[Oh Sea Dee]

Funny, I made a builders bucket full today & now ive just come across this thread.
Its fantastic stuff.
If you stick the seaweed in a blender so its chopped up it'll knock about a month off the breakdown time. When blended the seaweed water becomes a snot. Once the snottiness is gone its good to use which is about 10 weeks.
The only seaweed i use is North Atlantic Kelp (Ascophyllum nodosum). I do 2 per year. My organic mate that i give it away to swears by it.

[Toe rag]

Oh Sea Dee, on 23 February 2011 - 06:32 PM, said:

Funny, I made a builders bucket full today & now ive just come across this thread.
Its fantastic stuff.
If you stick the seaweed in a blender so its chopped up it'll knock about a month off the breakdown time. When blended the seaweed water becomes a snot. Once the snottiness is gone its good to use which is about 10 weeks.
The only seaweed i use is North Atlantic Kelp (Ascophyllum nodosum). I do 2 per year. My organic mate that i give it away to swears by it.

Another happy seawwed person.

[starbud]

Toe rag, on 03 March 2011 - 09:08 PM, said:

Oh Sea Dee, on 23 February 2011 - 06:32 PM, said:

Funny, I made a builders bucket full today & now ive just come across this thread.
Its fantastic stuff.
If you stick the seaweed in a blender so its chopped up it'll knock about a month off the breakdown time. When blended the seaweed water becomes a snot. Once the snottiness is gone its good to use which is about 10 weeks.
The only seaweed i use is North Atlantic Kelp (Ascophyllum nodosum). I do 2 per year. My organic mate that i give it away to swears by it.

Another happy seawwed person.

Lots of happy seawed people -it reminds me of that South Park Episode - the Simpsons already did that....land of the "seapeople" - any fans will also corect my incorrect episode name, but if you have seen it you will know...

I have now returned all my goodies to the growund in preparation to move, everything is down, bar my last 5 girls, of which only 2 will finish, they do however have enough seaweed to finish the cycle properly...

You will also find with blended seaweed that with the shorter decomposition time you may not get the same from it, remember the decomposition process add sugars, fungi and bacterias from the actual breakdown process, wheras if you blend you are in effect using a different, but the same, product. I have never used seaweed like this for any amount of time so I can't say whether its better or not, I recon you should have a go, and post your results here, after all this is groing nicely with all the different contributions, in fact its becoming a real reference guide to the holy plant , tremendous indeed, and very useful....

Let the Church of Seaweed grow.....

Nice on fellers, keep up the good work!!!!

[Oh Sea Dee]

Just been down to the shed to give my festering seaweed a stir. Its not stinking yet.
When ive made this i just take it from the bucket as i need it when i think it ready. So hopefully the sugars, fungi and bacteria's from the breakdown process will be there later on, before im into my second litre.

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[Oh Sea Dee]

This is a chilli plant i did in a coco hempy bucket last year. In 5 months other than the egg shell in the rez & 2 feeds with plant food, all i used was seaweed feed that i made. Cracking stuff.

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[starbud]

Oh Sea Dee, on 14 March 2011 - 08:37 PM, said:

Just been down to the shed to give my festering seaweed a stir. Its not stinking yet.
When ive made this i just take it from the bucket as i need it when i think it ready. So hopefully the sugars, fungi and bacteria's from the breakdown process will be there later on, before im into my second litre.

Hehe, thats the stuff mate, remember if you are going to foliar feed (400/500%) more effective for the plants taking in the seaweed goodness) you will need to strain, otherwise you will clog up your mister

I can see you are nearly there with it, as soon as it stinks to high heaven, that sweet, but decomposed aroma, its good to go

Nice job matey

[Darkstalker420]

Hey starbud. Got my seaweed breaking down as we speak...... smells vicious (but good) but i have a question to ask before i have the balls to use it on my babs. It was collected from a beach near a busy port/ship refurbishers and i have heard (maybe old wives tales !) that seaweed can collect pollutants (ie Diesel/oil etc) and the thought of adding some Castrol into my nice Organic grow is giving me the willys!!! (only managed to find Sea Lettuce)

Thanx.

[cheezychong]

If you've collected it somewhere where there's a regular tidal flow,
then i wouldn't worry too much m8. Go on, give it a whirl...
....smell's grim doesn't it

[starbud]

cheezychong, on 18 March 2011 - 10:52 AM, said:

If you've collected it somewhere where there's a regular tidal flow,
then i wouldn't worry too much m8. Go on, give it a whirl...
....smell's grim doesn't it

Just like that...

if you were near a power station then I would have suggested maybe giving it a miss, however seaweed is remarkably good at dissipating pollutants, or possible pollutants from it self, the self induced chelation will deal with most stuff, including heavy metals, I dont think you have any need to worry, your closest pollutant would probably not rinsing it well enough, salts will see your plants suffer before mostly anything in your water from the sea....by gum you must have had to collect a lot if you used sea lettuce, I respect your dedication, sometimes when I visit other beaches, i am grateful Ihave kelp...collecting enough ceranium for a grow could take years so sea lettuce isn't quite as hard to collect in large amounts, but still a toughie

people from Japan might want to give seaweed a miss for a while, and thoughts to them....

[Toe rag]

Hi there Starbud..I wished I had read your first page properly about cutting the seaweed up.
My mix has been rotting for three months now and it hasnt even begun to rot
With all the shit thats happen over here in NZ I havent even been able to aqgitate my mix.
the bigest bummer of all is having to buy seaweed mix for my girls.
Im finding myself going back over your thread taking it all in still finding it
blooding intresting, brother ripthedrift has got some good knowledge Awesome.
thanks millions dude.

