Topic: Seaweed - pros & cons ?

[fitzsie]

Off to the seaside tomorrow and thought I would collect some seaweed for the garden.
1) Is it better to add to the compost or direct onto the garden
2) Is there a particular seawood which is better then others. I don't know much about them but there tends to be a lot of dark brown seaweed on the beach as well as some nice looking light green pieces. 
The green appeals to me more or is this just a looks thing!!

Any info much appreciated.....

[goodlife]

All seaweeds will provide goodness to your ground so there is not difference that way..and if you use it as a mulch same applies.
However, the flat green type of seaweeds may behave like thick layer of grass cuttings and the blades can get stuck together like cardboad..so those types I would perharps let to dry first..chop with spade and then use them when smaller or added into compost.
Usually I've seen the darker rougher types that drift loose onto beach been used...and I've always seen them used as mulch or just slightly mixed into top few inches of the soil. All seaweeds are slow to breakdown in soil and that I suspect is the reason for the use as mulch..amongst the roots they would do little good until they've broken down. I've always thought fresh stuff is used same way as one would use straw.. ;)
I've never used fresh stuff myself..always the liquid or the dry meal form...but I've seen it in use on other gardens when visiting.

[lincsyokel2]

Off to the seaside tomorrow and thought I would collect some seaweed for the garden.
1) Is it better to add to the compost or direct onto the garden
2) Is there a particular seawood which is better then others. I don't know much about them but there tends to be a lot of dark brown seaweed on the beach as well as some nice looking light green pieces. 
The green appeals to me more or is this just a looks thing!!

Any info much appreciated.....

Careful, i investigated the legalities of this.

I wanted to take a car and trailer onto the beach and collect. The situation is:

a) most places wont allow you to take a car on the beach, SOME places will IF you have a licence or a letter from the council

b) you have a right to cross the beach to get to the sea, in fact, although technically its a trespass because the Crown owns the foreshore,  it cant be stopped because  it been done since 'time immemorial' (definition: before 1088 AD)

c) the council MAY alow you to take washed up seaweed away in a wheelbarrow, but the bigger objector is the Environment Agency, THEY are the ones who will stop you, if they are so minded. They will very much object to you wading in and pulling live seaweed, and they may we also object to you taking washed up seawed, because its not defened legally as flotsam and jetsam, and they will argue your removing part of the natural envorinment.

So be careful!!!

[ceres]

Nothing to do with legality but I'd argue that it would be wholly irresponsible to remove live seaweed for the benefit of a garden.

[lincsyokel2]

Nothing to do with legality but I'd argue that it would be wholly irresponsible to remove live seaweed for the benefit of a garden.

i see nothing wrong withj recovering washed up seaweed, its dead anyway.

[ceres]

........to remove live seaweed..........

My comment was not about dead seaweed.

I don't disagree with you provided the owner of the land has given permission.

[lincsyokel2]

........to remove live seaweed..........

My comment was not about dead seaweed.

I don't disagree with you provided the owner of the land has given permission.

i agree with you too, removing washed up dead seaweed is a wholly different kettle of fish to wading in and ripping up stuff still growing 1!!!

[Uncle_Filthster]

Certainly a dodgy grey area.  For example, the whole Northumberland coast (except for a couple of small areas) is designated as SSSI, SPA, SAC (and a couple of other designations).  It could be argued that someone removing dead seaweed from the driftline is removing a valuable foodsource for the large number of overwintering birds and is therefore disturbing the habitat.  That includes both the seaweed itself and the invertebrates that live among it, such as sea slaters and sand hoppers.  If someone happened to go to the area around Lindisfarne and take the eelgrass they would definately have a fun day in court!