Could Kelp extracts be a waste of money?

Kelp is crucial for organic growing
It feeds microbes working in the soil to achieve maximum nutrient absorption. Maxicrop Liquid Norwegian is my kelp of choice
It also improves flavor, I can attest to this.
 
Awhile back I ran out of kelp extract and just ended up not using it for a few cycles figuring the benefits to be superficial with the foliar and soil treatments. After reading the Dr Linda article on seaweed/kelp, I became skeptical and didn't bother buying it again.

I returned to using them(Thrive Alive B1 and hydrolyzed seaweed) again recently and will never go without it again. The benefits are too obvious to ignore.
 
Well, seems like kelp works pretty damn well so...kelp
It is. I still have some but man it was pricey. $60 for a little bottle but it's sooo concentrated. .5ml/gallon for foliar.

Thanks again for all the input!
 
legallyflying said:
Well, seems like kelp works pretty damn well so...kelp
It is. I still have some but man it was pricey. $60 for a little bottle but it's sooo concentrated. .5ml/gallon for foliar.

Thanks again for all the input!
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I really like my kelp, but it's kelp meal and added to the mix. ~$10 for 5lbs and very little is needed. $60 for a little bottle is out of my price range and I've never messed with it.

Wet
 
Uncle Ben said:
The use of kelp is only crucial to the vendor selling it and the noobs who are taken in by placebos.
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I disagree, the living organisms in the soil (if growing fully organic) need food to continue life and function properly, they break down nutrients that make food available to the plant. Which otherwise would be attained slower and in small amounts. Kelp also has many aesthetic builders, it forces the plant to grow tight inter-nodes or "stacking" of the buds(density), improves flavor, smell, overall health, growth
with all that is great about kelp...why NOT use it? Im not discounting your ability to grow good herb but all these little things come into play when bringing out the character of your bud.

-CC

My bottles of Maxicrop liquid kelp is 9$ and this last me 2-3 months so its not pricey and i have noticed many differences when comparing use to non use on same strain clones.
 
I don't use maxicrop as a foliar spray as i have found out that it is useless.
The microbes in the SOIL need to break it down. It will just collect on your leaves to chill doing more damage than good.

on another note B1 vitamin causes hermies if used in flower so only use B1 or like products in veg for all that didn't already know!

-CC
 
Its a common mistake. I couldn't figure out why 90% of my strains were hermies...then i learned from another grower about the effects in flower.
Feminized seeds are more susceptible to it as well because they are FORCED to become female, while the male traits wait on the sideline until given the B1 vit
& hormones then BOOM!
you got a lot of Budfucking going on while you sleep...dirty dirty :P

I wont buy fem seeds anymore either...they suck 9 times out of 10

-CC
 
elduece said:
The only benefit that I get from B1is that is helps cut down on clone rooting time when foliar fed.
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It's great for transplanting too. They bounce back immediately
Or if you have a stressed plant that needs saving

I've saved many clones close to death just with seaweed, b1, and lots of attention

-CC
 
Cannabisculture said:
I disagree, the living organisms in the soil (if growing fully organic) need food to continue life and function properly, they break down nutrients that make food available to the plant. Which otherwise would be attained slower and in small amounts. Kelp also has many aesthetic builders, it forces the plant to grow tight inter-nodes or "stacking" of the buds(density), improves flavor, smell, overall health, growth
with all that is great about kelp...why NOT use it? Im not discounting your ability to grow good herb but all these little things come into play when bringing out the character of your bud.

-CC

My bottles of Maxicrop liquid kelp is 9$ and this last me 2-3 months so its not pricey and i have noticed many differences when comparing use to non use on same strain clones.
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When's the last time you did a leaf petiole analysis?

Did you know that mycorrhizal fungi is distributed by wind currents?

Facts, not feelings..........
 
Once i have a nutrient problem ill perform one.
I know when my plants are happy or not, no need for lab results to tell me that.

and yes i did ^_^

Facts AND Feelings.......
 
Just please ignore that guy He doEsnt even grow buds anymore yet for some inexplicable reason he still hangs out here any attempts to convince everyone only he really knows what going on.
 
legallyflying said:
Just please ignore that guy He doEsnt even grow buds anymore yet for some inexplicable reason he still hangs out here any attempts to convince everyone only he really knows what going on.
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Looks like somebody has his panties in a wad. Put down the laptop, get off the couch, pull the panty string out of your butt crack and get a life.

See that avatar? That 6" diameter rock hard cola never saw a kelp extract in its life nor did it see any other stupid additive or supplement.

Guys, just cut the bullshit OK? The link's conclusions said it all:


Conclusions from researchers:

1) Plant selection: “…working with resistant varieties seems to be the best solution [to disease resistance].”

2) Environmental conditions: “…soil fertility and production conditions were more important growth and yield determinants than were foliar sprays.”

3) Management techniques: “If proper planting techniques are followed, the use of biostimulants is unwarranted.”

4) Overall assessment: “…treatments are ultimately dependent on multiple plant, soil, and environmental factors, and often have no discernible effects.” “…there appears to be little value in applying these products.”

5) Marketing: “Manufacturers’ claims for the benefits of these products go beyond what is substantiated by the research.” “The number of products now on the market seems to outnumber the published papers.”

These researchers’ conclusions say it all – seaweed extracts are aggressively marketed with little regard for objective, scientific research.
 
legallyflying said:
Also, a friend of mine runs a very large commercial native plant nursery. As you may know, most commercial nurseries use sterile soil with absolutely no nutrients in them. Anyways, all he ever uses to fertilize his plants is foliar application of kelp.
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Impossible. There is no plant nutrition in kelp extracts. He's using something else in addition to kelp. They are like a vitamin is to the human body, providing what may or may not be considered "beneficial" elements for plant health, not "essential" elements in the right % to make them beneficial to plants.
 
Uh huh. Touting your beliefs as fact. Google it mr 6" cola, kelp contains NPK albeit in low amounts but also contains higher levels of micronutrients. I'm surprised actually that you would think that processed plant material would not contain at least nitrogen. Where do you think the nitrogen in soil comes from?

Anyways. There seems to be an overwhelming amount of claims of benefits and the paper I cited above was the only source that implied little benefit.
 
That 6" diameter rock hard cola never saw a kelp extract in its life nor did it see any other stupid additive or supplement.
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yea buddy and theres one little thing you've been stalling on the WHOLE time.

WE'VE been talking about Organic nutrients and Kelp addatives. go have fun with your Hydro nutes nd Chelated metals there buddy. ANYONE can grow buds like that with hydro nutes.

P.S: dont just pull the "I AM Organic" BS. you dont have a single thread showing what you actualy use, unlike a few of us allready on here.......

P.P.S: All this wonderful information comes from a guy with quotes such as:
I think curing is based more on hype and romance than anything else.
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don’t use “cannabis specific” plant foods
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pH, is not going to help, nor make you look any smarter to the masses. pH adjusted water, especially using organic acids such as citric, will not have any long term corrective affect on most soils
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You can listen to UB if you want to..... but i already know what kelp does from my own personal experiments..... and i actually grow..... i dont just take random pics and make them my Avatar, if i wanted to i could goto my friends outdoor, move his plants inside and take a shot like that and say "Hey look, huge organic indoor buds" but in truth and reality, its still going to be an outdoor hydro plant that i didnt grow......
 
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