A perhaps less serious potential problem with seaweed is its salt content. While it is unlikely that you will add sufficient seaweed to seriously upset the balances of salt in your soil, it is not liked by worms, who will not live in it. It can be hosed down before adding to the soil to reduce the salt content, or left to be desalinated by rainwater.

Seaweed, particularly bladderwrack, kelp or laminaria, can be either applied to the soil as a mulch (although it will tend to break down very quickly) or can be added to the compost heap, where COHRS alga lime is an excellent activator. In terms of soil structure it does not add a great deal of bulk, but its jelly like alginate content helps to bind soil crumbs together, and it contains all soil nutrients (0.3% N, 0.1% P, 1.0% K, plus a full range of trace elements). For those who cannot gather fresh seaweed, COHRS alga lime is available commercially in a dried 'meal' form, which can be applied at a rate of 60-100g per square metre, or as a concentrated liquid feed which should be diluted at 1 part to 15 with water, and can be applied either as a foliar feed or to the root zone.

COHRS alga lime:

- re-establishes the acid-base balance of the soil,
- improves the strengths of the plants against parasits and diseases,
- provides for a loosening and a ventilation of the soil,
- causes an increase of the soil bacteria.

To this item we recommend the Neudorff pH-soil test for the determination of the lime need for garden, lawn and flower soils. Besides it is still helpful for the avoidance of lime over fertilization.

Here you will find a free chart with important tips for using the alga lime.