USING SEAWEED IN THE GARDEN

• During the autumn or winter dig a layer of seaweed up to four inches (10 cm) deep into the soil of emptied vegetable and annual flower beds. If you wish, seed fall rye on top. Dig the rye under in late winter or early spring, three to four weeks prior to planting time. Both the seaweed and fall rye enrich a soil and plump its texture for improved moisture and nutrient retention.

• Mix or layer seaweed into compost heaps to accelerate decomposition. Top a compost pile with a layer of seaweed and cover the heap loosely with black plastic for the winter. In late February or early March, mix and aerate the pile a bit, add more seaweed, and recover loosely to reactivate the mass for rapid decomposition during early spring. Mixing or fluffing a heap to aerate it every week or so after that speeds decomposition considerably.

• Some gardeners find that mulching around cabbage family plants with seaweed enhances growth and improves disease and pest resistance. A shovel full of seaweed placed beneath the root systems of tomato and cabbage family transplants has the same effect.