Question for the Happy Frog users and kelp

[maineharvest]

Im trying out some Happy Frog for this grow and Im wondering how it does with seedlings. I believe it has bat guano and worm castings so I wanted to know if it would burn a seedling? Ive always used Pro Mix in the past but its hard to find this time of year and Happy Frog seems to be everywhere. Ive been thinking about going organic and this could be the start. Im also thinking about making some of my own kelp foliar spray or granuals so if anybody has any experience with that let me know. I live on the coast and it would be awesome if I could just go down to water and collect some kelp. Any info will be greatly appreciated.

 

[KaptainKush]

Happy frog is great im currently using it and its pretty good stuff I wouldn't recommend using nutes for the first 2 weeks and i started my seeds in rapid rooters til the had a bunch of roots coming out the rooters then planted to happy frog...good luck man

 

[Grower13]

Dutch Passion Blueberry is next!!!

I wanna watch this one.

 

[maineharvest]

Thanks Kaptain.

 

[BBFan]

Hey Maine-
I'm a big fan of kelp foilar sprays and use it on all plants, not just mj. But I buy seaweed fertilizers (liquid) and mix for foilar applicaton. It's loaded with amino acids and growth hormones. Great stuff.

I'm sure there's a way to use raw seaweed, but I wouldn't have a clue how to do it. Have you tried googling it?

 

[maineharvest]

Yeah Ive done a little searching around but Im finding conflicting advice and Im also curious if anybody here has done it themselves. It seems pretty simple to make your own spray or it can be added straight to the soil.

 

[mainechowder]

Hi MH,

I have collected seaweed (not Kelp but Rockweed) and have added it to my compost pile. I don't know how to make a "tea" straight from fresh seaweed, but I do know that it is awesome in the compost pile. We are lucky to live close to the ocean and have this free resource at our finger tips.

Good luck and let me know what you find out.

MC

 

[mainechowder]

In doing a little research this AM, I found this online. It sounds quite simple actually. The hardest part will be collecting the seaweed now that the weather is getting colder.

"To make your own liquid kelp, add a couple handfuls of seaweed to a 5-gallon bucket of water. Stir the concoction daily for a few days, then strain and dilute it using the ratio of 1 part kelp liquid to 2 parts water.

Any sprayer or mister will work, from hand-trigger units to backpack models. The best times to spray are early morning and early evening, when the liquids will be absorbed most quickly. Spray the tops and bottoms of leaves until the liquid drips off the leaves"


This was taken from a website, so I am not 100% sure of it's effectiveness. Hopefully it will be of some help to you. I think I'll try to make some as I'm only 10 minutes from the harbor!

Good Luck MH!!

 

[maineharvest]

That sounds very simple. Ill try it out and let you know how it goes.

I read on another site, that you can just dice up the seaweed and mix it right into the soil. Maybe ill try this on one plant to see what happens.

 

[maineharvest]

I walked down to the water today and got me some seaweed. There was only one kind there and it def wasnt kelp. Ive read many conflicting reports about the usefulness of plain old seaweed. One website will say it has no vitamins and nutrients and then the next website I visit will say the exact opposite. Well there is only one way to find out so Im going to test it out on one plant and go from there.

 

[mainechowder]

You probably collected the Rockweed, which is the stuff with all the little bubbles throughout the vine. Thats the same stuff that I have collected in the past and composted for my vegetable garden.
I looked it up and this is what Wikipedia says about it.

Ascophyllum nodosum is harvested for use in alginates, fertilisers and for the manufacture of seaweed meal for animal and human consumption.[19] It has long been used as an organic and mainstream fertilizer for many varieties of crops due to its combination of both macronutrient, (eg. N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S) and micronutrients (eg. Mn, Cu, Fe, Zn, etc). It also host to cytokinins, auxin-like gibberellins, betaines, mannitol, organic acids, polysaccharides, amino acids, and proteins which are all very beneficial and widely used in agriculture.[20] Ireland, Scotland and Norway have provided the world's principal alginate supply.[21][22]

You are even closer to the harbor than I am since you walked down. I thought I was close with only a 10 minute drive! Good Luck with it.

MC

 

[maineharvest]

Yeah man I can see the water out of any of my windows. I love it right on the coast and could never move inland.

Do you have to allow the seaweed to compose or could I dry it out, slice and dice it, then mix it right into the soil before the next transplant?

 

[maineharvest]

I grabbed some oyster shells too. Now I have to find a way to crush them up.

 

[mainechowder]

I myself have not used it fresh in the soil, although I knew an old guy right in Portland that used it fresh in his outdoor vegetable garden. He swore by it and his garden was always amazing. He unfortunately passed away last year, but I was glad to gain so much knowledge from him while he was still with us.

Oyster shells will be tough to break up as they are so thick. Mussel shells and steamer clam shells are much thinner and a lot easier to break up. They all are a great addition to the soil though.

You must have a great view from your place. I worked on the waterfront for almost 15 years and miss being down there. I still work in Portland, but just not right on the docks. We live about 10 minutes out of town and although we don't have an ocean view, we have a lot of farms around us and the views out our front window are very nice. Maine is such a great place to live!

MC

 

[maineharvest]

I worked down on the docks two years ago and the company I worked for would sell all of our shrimp and lobster shells to a local fertilizer company. I guess I would trade in living on the coast for a nice farm house with some property. I would love to not have any neighbors right next door.

Im going to dry out the seaweed and then add it right to my mix. The oyster shells that I grabbed were all broken pieces so maybe I can just toss a few of those in the mix. Im kinda worried about the salt water though and I hope it doesnt make my soil mix to acidic.