Fish emulsion is probably derived from fish raised in farms, so yeah, probably some unethical shit going on there. Kelp just grows in the sea. Nothing unethical about the way it’s “derived.” It wouldn’t surprise me, though, if kelp forests, like every other forest on the planet, can’t regenerate fast enough to meet the demand. Although I think I read somewhere that kelp grows at an extremely high rate, something insane like a foot a day. So maybe it can regenerate fast enough.
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Do they both have bulbs?
The squishes! Little poppers! I’m uncertain the good/bad kind. I know it grows on a long stalk and those bulbs hang onto the leafers and those leafers are which photosynthesize so I am asuusming here you want the leaves. But maybe the bulbs too? Surely someone here knows.
Dried and crunched into nice little grains. Dried like this will not be readily available to the plant - if you make a tea or mixture that will be more readily available.
I know that anything you gather will be really salty.
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Although… “Kelp Meal” amend doesn’t feel like the leaves … it’s rather hard little grains zZ
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I have done this. it is great, but dont let it sit for too long, or too hot, oh boy
And, yes, to collecting it and adding to your garden. pile it up for a few months, and let the rain wash it for you, just far enuff away from your plot. Use it as a mulch more than anything, and the goodness just starts there. then you get more! Add it to your compost pile, whatever, it is sea gold.
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I can make the sludge with water and kelp meal, but wouldn’t it help make the nutrients available more quickly if I added some labs? Wouldn’t this make another form of fpj?
All the other ingredients that lotus spoke of, wow, the possibilities. I could make all kinds of combinations.
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I’ve done the kelp “sludge” thing and its nice if you only need to make a gallon or two. I use a half cup (and a cup of neem seed meal) in 5 gallons of water to soak overnight.
From my understanding, if you add labs and ferment it the bacteria break down the growth regulators, enzymes, etc. The same reason we don’t, generally, ferment a seed sprout tea.
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Good Ol’ Chunk. I’m going to have to sign back in to the old Grasscity account. See how everyone is doing. Been on here for over a year.
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Thanks Reiko, that makes perfect sense. You lose some of the benefits. I also use kelp in my act. Would that do the same thing?
I’m going to try making some in an overnight soak.
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Yeah, if you just take five gallons of water and throw in a half-cup of neem and a quarter-cup kelp, let it sit for a day, maybe two days, you get a really beneficial “tea.” Reiko apparently likes to double the amounts, I’m sure that’s fine, too. Just stir it up a couple times while it’s sitting there. I actually usually bubble mine with a little aquarium bubbler thing, but I don’t think that’s necessary. It’s mostly because I’m lazy and forgetful and don’t want to deal with stirring a bucket of water a couple times a day haha!
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If I were to aerate it and add ewc, the hormones would, again, get broken down, correct?
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Kinda depends. Your best bet is to brew the tea, then soak the kelp in that tea at the end.
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There’s a small Company here in Maine, located on the Coast. They harvest Kelp/Seaweed by the truckload, put it in what appears to be large, wading pools, allow it to dry and then liquify. They sell the concentrated kelp/seaweed for B-I-G $$$$'s!!! They sell by the Gallon, supplying Grows as far afield as Colorado. I guess Seaweed/Kelp has ALL the Minerals needed for plants. This Spring I’m going to order as soon as I find the frigging Bookmark. They also sell seeds that are compatible to our State’s weather. EVERYONE, enjoy a pleasant weekend, continue to stay safe and, indeed, be well…mister 
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If you are near the coast, maybe you could try to harvest some, might be a fun experiment
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You talkin’ about getaway mountain?
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Thanks, that’s the one!!! SS/BW…mister
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Kelp meal is good shit, got my plants doing great with just that and some organic tomato food.
It helps the plants survive in the Texas Heat. Kelp and Silica. The Texas Cocktail!
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It’s good stuff. but like irish was saying, be careful not to overdo it.
Someone mulched my outdoor plants for me with kelp, neem seed meal, and nightcrawler castings. They used too much of something on my two largest plants and they are showing slight nutrient burn. I’m thinking it was too much of the kelp meal.
overall the plants are healthy and their color is looking good, but the older fan leaves have some yellow burn at the edges. I’m going to give them some lactobacilus serum, molasses, and mushroom compost to get some probiotics to balance things out.
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