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How to Grow Seaweed

Seaweed is more than simply a nuisance when you are trying to swim. It is rich in nutrients and minerals and has many commercial uses. Carrageenan, for example, which is found in seaweed, is used to make seaweed flour, a much sought after ingredient in South Asian communities. Setting up your own seaweed cultivation should be done in the sea, as the salinity of water and regular tidal movements are essential for it to flourish.

Things You'll Need

Meter-long wooden stakes x 20
Fishing line (5 meters) x 1
Fishing line (20 cm) x 30
Seaweed seed x 30
Drill

Instructions

- 1
  Find a suitable location to set-up your seaweed cultivation. The sea-level must be at least 0.5m at spring low-tide, there should be a sandy bottom, and the area must receive good sunlight. It is important not to cultivate seaweed near the mouth of a freshwater river as water salinity is essential.
- 2
  Drill a hole in the top of each stake using a 1/16 inch, or similarly small drill bit. Drive the stakes into the sea bottom, leaving 0.5m of the stake above ground level. Space the stakes roughly 25cm apart from each other and keep them in a straight line.
- 3
  Tie the 5 meter fishing line to the top of the first pole and thread through the hole in each stake before tying it securely to the final pole. Tie the 20 cm sections of fishing line to the 5 meter line, spacing them at even intervals and letting the 20 cm lengths dangle into the seawater.
- 4
  Tie a partially germinated seaweed seed to the end of each 20 cm length of fishing line. These seaweed seeds will be roughly the size of your palm.
- 5
  Leave you seaweed for eight weeks to fully mature. Check on your seaweed regularly and shake the stakes to remove the build up of any dirt or rubbish.

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