Wednesday 21 November 2012

Seaweed Spreading


Spreading seaweed on the land at L'Etac.

Seaweed contains all the trace elements and plant nutrients necessary for healthy crops, in addition the alginates in Brown seaweeds (Phaeophyta) are reputed to be an excellent soil conditioner. In Jersey the special flavour of their new potatoes is thought to derive from the seaweed they spread on their fields locally known as Vraic (Wrack). The seaweed is also thought to suppress Eelworm in the potato crop and has been collected and spread by the Jersey farmers since the 12th century, when every farmer had the right to collect seaweed from the beach.

For ABC Wednesday.

6 comments:

Stefan Jansson said...

A good fertilizer.

Leslie: said...

Wow! Fascinating study of fertilizing potato fields. I wonder if I could taste the difference.

Leslie
abcw team

Roger Owen Green said...

seaweed. not my favorite thing to eat...
ROG, ABC Wednesday team

Leeds daily photo said...

Seaweed has been in the news here in the UK of late, journos have just discovered that it can be eaten. Bit late in the day but they get there in the end. Its great to see old traditions like this one still going strong. Its got to be better than some of the other things spread across the land.

Lea said...

Interesting and informative!
Have a great day!
Lea
Lea's Menagerie

Joy said...

Who can resist a Jersey Royal, and now I know its all down to the seaweed. Interesting.
Joy - ABC Team