How kelp can help your garden grow
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8/15/11
9:58 AM
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Home
Spice up the front door The front door to the house should gleam, since it is the entryway to the inside. Polish the door fixtures, surrounding light fixtures and the door frame. Refinish or repaint the front door if necessary. Finally, remove any custom plaques or signs with the family name on it, and buy a plush doormat.— RealEstateABC.com
DID YOU KNOW? In June, 4.4 percent of prime mortgages were at least 30 days late, which is down from a peak of 5.9 percent in 2010. — HUD.gov
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GARDEN GUIDE
Controlling the weeds Some weeds seem almost impossible to control. To manage these weeds, try a combination of chemical and non-chemical management options. First, find out why the weeds are there. Some weeds are indicators of soil problems. For example, ground ivy prefers shady, wet areas, so one management option is to alter the problem area by reducing shade and soil moisture. Another non-chemical technique is to make sure your lawn is healthy and competitive. Healthy, full grass will out compete most types of weeds. Pulling the weeds by hand is one option, but be sure to get as much of the plant and root system as possible. Pull up every stem you see and destroy them; do not put them into the compost. Continue routing out the difficult weeds once a month and again the following year. — University of Illinois Extension
Blue wonder How kelp can help your garden grow By Maureen Gilmer Scripps Howard News Service
ander back in time to find a miracle plant-growth substance known only to organic gardeners. It was depicted in the 1990 movie "The Field," in which the Bull McCabe character (Richard Harris) said, "God made the world and seaweed made that field." He was describing the Irish way of gathering seaweeds collectively known as “kelp” to boost soil fertility. It was done by the ancient Greeks and is still widely practiced in Japan, but the results are universal: Kelp makes plants grow. Kelp contains only a small percentage of potassium, so it's not a primary fertilizer. In the sea, it can grow amazingly fast, absorbing a wide variety of ions into its tissues from mineral-rich saltwater. When kelp is harvested, these ions offer your plants a stockpile of micronutrients that are highly beneficial to gardens in potting soil or where natural soil is There's another side to kelp that also does miraculous things to plants. Botanists know that plants contain hormones, just as humans do, and these drive growth in many different ways. Kelp is naturally rich in cytokinins, gibberellins and auxins, all of which are used in tissue culture, the laboratory cloning of plants. Studies show that cytokinins play a vital
W
Forests of kelp live off the California coast, where they absorb minerals from the saltwater to later release into the soil for garden plants. SHNS PHOTO COURTESY MAUREEN GILMER
roll in cell division and enlargement. Their presence helps seaweed plants grow as much as a foot a day in habitat. When kelp is harvested and applied to the garden, you are putting organic cytokinins where they can do the most good. When kelp is worked into the soil, it aids in the expansion of root systems because cytokinins come in direct contact with living roots. And kelp has been shown to increase potato yields, so it's no wonder the Irish embraced it. This also may be the best way to revitalize worn-out raised beds that are lacking in micronutrients from continual use. It's present in fish-emulsion fertilizer, an old-
time favorite. But the smell of this source has limited its appeal. Today, you can buy kelp meal from most independent garden centers. There are three ways to use it in your garden. Because kelp doesn't contain much macronutrient value, it must be added in conjunction with other fertilizers. Simplify this process by applying Black Gold organic fertilizers, which include kelp along with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in one easy step. To revitalize raised beds, use pure kelp meal in conjunction with your ordinary manures and compost. The kelp meal introduces about 60 mineral elements, 12 vitamins and 21 amino acids, as well as growth hormones. The Dr. Earth brand offers a pure kelp meal you can buy at the garden center. It can be added at any time to ground actively growing or fallow ground. Work it in so that the kelp is well protected from sun damage. For more immediate results, invest in liquid-based kelp products. You will need a sprayer or a watering can to apply the solution to plant leaves. This puts cytokinins right on the growing tips of your plants to speed cell division. But don't apply it to the leaves in direct sunlight because they may burn. Every garden will benefit from the addition of kelp. If you can't find it locally, shop online to access the full range of dry and liquid forms available. Maureen Gilmer is an author, horticulturist and landscape designer. Learn more at www.MoPlants.com. Contact her at [email protected] or P.O. Box 891, Morongo Valley, CA 92256.
