A storm's gift

The fourth in my series of articles of A Guernsey Gardener in London was published on 26th February 2022 in the Guernsey Press, my homeland newspaper.  The article looks at soil fertility, and how seaweed throughout the years has been a staple soil additive, especially in Guernsey.  The first two paragraphs of the article are copied below, and to read the full article for free click on the link under the paragraphs.  Enjoy!!  👍

"With all seeds now sorted and stored for this year’s sowings, February is a good time to turn my mind to one of the most important yet often overlooked elements of gardening and growing – the soil!  There’s little point in nurturing seeds to seedlings and then on to healthy plants to then transplant into soil which is ill-equipped for the growing on and blooming or harvesting of the bounty.  Soil needs to be healthy and rich in goodness, whether that comes from our own homemade compost, from bought in bags of peat-free growing medium or from well-rotted cow or horse manure it doesn’t really matter, as it’s all good food and structure for our soil.

One lesser-known soil additive (certainly where I am in London!) is one that gives a broad spectrum of micro-nutrients as well as the big macro-nutrients of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium.  Additionally, this soil additive has important carbohydrates which together with the other nutrients it releases are essential building blocks in the plants we grow.  This lesser-known soil additive – seaweed!"

To read the full article for free click the link below:

​​https://guernseypress.com/news/features/2022/02/28/a-storms-gift/