The message
from "Bob Hobden" contains these words:

It's also a Scottish crofters method. Fresh off the beach in huge
quantities, dug in or mulched on top of the soil. In coastal areas,
there is so much airborne and rain borne salt constantly landing on soil
and plants,that any on seaweed makes no difference. I've applied tons of
seaweed with no problems and wonderful results.


So Janet, with all that seaweed are you able to grow proper tasting Jersey
Royals especially as you are also probably on granite?

Haven't tried Jersey Royals, but any other new baby potatoes grown
with seaweed taste fabulous:-) I'll see if I can get some to try, though
as you probably know, not all potato varieties are available in
Scotland, something to do with protecting the certified-seed-potato
growers from disease. This year I grew Arran Pilot, just because they
were bred here. The whole veg garden had to be deepdug, to remove the
invasive roots of an ash tree, so I incorporated loads of seaweed into
the trenches then put a very thick mulch on the soil surface after
planting. You can't see any sign of it now except as a darker richness
in the soil, it's all decomposed.

I'm not on granite. Arran is diverse geologically, the north end is
rocky high and steep with thin soil. The highest point, central spiky
lump of granite called Goatfell, is across Brodick bay (looking north
from here). The south end of the island is rolling green hills, the most
fertile area. Our garden is on very deep sandy loam, hardly any stones
in it, light easy digging and freedraining.

We've just back from collecting 40 sacks of newly washed-up fresh
seaweed, smells delicious :-)

Janet (Isle of Arran)