Southern CHICKENS

​What is Kelp
Kelp is any of a variety of large, brown seaweeds that grow underwater and on rocky shores. Kelps are found in cold waters throughout the world. Kelps vary widely in size and form. One type of kelp, called giant kelp, may have hundreds of branches, each of which has hundreds of leaves. Giant kelp may reach over 200 feet in length and will create entire forests of kelp. Other kelp consists of only a single branch and may be less than 3 feet long. 

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The role of kelp in agriculture dates back thousands of years, and has been an integral part of coastal farming. It can be said with honesty that kelp is the most effective additive next to quality fertilizer. 

The kelp that has the most importance for our needs is kelp that grows in the cold Canadian waters of the Atlantic Ocean, it is called Ascophyllum Nodosum. There are many types of kelp that have great benefits for agriculture but this particular kelp has the gold medal.

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Ascophyllum is harvested by collecting from either the rocky shores or using a type of dredge or seine to catch it. It is then washed with fresh water to rid it of excess sea salt and then it is dried and powdered. It is very important that they harvest it at just the right time to ensure that the cytokinin levels are at their peak  cytokinins are growth hormones responsible for cell division in plants).

Did you know that every natural element known to man exists in the ocean? How about the fact that seaweed, which concentrates these elements in its tissues, in turn provides plants with more than 70 minerals, trace elements, growth hormones, vitamins, enzymes, and proteins? ​

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There are several things that are important in regards to the benefits of kelp and how they work.   Let's look at some of ways that kelp helps plants:
 Seed germination is improved 
 Plants develop more extensive root systems, which means healthier foliage, flowers and fruit 
 Plants have a greater resistance to disease and pests. 
 Increases bloom set and size of flowers and fruit. 
 Increases and stabilizes chlorophyll in plants, which results in darker green leaves and increased sugar content in plants. 
 Relieves stress in plants caused by extreme weather conditions. 
 Increased plant vigor or accelerated growth, thus a greater resistance to disease, insect attack, nematodes, drought, and frost. 
 Increases microorganisms in the soil that can fix nitrogen from the air. 
 Increases mineral uptake from the soil and into the plant. 
 Increases the storage life of fruits and vegetables by retarding the loss of protein, chlorophyll, and RNA. 
 Retards the aging process in plants (senescence) thereby lengthening the production season.

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Kelp is truly Mother Nature’s gift to the modern gardener.  

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Now let’s take a deeper look into how and why it works. 

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Trace elements and minerals

Kelp has more than 70 minerals, trace elements which are aided by a carbohydrate mannitol that chelates (makes available) certain minerals. One of the problems of modern farming is enabling the plant to take up all of the nutrients to complete a healthy life cycle. Chelates are very important in allowing plants to take up certain essential elements. What researchers have discovered is that with so many trace elements and minerals as well as vitamins and enzymes, not to mention growth hormones, kelp aids in building and or supporting the plants natural immune system. If you can keep a plants immune system high it will have the ability to resist disease, insects, frost, and drought.

Growth hormones
Kelp contains ample quantities of auxins, gibberellins, and cytokinins. All growth hormones play a part in how a plant functions, and are more accurately called growth regulators. Kelp has very high amounts of a particular hormone, cytokinin. Cytokinins are responsible for cell division,
cell enlargement, differentiation of cells, development of chloroplasts as well as a delay in aging. 

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When kelp is used regularly you will notice that the overall health of the plant will increase and that when applied at certain times major growth will occur. 

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You can improve specific growth stages by applying kelp with a specific response in mind. For example, if your plants are starting to bud, you can apply kelp to promote additional buds. If you require more root growth then you would apply it to the root zone after transplanting.  Cytokinins respond within whatever stage that the plant is in at the time of application. Spray in vegetative then you will experience more vegetative growth, spray in flower then you will experience more flowering etc.

There are many ways to use kelp. Foliar spraying is the most effective way of applying kelp, since leaves are up to 8 times more efficient in taking in of nutrients than through the root system. 

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Disease Resistance
Sprays of seaweed extract can help prevent plant diseases. They work by improving the overall health of the plant.  Such foliar sprays (liquid fertilizers sprayed on plants) are up to 20 times more effective as a way to supply nutrients when the soil is poor quality or when roots are stressed from transplant shock or suffering from extreme heat and drought conditions.

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Kelp as a soil conditioner
Though not all of these compounds are fully understood, many scientific studies have determined what gardeners and farmers have known for centuries: Seaweed, or kelp, is one of the most valuable soil conditioners in the world. 

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Kelp helps stimulates soil bacteria. This, in turn increases fertility of the soil by humus formation (which feeds on the bacteria), aeration and moisture retention.

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Healthy soil is the key to successful gardening. ​
 

Sometimes we're so focused on what happens above the soil, we often forget that what's happening below the soil's surface is a whole lot more than we realize.

The best way to achieve healthy soil is to add organic materials. Here's another way to put it:  Feeding plants without concern the long term health of the soil is like building a house on sand.  Thus, organic gardening practices are by far the best way to improve this critical part of your
plants' living space.
 

You can also apply kelp as a liquid fertilizer at the base of plants to reach the root zone, add it to a drip irrigation system or as a dilute foliar spray. In recent tests at Virginia Polytechnic Institute, soil sprayed with a seaweed solution had 67 percent to 175 percent more roots than untreated soil.

Sources: 

http://www.simplyhydro.com/benefits_of_kelp.htm
http://www.plantea.com/seaweed-kelp.htm
http://www.noamkelp.com/sc16.html