This, along with the fact that the original raw material varies greatly, means that each product is different. There are many processes for doing this and most are proprietary. This is then filtered to remove particulate matter including a lot of the solid organic matter. A variety of treatments are used including enzyme extraction, ultrasound, and various chemical extractions including water, acid or alkaline solutions. Harvested seaweed is normally washed and then either dried or treated wet. Kelp farmers are also managing and expanding the forests, reversing some of the damage that has been done by society. Because of its rapid growth this is a viable way to harvest. Boats are used to cut off the top portion of the kelp, leaving the lower section to continue growing. Natural kelp forests can be harvested so that they are not harmed. The majority of harvested seaweed now comes from sustainable farming. They have tight regulations that harvesters must follow when harvesting their giant kelp beds. When collection is done in a sustainable way it will not harm native populations.Ĭalifornia is a good example of sustainable harvesting. Rockweeds are generally collected along shorelines and although wild collection only accounts for about 5% of the global seaweed production, there is now concern about over collecting in some areas. This is not a significant commercial source of seaweed but it can be a good way for gardeners to get cheap organic matter and collecting it has limited effect on the environment. Large amounts of material get washed on shore where it is easily collected. Beach Collectionīeach collection can be profitable in areas with large kelp forests. Seaweed is obtained from three sources beach collection, wild collection and farming. If this product is worth buying it is for the biostimulants, not its nutrient content. It makes no sense buying the product for the nutrients. In its liquid form it doesn’t even add bulk organic matter to the soil. This is quite a dilute fertilizer that sells for a relatively high price. Products with higher values are mixtures of other fertilizers and seaweed. Seaweed extracts have an NPK of about 0-0-1. I’ll review the efficacy of seaweed as a biostimulant in another post. They are similar to kelp but tend to grow more slowly. Other seaweeds are commonly referred to as rockweed. Strong winds and waves knock off pieces which then float to shore. It grows naturally in large beds called forests which are located not far from the shoreline. Kelp reproduces by microscopic spores not unlike those found on ferns. These blades are very plant-like and grow as much as 2 feet a day in ideal conditions. Stem (stipe) and leaf-like structures (blades) grow off the roots. It has a root-like structure called a holdfast that allows it to attach to things like the sea bed or man-made rope. Kelp, one of the more popular harvested seaweeds, is photosynthetic and has a biochemistry that is very similar to land plants. It is not a true plant, being more closely related to diatoms, algae and downy mildew, all belonging to the kingdom Chromista. There are some 10,000 species of seaweed but only a few species are harvested for food, cosmetics, fertilizer and carrageenan products (ex agar). Seaweed Fertilizer – Does it Harm the Environment?, photo by Scripps Institute
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