8/15/11
9:58 AM
Page 1
HOME-SELLING TIP
Home
Spice up the front door The front door to the house should gleam, since it is the entryway to the inside. Polish the door fixtures, surrounding light fixtures and the door frame. Refinish or repaint the front door if necessary. Finally, remove any custom plaques or signs with the family name on it, and buy a plush doormat.— RealEstateABC.com
DID YOU KNOW? In June, 4.4 percent of prime mortgages were at least 30 days late, which is down from a peak of 5.9 percent in 2010. — HUD.gov
HOME HELP
STOCK.XCHNG
GARDEN GUIDE
Controlling the weeds Some weeds seem almost impossible to control. To manage these weeds, try a combination of chemical and non-chemical management options. First, find out why the weeds are there. Some weeds are indicators of soil problems. For example, ground ivy prefers shady, wet areas, so one management option is to alter the problem area by reducing shade and soil moisture. Another non-chemical technique is to make sure your lawn is healthy and competitive. Healthy, full grass will out compete most types of weeds. Pulling the weeds by hand is one option, but be sure to get as much of the plant and root system as possible. Pull up every stem you see and destroy them; do not put them into the compost. Continue routing out the difficult weeds once a month and again the following year. — University of Illinois Extension
Blue wonder How kelp can help your garden grow By Maureen Gilmer Scripps Howard News Service
ander back in time to find a miracle plant-growth substance known only to organic gardeners. It was depicted in the 1990 movie "The Field," in which the Bull McCabe character (Richard Harris) said, "God made the world and seaweed made that field." He was describing the Irish way of gathering seaweeds collectively known as “kelp” to boost soil fertility. It was done by the ancient Greeks and is still widely practiced in Japan, but the results are universal: Kelp makes plants grow. Kelp contains only a small percentage of potassium, so it's not a primary fertilizer. In the sea, it can grow amazingly fast, absorbing a wide variety of ions into its tissues from mineral-rich saltwater. When kelp is harvested, these ions offer your plants a stockpile of micronutrients that are highly beneficial to gardens in potting soil or where natural soil is There's another side to kelp that also does miraculous things to plants. Botanists know that plants contain hormones, just as humans do, and these drive growth in many different ways. Kelp is naturally rich in cytokinins, gibberellins and auxins, all of which are used in tissue culture, the laboratory cloning of plants. Studies show that cytokinins play a vital
W
Forests of kelp live off the California coast, where they absorb minerals from the saltwater to later release into the soil for garden plants. SHNS PHOTO COURTESY MAUREEN GILMER
roll in cell division and enlargement. Their presence helps seaweed plants grow as much as a foot a day in habitat. When kelp is harvested and applied to the garden, you are putting organic cytokinins where they can do the most good. When kelp is worked into the soil, it aids in the expansion of root systems because cytokinins come in direct contact with living roots. And kelp has been shown to increase potato yields, so it's no wonder the Irish embraced it. This also may be the best way to revitalize worn-out raised beds that are lacking in micronutrients from continual use. It's present in fish-emulsion fertilizer, an old-
time favorite. But the smell of this source has limited its appeal. Today, you can buy kelp meal from most independent garden centers. There are three ways to use it in your garden. Because kelp doesn't contain much macronutrient value, it must be added in conjunction with other fertilizers. Simplify this process by applying Black Gold organic fertilizers, which include kelp along with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in one easy step. To revitalize raised beds, use pure kelp meal in conjunction with your ordinary manures and compost. The kelp meal introduces about 60 mineral elements, 12 vitamins and 21 amino acids, as well as growth hormones. The Dr. Earth brand offers a pure kelp meal you can buy at the garden center. It can be added at any time to ground actively growing or fallow ground. Work it in so that the kelp is well protected from sun damage. For more immediate results, invest in liquid-based kelp products. You will need a sprayer or a watering can to apply the solution to plant leaves. This puts cytokinins right on the growing tips of your plants to speed cell division. But don't apply it to the leaves in direct sunlight because they may burn. Every garden will benefit from the addition of kelp. If you can't find it locally, shop online to access the full range of dry and liquid forms available. Maureen Gilmer is an author, horticulturist and landscape designer. Learn more at www.MoPlants.com. Contact her at [email protected] or P.O. Box 891, Morongo Valley, CA 92256.
