Seamungus, what it is and when to use it
Seamungus, what it is and when to use it
Seamungus is Neutrog's seaweed and composted manure pellet, and the short version is that it's the gentle one. Where a high analysis feed is there to push growth, Seamungus is there to get a plant through something, so it's what I'd hand you for a shrub that's just gone in the ground, a pot that's been sitting in the heat, a hedge that got hit by frost, or anything at all that looks like it's had a hard week.
What the 500g pack is actually for
The pellets come in a few sizes and the 500g is the one people underestimate. It's the pot and courtyard size, so if your whole garden is a dozen pots on a paved area and a narrow bed down the side fence, a 20kg bag is going to sit in your shed going hard for two years and you'll never get through it. The 500g gets used up while it's still fresh, which matters more than the price per kilo does.
If you've got beds to cover rather than pots to feed, the bigger bags are the sensible buy and we keep those too.
Why the seaweed part matters
Seaweed is the reason this one has a reputation for settling plants down. It isn't feeding the plant much, and that's the point, because what it does is help a root system cope while it's under stress, which is exactly the window where an ordinary fertiliser does damage rather than good. Feeding a wilting plant a strong fertiliser is one of the commonest well meant mistakes in a home garden, and it's usually the last thing that plant needed.
The manure side of it is doing the slower job underneath, putting organic matter back into the soil so it holds moisture instead of shedding it. In a sandy bed that's the difference between watering twice a week and watering every day.
How to put it on
- Go by the rate on the pack, since a small pack is easy to over do when you're only feeding a couple of pots.
- Spread it over the surface rather than digging it in hard against the roots.
- Scratch it lightly into the top of the soil so the pellets aren't sitting on top of the mulch.
- Water it in on the same day, because the pellets need moisture before anything starts breaking down.
It's a manure based pellet, so a dog will happily dig it out and eat it. Scratching it in and watering it down sorts most of that out.
When to reach for something else
Seamungus won't push a hungry crop along on its own, so a citrus tree carrying fruit or a bed of roses you want flowering hard wants a stronger feed like Rocket Fuel doing the work, with the Seamungus there for the stressed end of the garden. Phosphorus sensitive natives are their own question again, and for banksias, grevilleas, hakeas and waratahs the bag made for the job is Neutrog Bush Tucker.
Shop related products
- Seamungus 500g. The pot sized pack this post is about.
- Neutrog Seamungus Liquid Concentrate 1L. The same idea as a liquid, which is quicker to get into a pot.
- Neutrog Rocket Fuel 6kg. The stronger pelletised feed for the hungry end of the garden.
- Neutrog Whoflungdung Mulch 20kg. Goes over the top to keep the moisture in once you've fed.
Did you know we also stock Seamungus in the 10kg bag, and Neutrog Bush Tucker for native gardens, in the shop. They're not on the website, so give us a ring on (08) 8536 4333 to check what's on the shelf.
The rest of the Neutrog range is in our garden centre, along with the wider garden range. If a big bag is more than you want to carry, we deliver Tuesdays and Thursdays on anything bought from us, $5 around Strathalbyn and $10 on the regional run. Local delivery.
Read next
- Neutrog Rocket Fuel, what it is and when to use it
- Neutrog Bounce Back, what it is and when to use it
- Soil amendments, and which one your garden actually needs
I buy the small pack for the pots and the big bag for the beds, and I still manage to run out of the wrong one.
Candeece
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