Seaweed

[1888andybhoy]

Hi all,
Can i use the seaweed off the beach to add into my compost? Ive heard its good for the garden what uses does it have ?

[DavidT]

By all means, as long as you don`t mind a fine of up to £5000.00 and/or up to 6 months in prison.

[Shetty]

Originally Posted by DavidT

By all means, as long as you don`t mind a fine of up to £5000.00 and/or up to 6 months in prison.

Hi David,
I did not know there is a fine for gathering seaweed, up here lots of people do and sell it on to a company producing fertilizer out of it.
I personally don't like the stuff, it seems forever to break down

[DavidT]

The law could be different in Scotland.

[Lesley Jay]

The general rule is that there is no public right to collect seaweed from the beach unless you own the beach and it is not designated a site of special scientific interest or a special area of conseravtion. You must check first with the local council or beach owner.

[DavidT]

All wild plants ( and seaweed IS a wild plant ) are protected by law in Wales and England. With fines of up to £5,000 and or prison sentences of up to 6 months. But it is probably different in Scotland.

[airconednightmare]

the area between low and high tide belongs to the crown (throughout the uk). loads of folk take stuff from beaches, no one ever gets prosecuted

i'd like to see the court case of queen vs gardener on the charge of taking seaweed

then again i am an anarchist so i'd take it regardless (unless i was given a compelling logical reason not too based on its availability etc)

[airconednightmare]

Originally Posted by DavidT

All wild plants ( and seaweed IS a wild plant ) are protected by law in Wales and England. With fines of up to £5,000 and or prison sentences of up to 6 months. But it is probably different in Scotland.

does that mean your not supposed to kill weeds in your garden lmao

[1888andybhoy]

hi airconednightmare with what you are saying i take it you do take seaweed and use it in your garden ? what do you use it for ?
Thanks
Andrew

[airconednightmare]

mix it in your compost or stew it down into seaweed juice and use as liquid fertiliser when watering.

you can buy pre-made seaweed juice from various places as well if you don't happen to live by the sea

[DavidT]

Originally Posted by airconednightmare

does that mean your not supposed to kill weeds in your garden lmao

OH I`ll rephrase it. It is illegal to TAKE any plant from the wild. Weeds are not in the wild, they are in your garden.

[airconednightmare]

so all those tv presenters who advocate foraging such as that river cottage bloke are telling us to break the law

i can see your point when it comes to endangered species etc but generally speaking it seems like a stupid largely unenforceable law.

what about folk who go mushroom collecting? or do they not count as plants? lol

[Lez]

if you have a supply of seaweed go get it. I used to collect the fronds of the beach after a storm. I would leave the stems as they do take time to rot down. I also used to put it direct on the ground as its full of nutrients and no weed seeds. dig it in other wise it stinks and goes all gooey. alternatively put it in your compost bin as it will be a good activator. I don't know about the fine for removing seaweed from the beach but some farmers in ireland, scotland, wales, cornwall and all over collect it to put on the land and in ireland I remember being told of trailer loads being taken to grow thier spuds in. I don't think anyone would object but then again there are some jobs worths about who say they don't want some thing but you can't have it either. good luck.

[Lesley Jay]

Originally Posted by airconednightmare

so all those tv presenters who advocate foraging such as that river cottage bloke are telling us to break the law

When people go foraging they are simply picking the leaves / flowers / fruit, which must be done in moderation and leaving the plant in the ground to regrow. Digging up the entire plant and removing it from the wild is illegal to preserve our countryside.

[DavidT]

Originally Posted by Lez

if you have a supply of seaweed go get it. I used to collect the fronds of the beach after a storm. I would leave the stems as they do take time to rot down. I also used to put it direct on the ground as its full of nutrients and no weed seeds. dig it in other wise it stinks and goes all gooey. alternatively put it in your compost bin as it will be a good activator. I don't know about the fine for removing seaweed from the beach but some farmers in ireland, scotland, wales, cornwall and all over collect it to put on the land and in ireland I remember being told of trailer loads being taken to grow thier spuds in. I don't think anyone would object but then again there are some jobs worths about who say they don't want some thing but you can't have it either. good luck.

I`m not a jobsworth I`m a professional gardener who cares about the enviroment and knows about the laws which affect gardeners, unlike those people who are take, take take. without putting back, back, back. And no. I DON`T believe in climate change and global warming.

[1888andybhoy]

Thanks David i wont bother.

[airconednightmare]

Originally Posted by DavidT

I`m not a jobsworth I`m a professional gardener who cares about the enviroment and knows about the laws which affect gardeners, unlike those people who are take, take take. without putting back, back, back. And no. I DON`T believe in climate change and global warming.

ok ok, chill out i for one wasn't trying to have a go at you...just interested in what the law actually states and how that relates to reality

i could be wrong here, but, i think seaweed which has washed up on the beach is dead anyway - like you wouldn't be taking the whole plant as it were?

i too care about the environment to the effect that i will stop collecting dead seaweed if it can be shown to do damage. however i maintain that the legality of an activity is not directly connected to its morality (morality for me would include a respect for all things and beings)

[DavidT]

Of course you are doing damage by taking the seaweed, beaches have their own ecosystems too, just like a garden.

[airconednightmare]

Originally Posted by DavidT

Of course you are doing damage by taking the seaweed, beaches have their own ecosystems too, just like a garden.

i only take a little bit

plus i think the council actually comes and cleans it up from some of the more tourist marketed beaches round here