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 seaweed concentrate is a complete garden health treatment that contains plant nutrients, trace elements, alginic acids and other bioactive compounds. It promotes healthy roots, encourages beneficial soil micro-organisms, stimulates flowering and fruiting and helps plants to cope with stresses like heat, drought and frost, pests and disease attack.

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 young seedlings 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 plants back hard in autumn as the soft new growth that appears at this time of the year is susceptible to cold damage.
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 emenies.

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.
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 an excellent time for planting bare-rooted plants. It’s a much cheaper option and gives many plants such as roses, fruit and ornamental trees time to bed down, get established in spring, before the heat of summer hits.

Tips for protecting plants from transplant shock.

Remove the packaging from the plant and soak the roots in a bucket of Seasol (30mL of concentrate per 9 litres of water) before transplanting. This can help reduce transplant shock, kick-start the plants into life.
Find the right position in the garden for your plant, check the plant tag for information – space and position requirements.
Dig a hole twice as wide as the plant and spread the roots around the base of the hole. Apply organic matter or well-rotted manure to the hole. For a no-dig option, use Seasol Liquid Compost.
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. Backfill the soil and press the soil firmly around the plant.
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 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 put a scoop of Seasol Planting Gel at 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.