Kelp meal

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Tanner. C

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Has anyone ever tried top dressing with it? From my knowledge of it seems like a nice organic source of trace elements and amino acids.
 
Kelp meal - any powdered form, for that matter - is fine if you only want the nutrients, but the grinding and drying processes degrades the hell out of the hormones and other plant growth stimulants in them. If the product is based upon Ascophyllum nodosum, it is highly likely that the cellulose was broken down though alkaline hydrolysis, so can be high in pH as well as in the added ions such as K.

If you want the full benefits of such an addition, there's one liquid brand you should consider. I'll bet you can guess which one...
 
I think maybe Ray and Oz might be confusing the soluble dehydrated kelp extract (like instant coffee) with the insoluble dried and ground kelp leaf (meal not subjected to alkaline hydrolysis) which is used as a stock feed. You can use the meal as a top dressing and you will get some trace elements - particularly boron from it but I think it might be a bit to messy and clogging for orchid media.
You can also ferment it in water and use the tea but in that case you might as well just buy it in liquid form.
 
I agree, Stone. I was thinking of the "byproduct" kelp meal used as an animal feed supplement.

However, even the "instant coffee" type (good analogy, by the way) is very limited in its benefits.
 

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