Kelp is an often talked about and used product for organic gardening. It contains many trace elements and micronutrients that help build up the soil. If you are searching for a great tomato fertilizer, could kelp be the right thing for you? We’ll examine the benefits of kelp, as well as some potential problems.
Kelp is a type of brownish marine algae that absorbs nutrients as it filters sea water. It grows extremely fast and is a great renewable resource. Kelp meal is basically just dried ocean seaweed that is broken down and used in gardens. Kelp can also be made into a fine powder or a liquid.
Organic gardeners are interested in the overall health and fertility of their soil, so use of products that will feed the microbes in the soil and contribute to the micronutrients is important. Kelp contains approximately 70 vitamins and minerals that will improve the soil and your plants, including magnesium, sulfur, sodium, and vanadium. It often takes several weeks for the kelp to breakdown enough to release its nutrients for absorption, so it is a slow-release fertilizer.
Crops that have a long growing season like tomatoes and squash can benefit from kelp because it will provide a steady supply of some of the trace elements that are needed. To use kelp on your tomatoes, you can add some to the hole at planting time, and then do supplemental feedings around the base of the plants throughout the season. It can be particularly helpful when your tomatoes begin to flower. If you use kelp as a diluted liquid, you can apply it as a foliar spray more often because the plants will absorb it faster. Application rates of kelp differ based on the form and the manufacturer.
While kelp can be helpful, there are some definite downsides. When considering a fertilizer, most gardeners look at the ratio of the macronutrients nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (N-P-K) first because these are the most important for healthy plants. Kelp has such small amounts of N-P-K that they are rarely even mentioned. It can be time-intensive and expensive to use a kelp product when you will almost certainly need other products as well to meet the needs of your tomatoes. A better option might be to find a complete organic fertilizer that supplies all of the essential nutrients in one mix. This will save you time, energy, and money.
If you want the best tomato fertilizer on the market today, we suggest Tomato Secret by Dr. JimZ. Tomato Secret is a natural fertilizer that supplies all of the essential macro and micro-nutrients your tomatoes need. It feeds the plants directly, but it also helps build the soil and feed the microbes. With the use of Tomato Secret, you will have higher yields, healthier plants, and more delicious tomatoes. Try some today.
Photo credit: https://pixabay.com/photos/seaweed-kelp-nature-texture-marine-2360116/
