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Central Illinois

San Francisco Herb Co has food grade kelp for $2.80 per pound, do you think this would be comparable to a fertilizer grade?I dont know what process it goes through to be "food grade"

Even with the shipping charges it the cheapest I have found, their email to me

Dear Henry
Yes. Our Kelp Powder is used for fertilizer even though it's food grade.


http://www.sfherb.com/store/botanical-herbs-bulk,category.asp

12/3/2014 4:31:31 PM

Anamosa, IA BPIowegian@aol.com

Baitman, I get my kelp from Welter Seed and Honey for $44.00 per 50# bag. $0.88 per pound. I live close enough that I can drive there to pick it up, along with my cover crops, deer food plot and sweet corn seed. They can ship it to you and probably be a lot cheaper than food grade. There website is www.welterseed.com. You can't order online, but they list toll free numbers to call for shipping costs and to place an order. They even pay half of the shipping for large seed orders, so if you have grower friends you could make a group order and save some money. They are real experts on cover crops. They have been using them on their farms for around 30 years.

12/3/2014 5:08:04 PM

Central Illinois

I've always been searching for kelp powder,welterseed sells kelp meal,which is OK but don't you have to use a lot more meal over powder

12/3/2014 5:58:32 PM

Central Illinois

My main use would be for foliar spray

12/3/2014 6:36:34 PM

England, essex

have a look on youtube, you will see people use it for general plants, not sure if food grade would get any different treatment to other products available to us though?

12/4/2014 7:25:00 AM

Central Illinois

I am not worried about it damaging the plants just dont know if it is lacking in something do to any processing it goes through, but I need to research the Sodium chloride level and if it is water soluble

    Ascophyllum nodosum
Origin    USA (Atlantic Ocean)
Uses    Natural health
Pkg Size    1 Lb
Volume    approx 3-4 cups
Comments    This is Atlantic Kelp harvested off the coast of Maine; known as Norwegian kelp, knotted kelp, knotted wrack or egg wrack. It is rich in iodine and complex minerals, and has a salty taste due to the presence of macro and micronutrients. Used mainly as a food supplement, but also used as plant food/fertilizer. Naturally contains 4-8% Sodium chloride (salt).
Note    Powder is good for encapsulation. We also carry Kelp Granules, which are similar in size to salt crystals.
Ingredients    Kelp

12/4/2014 9:08:48 AM

Whitehall Montana

kelp is also used for cattle feed and may be bought cheaper yet at a farm store.Call ahead to see if they have it in stock or can order it for you.It is the same product you buy for pumpkins

12/4/2014 11:00:50 AM

Anamosa, IA BPIowegian@aol.com

Welter sells the cattle feed grade. I figure that if it isn't broken down a lot to start, it will release the nutrients slower and over a longer time period. That way you don't get a big shot at first and then have to keep re-applying it through the season.

12/4/2014 11:08:29 AM

Omaha, Ne.

I would stick with the stuff made for plants when it comes to fuller. Stuff made for humans maybe weaker just to make it more palatable so they don't puke. But you can always track down the phone number and call them and ask them.

12/4/2014 11:18:10 AM

Seattle, WA

Is it kelp "powder" or kelp "extract?"

Kelp powder I'm assuming is just kelp meal that has been finely ground down. Kelp meal should run around $70 for a 50 lb bag or we sell it online for $2.25/lb in small quantities.

Kelp extract is totally different. Much higher in K, 100% soluble. I can post a spec sheet on the kelp extract I carry/use if that would help for comparison. The application rates on the kelp extract are 1/4-1/2 tsp per gallon so a little goes a long way.

For kelp meal when I'm making nutrient teas, I use a much higher rate of 1-2 cups per 5 gal. bucket.

I would check your local feed store for the kelp meal. For kelp extract, you want cold water processed ascophyllum nodosum.

12/4/2014 12:12:36 PM

Seattle, WA

For amending soil, the kelp meal is superior. For foliar applications, the kelp extract works really well, though you have to keep in mind the higher K levels.

12/4/2014 12:13:27 PM

Central Illinois

All I want is a kelp product for foiliar thats under $4.00 per pound delivered, I can get it that price if you catch the good sales at kelp4less actually its $4.40 a pound for 20 pounds that would last me 2 years if I add some to the planting holes too

At San Francisco Herb Co
they sell kelp granular $2.80 pound

This is Atlantic kelp harvested off the coast of Maine, known as Norwegian kelp, knotted kelp, knotted wrack or egg wrack. It is rich in iodine and complex minerals, and has a salty taste due to the presence of macro and micronutrients. This is granulated (like a coarse sugar), so it can be sprinkled on foods and used like table salt. Used mainly as a food supplement, but also used as plant food/fertilizer. Naturally contains 4-8% sodium cloride (salt).

and they sell kelp powder $2.80
This is Atlantic Kelp harvested off the coast of Maine; known as Norwegian kelp, knotted kelp, knotted wrack or egg wrack. It is rich in iodine and complex minerals, and has a salty taste due to the presence of macro and micronutrients. Used mainly as a food supplement, but also used as plant food/fertilizer. Naturally contains 4-8% Sodium chloride (salt).
Note Powder is good for encapsulation.

12/4/2014 4:24:24 PM

Seattle, WA

You can use either of those kelps for a foliar, but they are a bit expensive (they are essentially kelp meal).

The kelp extract is more expensive per lb, but the application rates are much much lower, making it cheaper per application (provided you can handle the extra K).

12/15/2014 12:35:51 PM

Seattle, WA

Nature’s Essence Soluble Seaweed Specifications
Derived from Ascophyllum Nodosum

Nature’s Essence SEP    
Typical Characteristics    
Appearance    Brown/Black Granular    
Odor    Marine Seaweed Odor    
Total Solids    92%-95%    
Moisture    5%-8%    
Organic Matter    45%-50%    
Inorganic Matter    40%-45%    
Solubility    100% in water    
Fiber    Less than 1%    
Oil    Less than 1%    
Typical Analysis    
Aluminum    Less than 10 ppm    
Boron    50-100 ppm    
Calcium    1.5%-2.0%    
Cobalt    3.5-6.5 ppm    
Copper    20-45 ppm    
Iodine    250-500 ppm    
Iron    250-1000 ppm    
Magnesium    2000-3000 ppm    
Manganese    15-30 ppm    
Nitrogen    0.8%-1.2%    
Phosphorous    100-200 ppm    
Potassium    15.0%-17.0%    
Sodium    3.0%-4.5%    
Sulfur    1.0%-2.0%    

Growth Stimulants: SEP contains natural Cytokinins, Auxins, Gibberellins, and Betaines.

12/15/2014 12:36:16 PM

Seattle, WA

That's the extract. You can see the K is 15-17%

Whereas kelp meal is typically 1-0-2. Based on the pricing you listed I'm assuming that the products they are selling are food grade kelp meal.

12/15/2014 12:38:24 PM

Central Illinois

Thanks Tad is 3.0%-4.5% Sodium typical of seaweed products

12/16/2014 8:15:52 AM

Seattle, WA

I've found kelp meal like Acadian to be around 9% if I remember correctly (I was just looking at the bag yesterday)

12/16/2014 4:55:15 PM