kelp is an amazing gift from the sea for gardeners and growers . It isn ’ t a miracle plant food , but it can be very important when used in combination with other nutrients . While not a primary source of the macronutrients — nitrogen , phosphorus , and potassium — it contains more than 60 trace minerals , plus aminos , enzymes , and alginates . By adding kelp to your soil , along with the other necessary nutrients , you ’ ll improve your soil health , seed germination , plant vigor , sugar content , and even how many blooms are
set and the size and storage life of your harvest . Seaweed contains mannitol , a natural sugar that chelates or breaks down micronutrients and makes them available to plant cells . It also stimulates more lateral root growth and larger root mass . Furthermore , kelp bolsters stress resistance from disease , pests , drought , and frost ; promotes natural growth hormone development ; and stimulates important microbial activity . “ Kelp helps make plants hardier ,” says Ann Molloy of Neptune ’ s Harvest in Gloucester , Massachusetts . “ There ’ s a lot of stress on plants during their growth , budding , and flowering stages . Kelp really helps with that .” And as for the source , Molloy says the cold waters of the North Atlantic are ideal . “ The darker the water , the more nutrients in the kelp and the fish as well ,” she says . Kelp is available as a dry meal and in a concentrated liquid form . Kelp meal doubles in volume when it ’ s wet , which helps aerate your soil and retain moisture . It should be applied in the spring and fall . One pound will cover 100 square feet . Work it well into the soil . Liquid kelp , on the other hand , is best used for foliar feeding for both soil-grown and hydroponic plants . Spray the tops of your plant leaves as well as underneath them . Apply early in the morning or late afternoon , as direct sun isn ’ t good . Foliar feeding every two to four weeks is recommended .
“
KELP IS AN AMAZING
gift from the sea for gardeners and growers .”
106 Maximum Yield USA | February 2017