A kelp primer

Discussion in 'Growing Organic Marijuana' started by marvajuana, Jan 15, 2013.

  1. Here is some info on kelp. I cut and pasted from various sources.
    Kelp is sold as a dried meal or as an extract of the meal in liquid or powdered form. It is totally safe and provides some 60 trace elements that plants need in very small quantities. It also contains growth-promoting hormones and enzymes. These compounds are still not fully understood, but are involved in improving a plant's growing conditions.

    You can also apply kelp extract or meal directly to the soil; soil application will stimulate soil bacteria. This in turn increases fertility through humus formation, aeration, and moisture retention.

    The repeated use of kelp meal helps maintain soil fertility and structure that would otherwise be depleted through the utilization of nutrients by plants.

    Kelp meal also has a high concentration of organic matter. The ability of kelp meal to supply this organic matter, readily available chelated nutrients, and soil conditioning properties make it a valuable addition to any fertilizer mix.

    Kelp aids in building and or supporting the plants natural immune system. If you can keep a plants immune system high it will have the ability to resist disease, insects, frost, and drought.

    The second important and perhaps the most important aspect of kelp is the growth hormones. Kelp contains ample quantities of auxins, gibberellins, and cytokinins. All growth hormones play a part in how a plant functions, and are more accurately called growth regulators. Kelp has very high amounts of a particular hormone, cytokinin. Cytokinins are responsible for cell division, cell enlargement, differentiation of cells, development of chloroplasts as well as a delay in aging.

    When kelp is used regularly you will notice that the overall health of the plant will increase and that when applied at certain times major growth will occur.

    There are many ways to use kelp with foliar spraying being the most effective. You can improve specific growth stages by applying kelp with a specific response in mind. For example, if your tomatoes or peas are starting to bud, you can apply kelp to promote additional buds. If you require more root growth then you would apply it to the root zone after transplanting. Cytokinins respond within what ever stage that the plant is in. Spray in vegetative then you will experience more vegetative growth, spray in flower then you will experience more flowering etc.

    Foliar spraying is the most effective way of applying kelp, since leaves are up to 8 times more efficient in taking in of nutrients than through the root system. When foliar spraying try to apply in the early morning when the plant is the most active and the stomata are open to their fullest, avoid spraying before it rains, use high quality water with a pH of 6.0

    In conclusion, kelp can help germinate seeds quicker, improve taking of cuttings, encourage rooting, build immunity, add more color and flavor, give a longer shelf life, produce more and larger buds and flowers, counter any nutrient deficiencies, and fight off insects and disease. Kelp is truly mother natures gift to the modern gardener.

    marvajuana
     

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