For many farmers, it’s the start of a new growing season, or at least the perfect time for soil preparation. Ongoing cultivation of the nutrients and organic compounds in your soil can help you to grow profitable crops indefinitely, though you’ll have to make adjustments to achieve ideal conditions.
Sure, you know the importance of soil management at this stage, but it may not be clear how a soil conditioner made from all-natural seaweed contributes to your future plant establishment and yield. Here’s how growers, from small-scale organic to large-scale commercial, can use seaweed during soil preparation for planting.
It’s a Vital Source of Essential Nutrients
After any growing season, the rule of thumb is to check the availability of major nutrients, secondary nutrients, and minor nutrients in your fields or orchards to determine what needs replenishing. Though most farmers are providing their crops with enough nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium (probably too much if you are using a synthetic fertilizer), it’s easy to miss out on the secondary or minor nutrients.
For example, soil samples from all over the globe are often deficient in essential quantities of magnesium, a nutrient which is vital for the creation of chlorophyll and the establishment of healthy plant metabolism. However, balancing calcium and magnesium in the soil is no small feat, and the wrong soil conditioner can disrupt their fragile harmony. With a seaweed soil conditioner product, you can contribute the right amount of magnesium for your crops to generate chlorophyll and regulate energy without tipping the scales in the wrong direction.
The other secondary and minor nutrients that all-natural seaweed can help with range from calcium to manganese, zinc, boron and copper. Including Acadian Kelp™ products in your soil preparation regimen is an easy way to achieve the benefits of soil nutrient management without resorting to a complex cocktail of different supplements.
It Feeds Beneficial Bacteria in the Soil
For your soil to perform at optimum levels, there are innumerable microscopic organisms working below the surface to convert organic matter into forms your plants can actually use. Yet for plants to receive the full benefits from beneficial bacteria and fungi, there needs to be a diverse population to prevent harmful microbes from proliferating in the soil.
Some studies show some promising results using seaweed like Ascophyllum nodosum to cultivate healthy and diverse microbial community structures. As a result, plant growth in tomatoes and peppers have been measured to improve significantly.
Regardless of your crops, you need to create the right foundation for your plants to thrive from the moment of seeding onward. With the strong results provided by seaweed soil conditioners, you enhance your ability to provide a seed bed that will enable crops to thrive in the best and worst of conditions.
Do you need a soil amendment that can simplify your soil preparation for planting? Contact our Acadian Kelp™ to learn how our seaweed products can benefit your crops.
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