Understanding the Balance

Transcription

1 Understanding the Balance Soil is the foundation that builds strong crops, plants, roots and turf. Micro Biology in the soil is an absolute must in order to grow anything properly.. The Soil must contain carbon in order to feeds microbes and aid nutrients to immobilize freely to the roots. These microbes help break down material in the soil. This break down which is called ( Humification ) results in the formation of carbon rich Humus. Humus has been referred to as The most important source of human wealth on this planet Humus is a virtual storehouse of not only micro-nutrients, but also, holds and releases the essential macro-nutrients nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium. Up to 95% of the Nitrogen, 60% of the phosphorus and 98% of the Sulfur. Humus also holds moisture in the soil along with air, both are vital for root growth. Humus is created by decomposition of organic materials., the most important and bio-active group of decomposed products is the alkali soluble substance called Humic Acid. Our Root Magic contains 58 % humic acid content, it offers liquefied organic Carbon, This Humic acid is derived from Leonardite shale. Leonardite is mined in the North Central part of United States and is considered to be one of the highest quality humic acid sources available. NLS has developed one of the highest quality Humic Acid concentrate lines in the United States. Nitrification also takes place in the humus. This stage is where the ammonia nitrogen changes to the nitrate form of nitrogen, Nitrate is the only form of nitrogen the plant can use (.Microbes must be present for this to take place). Root Magic with its unique characteristics promotes this process like no other and is an asset to any fertilization or crop program. Using chemical herbicides and insect controls along with ONLY synthetic based fertilizers such as Urea, DAP and MOP (the most widely used in Fertilizing today) Breaks the carbon- bio-cycle and virtually eliminates the Microbes needed for humus and nitrification

2 Life in the soil Without micro biology, building humus in the soil simply can not happen. Without Humus life on earth would not exist. Why you may ask? There s a million reasons. The one that stands out the most is oxygen. Trees and plants rooted in the humus rich soil provide us with oxygen that we humans need to survive.. Plastics, minerals, metals, wood, are all connected to soil wealth as well. Things like milk obtained from cows that feed on pasture grass rooted in soil, Rain water filtered through the soil provides us with fresh water. As stated above, Humus is considered to be The most important source of human wealth on this planet Healthy fresh smelling soil is made from Aerobic (with air) bacteria Aerobic bacteria are known as the beneficial bacteria, They are responsible for breaking down the organic matter in the soil and creating humus. These bacteria are also responsible for the nitrogen cycle to become complete during the nitrification stage mentioned above. ROOT MAGIC helps regenerate and maintain beneficial bacteria and helps them become more available. A healthy soil also contains other nutrient such as potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and several other minor elements. Without proper soil management to promote humus and the beneficial bacteria, those minerals will never become available to the plant. ROOT MAGIC balances the soil quickly Root Magic offers Carbohydrates to the soil, This energy works with the roots of the plant to release organic acids which will then break down available minerals and nutrients through Chelation so the plant can uptake them in the proper form. Carbohydrate are what the plant draws it's energy from to grow, re-grow and for production. Carbohydrates are vital to the soil microbes that create humus as well. Carbohydrates give both the plant and soil biology energy to fend off harmful microorganisms and disease. While all plants create their own carbohydrates, by giving them an abundant fresh source of ready made energy, plants and soil microbes will thrive and direct more of their own energy into production and health

3 Cation Exchange Capacity Cations Pronounced (Ca-tie on) are positive charged elements in the soil that are are held by negatively charged particles of humus called colloids which are capable of holding large quantities of cations. As plant roots take up cations, other cations in the soil will replace them on the colloid. The stronger the colloid's negative charge, the greater its capacity to hold and exchange cations, hence the term cation exchange capacity (CEC) Building Organic matter in your soil is vital to maximizing IONS: = ELEMENTS WITH AN ELECTRICAL CHARGE CATION EXCHANGE CAPACITY CEC (+) (-) There are two types of ions in the soil : Cations (+) Cations are nutrient ions and molecules that are positively charged, like Calcium (Ca+), Magnesium (Mg+), potassium (P+), sodium (Na+), hydrogen (H+) and ammonium (NH4+). Anions ( ) Anions are negatively charged ions, such as chloride (Cl ), Nitrate (NO3 ), sulfate (SO4-) and phosphate (H2PO4 ). To get these ions functioning properly, your soil MUST be balanced Three parts to every soil: Sand ~ Clay ~ Organic matter. Sand Has no charge at all and does not transfer elements. (Building organic matter/humus is the only way to grow in predominantly sandy soil.) Clay however does contain some colloids but offers minimal element transfer. Organic matter is the primary colloid bank in a soil from which maximum plant production comes from. Clay and organic matter particles in the soil are negatively charged. These negatively charged colloids attract, hold, trade, release the positively charged ions (cations). Soils with higher clay matter and sand particles but little organic matter carry little to no charge and do not react with cations. Poor production ( plant struggle to feed )

4 What is ph? Soil ph is a measurement of the acidity or alkalinity of a soil. On the ph scale, 6.0 to 7.0 is neutral thus allowing proper soil function to happen. Below 6.0 means the soil is acidic and above 7.0 means it is alkaline. A ph range of 6.8 to 7.2 is termed near neutral but ideally most gardeners should maintain the range of 6.0 to 7.0 Soil ph is an important chemical property because it affects the availability of nutrients to plants and the activity of soil microorganisms. as ph increases (becomes less acid), the number of negative charges on the colloids increase, there by increasing the CEC. Most nutrients that plants need can dissolve easily when the ph of the soil solution ranges from 6.0 to 7.0 Below ph 6.0, some nutrients, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, are less available. When ph exceeds 7.5, iron, manganese, and phosphorus are less available. Home soil Test kits area good way to check your soil to ensure you are not adding too much of one thing and not enough of another. (See our Deficiencies page for corrective measures ) A more detailed soil test can be done by your local State cooperative extension office or by your local landscape supply or feed store. Some places even allow for you to mail a soil sample to them.

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