Kelp is Fertilizer Magic!

A Reader Asks:

What is a good fertilizer to use in my perennial garden now while all the plants are emerging?

Carol Stocker replies:

I like to use organic fertilizer if possible instead of chemical fertilizers because organics condition the soil. Also they do not contain salts that repel earthworms and other beneficial soil organisms and acidify and damage the soil over time. Also, chemical fertilizers depend upon nonrenewable resources such as coal and gas.

Fortunately, there are more and more truly organic fertilizers coming on the market. These are made from mined (not acid treated) minerals and from natural plant and animal products. I sometimes make one or two applications of general purpose organic fertilizer throughout the garden such as cow manure pellets but my favorite is seaweed. I don't use fish emulsion because it smells too strong. Our soil here is phosphate poor in general, so I also sprinkle bonemeal, especially around flower bulbs after they finish blooming.

I apply dry fertilizer by broadcasting it over the garden surface. I also add small amounts to planting holes since it doesn't burn roots like dry synthetic fertilizers. I like alfalfa meal because it contains natural growth stimulants plus trace minerals and kelp meal, which contain a broad array of vitamins and minerals as well as soil conditioning elements.

But kelp meal is my favorite growth enhancers that help plants absorb the nutrients that are already in the soil. I apply a pound of kelp meal per 100 square feet of garden each spring. It is totally safe and provides 60 trace elements that plants need in very small quantities. It also contains those growth promoting hormones and enzymes that help plants grow. You can also spray kelp extract as a liquid every two weeks, especially for vegetables which, unlike perennials, need a short term boost to produce.