Improving Your Garden Soil With Seaweed

One of the best soil conditioners you can get for your garden is seaweed. What makes seaweed even better for the garden is the fact that it doesn't need to cost you anything if you are prepared to collect it when it gets washed up on the beach, or alternatively from the surface of the water when boating, if you live near the sea.

Seaweed Mulch. Echoing the old crofting traditions, seaweed is used as a mulch in the garden behind the Tourist Information Office in Lochboisdale. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you don't live near a beach then you can still get the benefits of seaweed in your garden by buying dried seaweed in very affordable packs from many garden centers.

This is the most convenient way to use seaweed on the garden, as it has already been prepared in a state that allows you to spread it evenly throughout the garden. There is the added benefit that the seaweed sold in the stores doesn't smell as much as the seaweed that you would collect from the beach, and it usually has the salt rinsed off already.

Seaweed is also very good as a plant stimulant. It is particularly good for people who are reluctant to use any types of chemicals on the garden, as seaweed is completely safe for the plants, people and also for pets, which makes it ideal for organic gardening.

Many people are unaware that seaweed is also used commercially as it has proven to be a very powerful soil conditioner and in many tests has worked better than some of the manufactured soil conditioners that are commonly sold on the market.

By buying dried seaweed from garden centers you can be assured of the quality and consistency of the product and you can expect results while having the convenience of it being readily available when needed as it will store just fine as long as required. However, if you are concerned about sustainability, of course you will want to collect your own seaweed if if you have access to it.

Seaweed has been used for centuries in gardens around the world and is becoming more popular as people are looking for alternative natural products in preference to chemical-based fertilizer products.