The natural solution for your garden this winter
Seasol and its positive effects on plants, lawn and soil this winter!
Throughout history seaweed and its effect on plant growth has been well documented.
Seasol is an Australian Organic Registered Garden Input (Allowed Input 10767AI). It is derived from a blend of the finest brown kelps from around the world – King Island Bull Kelp (Durvillaea potatorum), Chile Bull Kelp (Durvillaea Antarctica) and Knotted Kelp (Ascophyllum nodosum) from the North Atlantic Ocean.
Seasol is great for all plants including natives, all seasons – all year round. Take a look at our hints below for how it can help your garden this winter.
How Seasol can help protect your garden from frost.
Warm days and clear nights increase the risk of frost. As a very general guide, plants with small tough needle like foliage are less susceptible to cold damage than soft leaf varieties.
Tips for protecting plants from frost damage.
- Cover tender seedlings at night with upturned plastic pots.
- Mulch plants with a thick layer of pea hay, lucerne hay, sugar cane mulch or compost. These mulches will create warmth as they break down keeping soil temperatures slightly higher than if there was no covering on the soil.
- Refrain from pruning leafy plants back hard in late autumn or winter as the soft new growth that appears at this time of the year is susceptible to cold damage.
- Grow cold-sensitive plants in large pots and place them where they receive winter sun but are protected from frost and cold. In front of a north-facing brick or masonry wall is an ideal location as the wall absorbs heat throughout the day then radiates it during the night to keep the plant warm. Even a few degrees of extra warmth makes a huge difference to cold-sensitive plants.
- Use Seasol regularly every two weeks throughout the year (30mL concentrate per 9 litres of water – standard watering can) can protect foliage. Frost damage is caused when frozen plant cells thaw out and rupture. With regular use, it can lower the temperature at which plant cells freeze. It’s a bit like antifreeze for your garden, providing plants with a better chance of standing up to frost and colder temperatures.
How Seasol can help protect your garden from heat (warmer winters).
If your lucky to live in the northern part of Australia with warmer winters, the sun, heat and water evaporation are your biggest enemies.
Tips for protecting plants from heat damage.
- Plant in the coolest part of the day, early morning or late at night.
- Mulch your garden with a thick layer of pea straw, lucerne or sugar cane mulch. These mulches will keep the soil and plant roots cool and stop water evaporation.
- Move potted plants to a cooler part of the garden such as under a shady tree or deck.
Tips for protecting plants from heat damage cont.
- Check potting mix moisture in pots and hanging baskets daily. If its extremely warm, check them early morning and then again in the evening.
- Water in the cool of the day, early morning or late at night.
- Cover young plants with shade cloth to protect them from the direct sun.
- Using Seasol regularly every two weeks throughout the year (30mL concentrate per 9 litres of water – standard watering can) can help with heat and drought. It’s taken up systemically and can assist the whole plant. It can also aid in the return to productive growth following hot days.
How Seasol can help when transplanting bare-rooted plants.
Winter is a wonderful season to plant bare-rooted trees and shrubs such as ornamental and fruiting plants, as well as the ever-popular roses. Put in the ground in winter, these winter-dormant plants establish so they are ready to take off in spring as their new growth appears and have formed a strong root system that’s ready to handle the heat of summer when it arrives.
Bare-rooted plants are sold bare of soil or with their roots protected in coco peat with an outer layer of plastic wrapping. They are available from hardware and garden centres and also online. Check with local horticultural staff to see what is good to plant in your location.
Tips to get your new bare-rooted plant in and established cont.
- Prepare the soil for planting by removing weeds and digging in well-rotted manure and organic matter and/or Seasol Super Compost to improve the soil structure
- Find the right position in the garden for your plant, check the plant tag for information – space and position requirements.
- To help revitalise the plant, soak the roots in a bucket of water with added Seasol while you get ready to plant.
- Dig a hole wider and but not deeper than the root system. Add Seasol Plant + Soil Booster to the hole.
- The height of the plant in the hole should be so that the crown (the section between roots and trunk) sits just above the soil.
- Mound soil in the base of the hole so that the tree or shrub will sit at the same level as it did in the field where it was growing.
- Spread the roots evenly over the soil mound then gently backfill with the soil dug from the hole. Firm the soil around the roots and water to remove air spaces.
- Add two to three stakes if the plant needs support or it is in a windy location.
- Apply Seasol (30mL concentrate per 9 litres of water) at planting and every fortnight through the growing season for strong root development and healthy vigorous growth.
How Seasol can help your winter vegie patch!
Planting winter vegies will depend on where you live in Australia, at the warmer top end, try planting everything from asparagus crowns to choko, okra, basil, beans, beetroot, broccoli, cabbages, rockmelon, carrots, capsicums, chillies & eggplants (plus plenty more). In the cooler south, be aware that plants will grow a lot more slowly, try onions, shallots, garlic, lettuces, spinach, peas, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, kale and silverbeet.
Vegies can be grown from seeds or seedlings. Seeds can be sown direct or grown in seed raising mix such as Seasol Seed Raising & Cutting Potting Mix and transplanted as seedlings. Seasol can help to increase germination rates when applied to direct sown seeds. Seedlings can be planted directly into the soil or potting mix. Don’t forget to add Seasol Plant + Soil Booster to the bottom of the hole or through the backfill soil at planting. Water young seedlings in with a solution of Seasol to get them off to a flying start. Mix 30mL of Seasol concentrate in 9 litres of water and apply it at planting time and every fortnight through the growing season.
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