Sargassum as garden fertilizer?

user22
user22 Posts: 10 ✭✭✭

So I'm in the Caribbean and our beaches get full of sargassum during some parts of the year. This is a big regional issue. The stuff piles up on the beach in large piles that make it difficult to access the water and decompose releasing hydrogen sulfide. Is it worth trying to harvest this stuff as garden fertilizer and compost? Too many impurities?

Comments

  • Donna
    Donna Posts: 21 ✭✭✭

    Huge problem in some areas here in Northern Baja California Mexico too, as well as other parts of the world. So I'm very interested in the answer to this as well. David the Good might be the person to ask since no one has responded to this. Or maybe a good idea to ask in another forum category?

    It would be great if there was a useful way to get rid of the stuff. What really concerns me is why is it dying off in such huge amounts? Is it maybe just because it's the most sensitive to toxins of all the seaweeds? I'm sure there is a good reason it's dying off that needs to be addressed because it's a symptom of some toxin being dumped into the oceans.

  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,576 admin
    edited April 2022

    @bexnews I moved your post to an area where it will likely get more views. Hopefully, you can get more answers.

    We have a lot of very knowledgeable people on this forum, but sometimes in our busy days, we unfortunately miss a post. We do try to get to all of them!

    If I haven't done so already, I would like to extend a warm welcome to you.

    Hey, @Marjory Wildcraft, here is a question you may know the answer to, having been in Puerto Rico! Of course, we don't have this issue here in my province, unless the polar bears in Churchill just aren't saying anything. Haha

  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,576 admin

    I did look up "sargassum as garden fertilizer" and did find a YouTube video by David the Good on this very subject. You can view it here:

    Happy harvesting & (I guess) eating!

  • Torey
    Torey Posts: 5,679 admin

    I'm not familiar with this type of seaweed. I checked with my plant atlas and it does grow off the BC coast but is less common the further north you go. So its not a problem in this part of the world.

    Here is an article that talks about initiatives for using sargassum as fuel and as goat feed in Jamaica.

    And here's one that talks about its edibility, medicinal properties and uses in the cosmetic industry.

    We just have to learn to use more of it. :)

    Welcome to the forum @bexnews.

  • Michael Morningstar
    Michael Morningstar Posts: 5 ✭✭✭

    I have a property in Belize and the sargassum weed problem varies depending on the tides and weather patterns. It makes a great fertilizer for my coconut trees and many other garden plants. Coconut trees can do well with quite a bit of it. Other plants may be more sensitive due to the salt and sand. It may be a problem for businesses and homes on the beach, but it is a fantastic gift for natural fertilizer and growing food. One person's trash is another person's treasure. BTW I would like to connect as I am interested to buy property in PR for an eco-friendly community. Maybe we can collaborate and use the seaweed together.

  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,576 admin

    @Michael Morningstar, you could send @bexnews a pm to see if the connection could work.