Here is an old thread on kelp/seaweed that might interest.

[url]http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=2945[/url]

[QUOTE=epsilon;392631]The desert is a pretty vague use of terminolgy for CA, I live in Moreno Valley which is a a few hops and a skip from the beach. Which I'm planning on going out to, this weekend for kelp gathering.(I might take a 1 gallon bottle and fill up on some sea water as well) seeing as that we've been graced with close to mid spring time temps. I figure I might as well commit to some harvesting before the beaches become a pita and too crowded. so I'll be carrying an assortment of dry and moist kelp bits back home with me.

Also thanks for the info on using the rinse water as a fertilizer. I remember some years ago when I used to spend a months income on kelp drink for my orchids. and boy did they love it.[/QUOTE]

Since the native kelp in our area is pretty much void of plant hormones and nutrients, I'm guessing that the sea salts are what your plants are relisshing, which is is a pretty poor statement about the rest of your plant nutrients.

[QUOTE=Hermitian;392636]Since the native kelp in our area is pretty much void of plant hormones and nutrients, I'm guessing that the sea salts are what your plants are relisshing, which is is a pretty poor statement about the rest of your plant nutrients.[/QUOTE]

What is the native seaweed in your area, Hermitian? Can you provide a link to some documentation to support your statement that it is of no value?

[QUOTE=Hermitian;392636]Since the native kelp in our area is pretty much void of plant hormones and nutrients, I'm guessing that the sea salts are what your plants are relisshing, which is is a pretty poor statement about the rest of your plant nutrients.[/QUOTE]

Actually, Hermitian, your statement appears to be in ignorance of the facts.
Ascophyllum is not the only species used for horticultural extracts. A good summary is found here:
[URL]http://www.seaweed.ie/uses_general/extracts.php[/URL]

Note that the same researcher(s) who originally identified the cytokinin-like activities of seaweed extracts (Blundon and co-workers) subsequently identified the betaines as important contributors to the benefits observed. Their recent work indicated that glycine betaine is found throughout the Laminariales. Trigonelline was also found in two spp. of Laminaria which are used in commercial extracts.
[URL]http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22908566[/URL]
[URL]http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20433077[/URL]

The plant hormone and osmoregulatory effects of trigonelline are reported here:
[URL]http://www.plantphysiol.org/content/128/1/7.full[/URL]

I think it's reasonable to conclude that your mileage may vary, depending on not only the species (or mix of species) but also according to the prior results, the location where it was collected... but no reason to assume that no benefit can be obtained from bulk seaweed of mixed spp. found on a California beach.

According to this publication, you have around 700 species of algae on the California coast. [URL]http://www.cnps.org/cnps/publications/fremontia/Fremontia_Vol32-No1.pdf[/URL]
As for what is likely to be found on beaches,"...most people head for sandy beaches, where they encounter rotting masses of seaweed washed ashore, often giant kelp
(Macrocystis) intertwined with feather boa kelp (Egregia), teeming
with hungry critters, such as kelp flies and sand hoppers.."
Macrocystis spp. are not devoid of hormonal activity or horticultural value, according to this assessment of a commercial product:
[URL]http://openarchive.acadiau.ca/cdm/ref/collection/HTheses/id/542[/URL]
and this:
[URL]http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF02206260[/URL]
and no doubt I could go on, but why bother.

[QUOTE=bower;392703]Actually, Hermitian, your statement appears to be in ignorance of the facts.[/QUOTE]

Rude, uncivil comments are never appreciated -- especially when you don't know your audience.

[QUOTE=bower;392655]What is the native seaweed in your area, Hermitian? Can you provide a link to some documentation to support your statement that it is of no value?[/QUOTE]

We sent it to A&L Western Labs.

[QUOTE=Hermitian;392828]Rude, uncivil comments are never appreciated -- especially when you don't know your audience.
[/QUOTE]

I did not intend to be uncivil or rude, but if you felt so, please accept my apology.:| I am interested in getting the facts straight for the OP, myself, Epsilon and other readers, that's all. We are all in ignorance of some facts until the day we learn of them, there's no shame in that, new things come to light every day.
If you [I]weren't[/I] ignorant of the facts and made the same comments to mislead the reader, well that really would be shameful, the way I see it.

Also, bummer about the lab test. But according to what I read this morning, a negative test for 'giberrellic acid' doesn't mean the seaweed in question is worthless.

As I understand it, I was going to go pick up the loads of bull kelp(nereocytis) that tend to wash ashore. I Believe this is the "Native" sea kelp that is prevalent in the area. It's disappointing to see from Hermitans analysis that apparently the Nereocytis luetkeana is mostly devoid of the benefits of cytokins.

But seeing as that my hopes to make a cheap substiture for Algamic (the stuff I used to use) is now turning into being a more than likely fruitless trip to the beach so that I can eat large amounts of delicious deep fried seafood from the local fry shack (Charlies for locals)

I do know that they used .. A.Nodosum? in the brand I had mentioned above.. maybe. now I'm going to go look that up too.

Actually what I was going to ask was

Hermitan
Can you please post up the analytics report that you had got from the kelp sample that you tested?