Gather seaweed to compost for your garden.
The use of seaweed to feed plants is an ancient farming practice. There is not one special chemical in seaweed that aids in plant maturity and yield. According to the American-Eurasian Journal of Agronomy, seaweed is rich in trace elements, sea nutrients and organic substances that are easy for plants to absorb. Seaweed is a low-cost way to enhance significant growth elements in your garden. Does this Spark an idea?
Seed Germination
Spray seeds and leaves with liquid seaweed to encourage growth.
The rate that seeds germinate is the foundation of good plant growth. Without sprouting seeds, there is no plant. Gibberellins are plant hormones that help speed seed germination. Seaweed has at least three of five phytohormones or plant hormones essential to vegetable growth. Gibberellins are also responsible for growing stems and flowers. Lack of this hormone creates stunted plants, according to the website Biosynth.
Cell Division
Plant development depends on a second phytohormone called cytokinin, which is abundant in seaweed. Cytokinin rules cell division, reduces aging and regulates growth and metabolic activity. Composted or liquid seaweed fertilizer will help infuse your vegetable plants with this valuable nutrient.
Strong Roots
Add seaweed to your home compost bin.
Without strong roots, plants could not take in a lot of nutrients and would eventually fall over and die. Auxin is a third phytohormone that aids in the formation of root systems. Present in many rooting products, auxin stimulates root growth, which is crucial to the growth of plants.
Fortify Garden Soil
Adding seaweed to a home compost bin is an excellent way to get these organic seaweed chemicals into your vegetable garden. You can also use seawood as a substitute for peat moss to amend garden soil, according to the University of Florida. The vegetables that grow best in seaweed include tomatoes, potatoes and peppers.
Tags: home compost, liquid seaweed, plant hormones, that aids, your garden, your vegetable