Fascinating pablo! Is there any chance you can do a photo journal as your are going along? That was we can all see the before and after? I wish I had done that with the start of my garden cuz now I want to blog it and don't have the photos to show the process. sigh.
Have fun!
Christina

Sounds interesting pablo, keep us posted.

Did you rinse the seeweed before brewing? I would reccomend a thorugh wash to remove salt (NaCl) which would have a negative impact on fermentation. I grew up in Maine and have alot of access to seeweed. I will most likely be bringing some fresh stuff back for my own experiments.

I did a quick rinse, but have read many reports from folks using seaweed that don't rinse. It seemed to break down quickly.

I diluted a bucket of the viscous liquid into about 25 gallons of water. Watered some perenials and used the "fling" method to spray the yard- used a bucket and a gallon jug with the top cut out. I decided that my yard does not lend itself to a controled experiment for a number of reasons- trees around the yard shade areas so that if I were to break it into test plots, it would be difficult to have a control on light as well as water (some areas are sheltered and receive less rain).

The yard smelled like seaweed for a short period, but after a quick shower last night, you can't detect any smell.

I may have to resort to test plants or something...

I just scored some seaweed today. Doin a search for info, I came across this.

Pablo, anything else you can share about your experiment?
Thanks,
Gumby_CT

When ever I have collected seaweed I usually end up with the large thick green (almost tropical looking) type, I imagine anything you pull from the shore is considered seaweed. What do you folks gather when your collecting seaweed.

I have collected seaweed -- not kelp, the smaller stuff, brought it home and used it directly under my tomatoes. They loved it. No rinsing, no wait. We have friends that live on waterfront and they get barrow loads of it and put it on their garden spring and fall. I'm too far away to do it often...and the car would smell.

> I hope to do an experiment fertilizing some of my hay crop and lawn with the goop, leaving some as a
> control. I need to update my "permaculture project" thread anyway.

pablo,

What are you trying to find out? If kelp is better than other seaweeds? Or if your brew, goop, is better than other ways of using kelp? If kelp, or goop is better than nothing? I predict that it is way better than nothing, but so would any number of other organic ferts.

It would be interesting to see results of two compost applications where two piles were made identically, except one pile had a significant amount of seaweed added. Also interesting would be two lawn apps, one with seaweed, one with alfalfa.

Benefits would of course be affected by soil fertility.

> Anyone have direct controled experiment experience with kelp?

Seaweeds has been used for hundreds, probably thousands, of years as fertilizer. Long before science reached a point where it could analyze seaweeds to see what they contain, it was well known and established by observation that seaweeds are exceptionally good fertilizer.

rangier