Anyone here use Seaweed Extract as part of their fertilizer routine?

[PalmX]

I'm using PalmGain right now, but i've got some seaweed extract laying around as well. I'm curious if it could hurt at all to throw in a little bit during the next watering?

[Dartolution]

  On 6/18/2020 at 1:21 AM, PalmX said:

I'm using PalmGain right now, but i've got some seaweed extract laying around as well. I'm curious if it could hurt at all to throw in a little bit during the next watering?

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@PalmX 

I use both. 

I use palmgain every other month for the palms in the yard (in ground), and in pots on the patio. 

I also have a fertilizer routine every other week for everything using an organic water soluble fertilizer like liquid dr earth, or MG performance organics (not entirely organic), seaweed extract, and blackstrap unsulfured molasses. Since I water everything with that mix on a 2 week schedule I also use that time to give it to the palms I have both in pots and in the ground. 

I started this last year in spring to get better growth out of freshly landscaped areas, and build the soil microbes and earthworm populations. 

So far its worked beyond what I could have expected. 

Edited June 18, 2020 by Dartolution
typo

[Chester B]

I've used the seaweed as a foliar spray in the past.  Seemed to help green up some struggling Trachys.

[palmsOrl]

I use the Dynamite brand of nitricote, sold at the Home Depot, for all of my palms.  I did make the mistake of going cheap recently with a big bag of 10-10-10 instant release and it burnt at least 10 of my potted plants, though none of the palms were adversely affected.

I used seaweed extract in addition to nutricote on my bonsai and small trees destined for bonsai when I lived in PA.   This was recommended by the bonsai growers on the forum.  Everything stayed nice and green, so the combination seemed to work quite well for trees.  I also recently read that seaweed extract is good for tree ferns.

So as others have said, it certainly couldn't hurt, being so mild and you might as well use it since you have some lying around.

[Tyrone]

I use kelp extract on my potted stuff to give them a boost. Seaweed extract has plant hormones but small amounts of actual fertiliser in it. So it’s more like a mineral tonic for plants. I give it to newly potted up seedlings that have been bare rooted from community pots to try to take away transplant shock and stimulate root growth. Once they’ve taken I will mix a bit of fish emulsion in as well which has small amounts of npk in it. After a while I will add osmocote to the soil and you can use it in conjunction with osmocote once they are established but you just have to be careful then with the total nutrient load. Larger plants can take much more of course.

If I’ve planted something in the ground, after watering it in I do use a fish seaweed emulsion on them to send them on their way. 

It’s good stuff.

[Dartolution]

  On 6/18/2020 at 6:56 PM, palmsOrl said:

I use the Dynamite brand of nitricote, sold at the Home Depot, for all of my palms.  I did make the mistake of going cheap recently with a big bag of 10-10-10 instant release and it burnt at least 10 of my potted plants, though none of the palms were adversely affected.

I used seaweed extract in addition to nutricote on my bonsai and small trees destined for bonsai when I lived in PA.   This was recommended by the bonsai growers on the forum.  Everything stayed nice and green, so the combination seemed to work quite well for trees.  I also recently read that seaweed extract is good for tree ferns.

So as others have said, it certainly couldn't hurt, being so mild and you might as well use it since you have some lying around.

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@palmsOrl Yes seaweed and that combo is probably good for true trees. Seaweed extract is great for ferns and orchids. (and in my experience beneficial at least to palms).

However, keep in mind that palm "trees" are actually more related to grasses. They have an apical meristem unlike that of hardwood or softwood trees (ie. acer, dogwood whatever). 

So what may work great for your bonsai boxwood, or acer, etc... will most likely not have the same desired effect on your palms