KKK is for Kelp

Kelp is a large seaweed in the algae family. It does not have roots for feeding, but simply a ‘holdfast’ that clings to a rock, so that the long leaves can harvest nutrients from the ocean. Our local kelp is ‘Leather Kelp‘ which we call Golden Kelp, a much more romantic name that probably officially belongs to another seaweed.

kelp on the beach

We collect a small amount of kelp to make a rich fertiliser for our vegetable garden. After washing the sand and salt off, the kelp is placed in a large container filled with water. It needs stirring regularly and every week or so we add some fresh kelp to maintain the efficacy of the nutrients. Plants love it, they grow as if on steroids!

kelp up close showing the broad centre strip

We also make seaweed salad from our kelp. If you would like to know how to do it the step-by-step details are here https://dadirridreaming.wordpress.com/2012/01/23/seaweed-salad/ Seaweed is nourishing, very low in cholesterol, a good source of dietary fibre, Vitamin C, Pantothenic Acid, Zinc and Copper, and a very good source of Vitamin K, Riboflavin, Folate, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium and Manganese.

mixture of seaweeds

Now you can see why we call it golden kelp! I love the rich sweet aroma of fresh seaweed, and our little ICOLL is often called stinky creek by those who smell it when beached seaweed is decomposing there. The big dumps of seaweed and accompanying aroma are all an essential part of the richness of the area, the nutrients coming in feed the little fish in the lagoon, so they grow big and move back out to sea … a cycle of life for all kinds of plants and tiny creatures, through to fish and birds all so plentiful here.

Hurrah for Frizz, our third time for a K challenge, and still loving it!