potting with seaweed?

[thepurpleorange]

Hi all,

so an extremely large amount of seaweed just washed up on the beaches here and I've been wondering if I can use it as potting for my orchids. I'm putting some catts up on a mount and wondering if it's a good idea to use the seaweed around its roots when I mount it.

can this also be done for other orchids too (in both pots or on a mount)

If this can be done, is there any special way the seaweed should be prepared before I use it? I've been soaking a handful in a container of water which I changed 3 times for the day to get out the salt. I'm going to leave it overnight and maybe use it tomorrow. Good idea?

Thanks all!

[ryrycochinco]

Never heard of it, but if you were to do it its definetly a good idea you get all the salt out because that would surely kill your orchids.

[ryrycochinco]

I'm back. I looked up past forums on seaweed and didn't find anything about potting with it but it can be used as fertilizer to boost root growth. Maybe you could turn it into a paste in a blender and rub it on your orchids roots... Hope this helps.[/B]

[thepurpleorange]

Originally Posted by ryrycochinco

I'm back. I looked up past forums on seaweed and didn't find anything about potting with it but it can be used as fertilizer to boost root growth. Maybe you could turn it into a paste in a blender and rub it on your orchids roots... Hope this helps.[/B]

Yeah this is basically all I found when I googled the issue as well. I figure, if you can pour it on, you can probably pot them in it!(?) lol

thanks for your response!

[ryrycochinco]

It's worth trying!

[stefpix]

I can't read the bright green type!

[Ray]

I think seaweed as a potting medium or mushed-up for topical application would be fatal to your plants.

Seaweed is loaded with sea salt. Exposing your plants' roots to it will kill them rapidly. Washing it thoroughly in fresh water might remove that salts on the surface, but will do nothing to change what's in it, and that will be released upon mashing, or as it decomposes.

Yeah, that bight green text is impossible to read.

[stefpix]

Yeah I think SEAweed can not be rinsed off salt even by rinsing!

A simple example is if I eat a lot of seafood for dinner even if it does not taste too salty it usually makes me wake up in the middle of the night thirsty and I need to drink a glass of water.

But I wonder if some orchids that grow close to the ocean might be more salt tolerant.

[Kelo]

It will reek and stink to high heaven and you'll be left with nothing to grow your plant on. Seaweed has little nutritional value but does have essential elements in it which will benefit your plant. Since seaweed is a awful medium for plants to grow on, rather than in, the salt content need not be worried about.


Orkney Seaweed Company_technical information

How much salt does seaweed have?

[tucker85]

Here in south Florida we grow lots of orchids and we have lots of seaweed. If it was a good idea to combine them I think someone would have discovered it by now. It's not something I would be interested in trying.