How to Use Seaweed in a Garden
Seaweed is a broad term which refers to any of the plant material that washes up on your beach. You don't have to be fussy about the species or variety that you gather for your garden, because it's all highly nutritious and beneficial for your plants and soil. This invaluable gift from all of our planet's oceans will serve your garden first as organic mulching material. As seaweed deteriorates, it transforms into vital nutrients essential to the healthy growth of your plants. This extraordinary renewable natural resource is available to you any time throughout the entire year -- for free. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Spread the seaweed out on your lawn or driveway in a 1-inch layer to wash much of the salt off of it. While gardeners typically report no ill salt-related effects from using the material, you may have concerns about the salt-tolerance of your garden plants. Use a steady spray from the garden hose to slowly rinse the seaweed. Let it drain freely for a couple of hours and repeat.
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Mulch your garden generously with a 4- to 6-inch deep layer of fresh seaweed. That amount may seem excessive, but it will diminish significantly within several days as the material deteriorates and shrinks. Do this within 24 to 36 hours of gathering your seaweed. These plants have no cellulose, so they break down very rapidly. While its usefulness isn't compromised by decomposition, seaweed becomes really slimy and difficult to spread as it rots.
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Pull the seaweed mulch back from your plants just a little so that the material doesn't touch their stems.
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Repeat the seaweed application in about a week. This will add even more nutrition to your garden soil while doubling as mulch for a few more weeks.
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Apply a 2-inch layer of other organic material such as grass clippings right on top of the seaweed about four to six weeks later. As the seaweed decomposes, weeds will be able to push through it. This organic top dressing will control weed growth while aiding moisture retention for the rest of the growing season.
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Build a slug barrier for your garden. Pile a little levee of seaweed all the way around the perimeter or any area that you want to prevent slugs from accessing. The seaweed will dry quickly and turn crispy. Slugs don't like the natural salt content in seaweed tissues and they really dislike crawling over crispy stuff that injures their soft bodies. The edges of the leaves are serrated, so they act like steak knives when they dry and stiffen. This discourages slugs even further.
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Add any leftover seaweed to your compost heap.
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Tips & Warnings
Don't harvest seaweed that's still in the ocean -- the ocean needs it. Furthermore, it may be protected or otherwise regulated in your area.