[starbud]

Toe rag, on 01 April 2011 - 06:22 AM, said:

Hi there Starbud..I wished I had read your first page properly about cutting the seaweed up.
My mix has been rotting for three months now and it hasnt even begun to rot

No way bro! You forgot to chop? hehehe, no worries, you could probably chop it up now, just drain your water away into a bucket and keep it, chop up the seaweed, and re-ad the water, get it in a warm (ish) place and that will help the decomposition as well, you can put it in direct sunlight with a lid, but it will evaporate quicker, and will need topping up...

You will be suprised as soon as you add some air with the agitation, and some warmth it will catch up with itself pretty quick, after all although it may not look like it, the decomposition has started, and it will get going quick...If you werernt in NZ I would send you a bottle full to keep you going :thumbsup:

Without appearing like an ass, i did write comprehensive instructions hahaha, but you do have to read them...the great thing about it is though its easy to get back to where you were in a few weeks, I am more gutted you had to buy natures free bounty in a bottle!

Seriously though if you follow those two tips, and reduce the amount of seaweed it will catch up quickly, get the air into it, and keep it warmish....one word of warning, its smellier when its warmer, so have that tucked away from your nasal passages....

Good luck chap, it wont be long.....

Also at this stage there will be some goodness form the water thats already been steeping the seaweed, you could probably decant a bottle of semi-concentrate to keep you going...remember the ratios of the folair and drench, they are quite weak, you may have to use your own judgement as you have changed the process somewhat , but there will still be good seaweed juice from your first soak.... Have a little faith baby...I got it for ya in spades

This post has been edited by starbud: 01 April 2011 - 08:27 AM

[Toe rag]

I feel like muggins bro..
I had to empty out two 44gallons drums into 25 liter containers man I got the stuff all over me I wasnt going to leave it at my old place,I couldnt move them they were to heavy so I took as much of the seaweed and water as I could.

What a good idea taking the water out and chopping the weed up Im going to do that ASAP!!and yes I will reuse the water Im reading your words and taking note

Im glad Ive got my mixes in smallers containers way easyer to move and handle.

Thanks for the kind offer of the seas bounty


Yes I feel like Mr ass not reading your post properly

when I chop the weed up il send you some pics to show you how things are going.

Cheers for wisdom Starbud..

[starbud]

Don't be too hard on yourself bro, all new things take a bit if getting used to, the main thing is the situation is rescued, from what I gather you could probably make a few smaller vats of your 'juice' and then it would be easier to handle...all grey clouds have a silver lining ...I have observed though that too much seaweed can inhibit the process somewhat, after all the decomposition process is air/warmth/agitation, and its own bacterias...Smaller vats do get done a bit quicker...

The agitation really makes a difference, same as compost roller buckets, the compost is completed 50% quicker than a pile left to its own devices, its all in the air and its natural fermentation process supported by the warmth and bacteria...plus the rolling....

Really mate, you will be all done real soon, by now your seaweed will have broken down considerably, its only the decomposition/breakup of the solid thats missing, and that's because you have't been able to agitate, as soon as it's back on track it will be done in no time

If I was to offer a final piece of advice, your 25l containers used as the actual process vats would probably be better than such a large amount, especially if you are bound by timescales, I use a 15L bucket, nice an smallish, the content is light enough to stir with a bamboo cane from the garden, and cause of that its done quick....by the way, 3 months or so is the minimum really, thats to get stuff in your grow as soon as, I have some thats now been working for 7-8mths, thats good stuff , but just good for the garden now as my op is slowing to stop for a while, moving house and all....

But the first thing I will do in the new house is start the seaweed going, I have dried in vac-u-bags ready and waiting, all i need do is add water, and wait - that way I feeli like I am growing even when I am not, its all mental , besides its a catalyst also...quote my brain conversation... "seeing as I have seaweed, i better grow some weed to put it on..."

Just shout or PM if you need anything bro, I am here as a rescue party...did i tell you NZ is my mothers fave country? She has been 4 times, last time she backpacked, i joke not, at the age of 75...hehehehe.

I am taking her to the airport this weeek end for a trip to Russia , anyways enough digression....you're good mate

[Toe rag]

Hi Bro..Tell your mum its all cool over here as long as she stays away from Christchuch its real volatile
But hey I love this place and ill go down with the ship. bro my latest plants have been feed with yates seaweed booster from day one and wow the results, I spray when the lights are out and feed when the lights are on man what beautys im hooked.
I feel rich as long as I have my seaweed mix your right it is a metal thing
My mind changers when im at the beach I know what that seaweed laying on the beach can do to plants looking at your pics of your babies they look bang on
Take care bro..

[drhempman]

High all,

Toe rag, first of all may the Lord bless NZ and restore everything in Christchuch. I live on an island and the access to bottled nutes, so I started making my own for a while using this site and other sources. I was really blind then but after reading Starbud's post I had the confidence I needed to get even better at it and master some stages as well, he put the way to make your own very good seaweed in the simplest manner I have ever seen until now.

Check out his post on making your own other nutes in his sig, its really nice. I'm brewing some now with his help. I have just chopped some plants grown from start to finish using my own nutes and the results are amazing as far as quality and quantity mate.

Good luck and keep up the good work.

Thanks SB....