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Post by ahntjudy on Oct 6, 2020 11:53:27 GMT -5
Hi guys..
I was outside just now prepping some garlic beds with what compost I have and I have some old kelp meal just sitting around.. I wondered if kelp meal would be beneficial or detrimental in garlic beds.. Not a soil tester here..
Your ideas?.. Thanks..
Actually, I came in cuz I got a bee sting..Mom kept this gizmo from decades ago, a 'Sting-x-tractor'..a hypodermic looking (no needle) plastic suction thingy that you leave suctioned to the bite area for a minute and the sting goes away..It works..
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Edit to say, after I posted this, I quickly looked it up and it seems as if it would be good but I still would like to hear your thoughts..so thank you..
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Post by tom π on Oct 6, 2020 12:31:15 GMT -5
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Post by pepperhead212 on Oct 6, 2020 12:43:38 GMT -5
I don't see how the kelp could be bad, though you will need something to add more P and K, assuming it's not up there in those already. Kelp adds mainly N, but also a lot of other minerals to the soil.
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Post by davidjp on Oct 6, 2020 15:01:54 GMT -5
I thought it was actually mostly a Potassium source, along with lots of trace elements and N as well downtoearthfertilizer.com/products/single-ingredients/kelp-meal-1-0-1-2/I actually put some on my garlic bed last year as a soil test said I was a bit low on K. As mentioned i really doubt it would be a negative thing to do. But why not get a soil test, relatively inexpensive and gives you an idea if you're wasting money by adding things that aren't needed.
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Post by desertwoman on Oct 6, 2020 17:17:00 GMT -5
Kelp NPK ratio is minimal . What it is really good for is trace minerals. Fish meal added to kelp is a popular combo around here which raises the NPK ratio. It's really good at helping plants use what's already in the soil. I've been told you cant really over do it with kelp.
Personally I don't use kelp (though it's one of those supplements I keep thinking I should try). Garlic is one of the easiest crops to grow. I just add compost, maybe a light addition of nitro source (a little very aged mature or coffee grounds or grass clippings) and plenty of crushed leaves to the bed, plant and then mulch with more crushed leaves for the winter. My garlic is always very successful.
I also don't test- feeding the beds has always been an intuitive process for me- like I cook- a shovel full of this, a wheelbarrow full of that.
I say, if you've got it, use it!. Trace minerals won't hurt garlic. Maybe just sprinkle on top after garlic is planted and let the winter rains and snow seep it into the soil. (that's my intuitive mind speaking)
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Post by Wheelgarden on Oct 6, 2020 20:43:58 GMT -5
Kelp, along with fish emulsion and compost, was my main fertilzer for a long time, but I started finding a clean (unpolluted) source hard to come across. I've got the compost, I can get still get the fish, but someone please let me know of a good source of clean kelp concentrate!
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Post by ahntjudy on Oct 10, 2020 7:19:41 GMT -5
Thank you all for your input.. I have 2 smallish bags of the kelp (from Gardens Alive) I've had for years taking up space on a garage shelf.. Not doing any good there so I think I'll just mix it into the garlic beds along with the compost..
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