'The myth of seaweed extract.....'
hoorayfororganic
16 years ago
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the_virginian
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
Horticultural Myths
Comments (43)Dan, LOL! you have a wonderful way of putting things! Exactly my point. If I can get away with not using peat all why not go the route of conservation. Why use peat moss potting soil when one can use composting instead. Composting is the most cheap and environmentally friendly way! And yes, we are struggling to dissect information, hence the arguments and the search for definitives, but Life isn't about that! There are tons of layers to sort through and no matter what, each person makes up their own answers from the information they are willing to gather and dig around with. Some may purposefully ignore key facts; it could go either way. Justaguy, everyone! is guilty of subjectivity, you, me, everyone is subjective and opinionated in one form or another. For example, I deliberately ignore that .02% ratiio because I'm just not comfortable using a product which isn't needed in my garden. My subjective opinion is that the weed you say is useless, is essential for supporting rare and endangered plant species and butterflies and insects that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Their lives depend on that peat and spaghnum moss. And the wading birds too are nourished by that water that peat moss farms completely destroy and drain away. Spaghnum moss by the way is not invasive because it requires strict conditions in order to live, it cannot extend beyond its origins. You say go ahead there's plenty more bogs to uproot. Well, I still say if it's not necessary to use those peat products then one might as well try to seek that alternative. I just like to leave that tiny space for the living birds and multiflora to enjoy. My fat inert roses can find something else to feed on, LOL! and yes, if it means "sitting my behind" on the computer googling for coir supplies for peat substitutes, then so be it! Wes, hope you don't feel ignored, LOL! we are on a roll right now with the peat moss. Wes, sometimes locale can make a difference in how something is produced. An example is blood diamonds. Very difficult to control and regulate! Diamonds in certain regions are bad, bad news. Certain countries use bad conservation methods as well. Issues like that. Spaghnum moss is another example. Orchid people purposefully purchase only New Zealand moss because they have the best conservation practices with spaghnum peat moss. New Zealand Spaghnum moss is very, very expensive. On the other hand some products are purposefully purchased because they have higher quality products. A made-in-China shoe is gonna break very quickly whereas an Italian shoe lasts forever! it seems....See MoreDo pine trees make alkaline soil more acidic, or is that a myth?
Comments (36)There are many things that determine what a soils pH will be, and all have been clearly laid out here by several contributors. What the soil is composed of, rainfall, and amount of organic matter all play a role in how many free Hydrogen ions are in that soil and soil pH is a measure of that. What is needed to change a soils pH depends on where it is and what is meant to be done. Adding lime (Calcium Carbonate) will reduce the free Hydrogen ions and raise the soils pH while Sulfur adds more of them and lowers the soils pH. A good reliable soil test from a good soil testing lab is a good source of information and they should be able to tell you how much Sulfur needs to be added to make the needed changes. Adding 1 pound per 1,000 square feet when 10 pounds is needed will not do much of anything. Throwing a handful or three of something is more a waste of time, money, and energy than any help. Here is a link that might be useful: understanding soil pH...See MoreSeaweed tea/extract?
Comments (4)I made my own fresh kelp tea once, and will never do it again. I collected the kelp from a beach. The trunk of my car stunk for awhile afterwards even though I had the stuff in bags and buckets. I washed the kelp well before making the tea to get rid of salt. I only steeped the kelp for a couple of days. The stuff draws flies like crazy. It stinks to high heaven! It is slimy and not fun to deal with. You have to bathe and change your clothing every time you handle the stuff because you cannot avoid splashing it. Did I mention, how much it STINKS?! I don't know the answer to many of your questions. However, the seaweed does not dissolve. Yes, it has to be strained. You don't want pieces of it in your garden because bacteria like salmonella can grow in the pieces. I believe seaweed from the ocean is more rich in nutrients. Your question about concentration is relative--how concentrated is your concoction going to be? You cannot be sure of that without performing lab analysis. My advice to you is to buy a bottle of seaweed fertilizer and follow the instructions on the label. It will save you a lot of work, and it isn't expensive when you consider how much it will be diulted for use in fertilizing. However, the nutrients from seaweed and kelp are only part of the picture in organic fertilizing. There are other options to consider. I've been gardening organically for about ten years. I grow flowering plants, and edibles. I now use Earth Juice for fertilzing, seaweed is one of the components. This year I am going to try a winter cover crop. I bought a bag of seeds called GardenWay. It has Austrian winter peas, cereal rye, clover and a couple of other things. It should be dug in as green manure before it sets seed. Now is the time to begin to prepare your soil for planting next spring. Start by digging in some manure. Have you looked into the lasagne method? If you can get your hands on a lot of chopped dry leaves, distribute them on the ground, cover them with 7-9 layers of newspaper, wet it down, then mulch over the top or cover with tarps, you will have some nice soil come spring. Or, you could try a cover crop. Organic gardening begins with soil building. You can ask neighbors for whatever leaves they have collected. You can use a lawn mower to chop leaves. Lorna...See MoreSeaweed Extract or Chicken Manure Pellets?
Comments (3)Hi Everyone! We have been using chicken manure in our gardens for as long as I can remmebr. It helps that we also raise a large number of chickens. In my opinion, chicken manure is an overall winner. It has a high NPK content and can easily be added to the soil, (not as a top coat unless you intend to work it into the soil or till it in). We use the litter along with the manure. Over the years the organic litter breaks down and enriches the soil as well as helps hold in moisture. The available nitrogen in th emanure helps the plants grow green and quickly. I am currently pelletizing the chicken litter from our coop. The pelletizing process removes excess moisture, kills any unfriendly pathogens and cooks any weed seed that may be in the mixture. The pelletized manure is also easy to ship. In fact... I will send a half pound package of pelletized manure for you to use, at no charge. And that goes for anyone else in the lower 48 United States. (any place else, just ask and I will check to see if it can be sent to you) You can e-mail that request to me here or at info@chickenpoopstore.com. Have fun!!...See Moremarshallz10
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agojustaguy2
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agoKimmsr
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agohoorayfororganic
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agolou_spicewood_tx
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agojustaguy2
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agotey157
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agohoorayfororganic
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agothe_virginian
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agohoorayfororganic
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agolorna-organic
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agohoorayfororganic
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agodicot
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agothe_virginian
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agodchall_san_antonio
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agodicot
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agomorpheuspa (6B/7A, E. PA)
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agohamiltongardener
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agomaplerbirch
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agojustaguy2
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agodchall_san_antonio
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13 years agolast modified: 9 years agojolj
13 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
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