Container vegetable gardening is becoming ever more popular for people with limited or no yard space to grow produce. But it’s more difficult to keep these plants healthy in such cramped quarters, and you might be wondering what to feed them. This is where seaweed fertilizer
If you’re a fan of the convenience of container gardening, and are interested in growing healthy, flourishing plants on your patio or front porch, you need to be aware of the special needs of plants that are grown in confined quarters. A good potting soil will address most of your needs in this regard by making sure there’s a proper mix of peat, tiny stones and soil. But by adding kelp meal, a form of seaweed fertilizer, to the mix before you plant can, you’ll improve the moisture retention of the potting mix, yet the soil won’t become too heavy. Your plants will enjoy the benefits of the rich mineral content and starches contained in the seaweed or kelp meal.
Anyone who has been container gardening for a while knows that these plants have different watering requirements than those that are grown in the ground. Since most plant roots don’t like to be either too wet or bone dry, the container gardener must take care to add water on a timely basis.
It makes sense to add fertilizer to the watering liquid from time to time to replace the depleted minerals and enzymes in the potting soil. Liquid forms of seaweed fertilizer are a natural form of plant supplement. Be sure to follow label instructions before applying.
Another way seaweed fertilizer works with potted plants is to use a diluted solution of a special extract, which is then either sprayed on the leaves of the plants or “watered” on the soil on a regular basis. Foliar feeding, as it is called, is a common trick of master gardeners that is becoming more prevalent as the public learns about the amazing benefits of misting the leaves of their plants on occasion.
The tiny pores on the upper and lower sides of leaves allow the plant to take in nutrients at the source. Seaweed fertilizer has an ideal balance of nutrients that are well suited to this type of plant feeding. You must take care to read labels to get the dilution right because you don’t want to burn the plants. But gardeners can notice a huge difference in leaf and produce quality within days by using this special treatment.
For those who enjoy the convenience of container vegetable gardening and also desire an all-natural plant food, seaweed fertilizer might be just the thing.
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