Let's talk about the premium ingredients used in Soil Charge Packs and why we add them.
Kelp Meal: Pure Ascophyllum nodosum seaweed from the clean, cold waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. Hand-harvested, carefully dried and finely milled, and is known as the best marine plant available for agriculture today! Kelp contains only small amounts of actual N, P, K nutrients, but it does add over 60 very important trace micro-nutrients, natural growth hormones, and vitamins. It will improve soil structure, reduce plant stress from drought, increase frost tolerance, and increase natural resistance to pests and disease. It aids in the development of extensive root systems. It normalizes pH levels and stimulates soil bacteria.
Fish Bone Meal: A marine-based alternative to traditional terrestrial bone meal options and is a great source of organic phosphorus and calcium. Fish Bone Meal benefits your plants in all life stages with growing big roots and also big blooms! Early on the phosphorus helps with root development which means plants will grow faster and be healthier because they can absorb more water and nutrients from the soil.
Crab Meal: A superb source of organic nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium and magnesium. A byproduct of the West Coast crab harvest, enhances beneficial soil microorganism populations due to its rich chitin content. These microorganisms exude enzymes known as chitinases, which break down the chitin shell of bad microorganism exoskeletons, an all-natural soil pest control biopesticide! The microorganisms are produced by the plant as a defense mechanism. This stimulates the immune system of the plant resulting in higher terpene and cannabinoid content. The coarse texture is ideal for improving aeration, drainage and overall soil tilth.
Alfalfa Meal: Derived from sun-cured, non-genetically modified alfalfa that is freshly milled to preserve the highest plant nutrient value. An exceptional source of plant-derived nutrients containing nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and also great secondary nutrients such as magnesium, sulfur and Iron. Alfalfa contains high amounts of the growth hormone Triacontanol, considered to be one of the best and most potent plant growth promoters. Also, high concentrations of Vitamins A, B and E and contains other vitamins such as Carotene, Thiamine, Folic Acid, Riboflavin, and Biotin. Plus 16 Amino Acids. Alfalfa meal works in the soil to improve the balance of sugars, starches and proteins in the soil in turn improving nutrient transfer and exciting the activity of beneficial soil microorganisms.
Neem Seed Meal: Commonly referred to as neem cake. Is produced during the extraction of oil from the seed of the fast-growing Indian Neem tree (Azadiracta indica). It is an excellent way to strengthen root systems, improve plant immunity and balance nutrient levels in the soil, in turn encouraging optimum plant development. Neem Seed Meal has been proven to increase microbial life in the soil and also helps to ward off problem pests.
Oyster Shell Flour: Oyster Shell is an all-natural and high-quality source of the essential plant nutrient calcium. Oyster Shell also aids in improving structure of soils and building optimum tilth. Ancient oyster shells are carefully harvested and then ground into small, medium and coarse particles. These irregular shapes provide a sustained release of this valuable nutrient.
Gypsum: Improves soil structure, fruit quality, and efficiency value of other organic inputs. Gypsum is composed of calcium (Ca) and sulfur (S) – two of the essential nutrients that plants require to achieve optimum growth and reach their maximum potential.
Basalt: Provides all-natural essential minerals and trace elements that plants require for optimal growth and vitality. Our basalt is sourced from the foothills of Oregon's legendary Cascade Mountains. Basalt contains the highest mineral content of all rock dusts, and also a greater balance of nutrients for optimal plant health and vitality. Basalt is created through the cooling and solidification of magma and lava. Benefits of Basalt include improved plant structure, increased resistance to pests and disease, and more intense flavor profiles for fruits and vegetables, strengthening of cell walls, improves drought resistance of plants, increases root growth, and increases plant yields. Basalt is the rock material that makes up most of the soils around the world. The benefits of adding fresh sources of rock minerals to the soil are not new. Some of the richest, most fertile soil on the planet is found near active volcanoes, which explains why people throughout civilization have been willing to settle near volcanoes despite the potential dangers. It continues to deliver a steady flow of nutrients over time, even as it decomposes. Basalt’s slow-release benefits make it an effective way to minimize deficiencies, particularly with fast-growing crops that experience periods of rapid nutrient uptake. Basalt gives microbes a great home to live and breed from. Think as Basalt as an apartment building with many rooms and places for your soil microbes to live and flourish!
Natural Volcanic Ash: Similar to Basalt it gives microbes a great home to live and breed from. Natural Volcanic Ash includes the “A to Z of minerals Including Trace Elements”. It is a natural trace mineral product formed from the dust of an ancient volcano in central Utah. Scientists believe that the unique make-up was created when an ancient volcano erupted and the ash settled into a seabed. The combination of seawater, fed by hundreds of rivers rich in minerals, and the rare and abundant minerals present in volcanic ash created the mineral composition unique to its deposit. Today, this geologic characteristic is an outcropping known as a “hogback”. Plants grown with Natural Volcanic Ash produce more and larger fruits and vegetables per plant that are better tasting with evidence of improved nutritional benefits.
Greensand: Naturally occurring in marine sedimentary deposits. Greensand is composed primarily of the blue-green siliceous mineral glauconite. Traditionally used to loosen heavy clay soil or to hold together loose sandy soils. Greensand is able to absorb up to one-third its weight in water to improve the moisture holding capacity of garden soils and potting
Magnesium Sulfate: Agricultural grade Magnesium Sulfate Heptahydrate. Encourages chlorophyll production, bud formation and root and shoot development. Promotes enhanced blooms in flowering plants.
Sulfate of Potash-Magnesia: A naturally mined crystalline mineral that supplies the water-soluble sulfate form of three vital plant nutrients: potassium, magnesium and sulfurs. Potassium contributes strongly to overall plant health by regulating internal processes. Since potassium makes up part of the fluid of the plant, it is found throughout plant tissue, meaning plants need a strong source of potassium as they grow. Potassium deficiencies lead to weak stalks and immature roots, leaving the plant susceptible to insects.
Dolomite Lime: Supplies essential nutrients calcium and magnesium. Used to balance the soil pH and in our recipe helps us (along with all the other sources of Calcium and Magnesium) come to a nice Cal/Mag ratio of 8:1. This excellent ratio helps to improve plant growth and maximize fertilizer performance. Magnesium is the element that causes plants to be able to convert light into energy.
Humic Acids: Carefully mined from one of the world’s richest deposits, humic acids are derived from the ancient remains of decomposed organic plant materials. Naturally occurring, unaltered oxidized lignite. Helps to unlock phosphorus and other nutrients to maximize blooms and flowers.
11 species of Mycorrhizal Fungi, 2 species Trichoderma, and 18 species beneficial bacteria.
All Soil Charge Packs include a powerful blend of beneficial soil organisms that colonize plant roots and expand into the surrounding soil to greatly increase the absorptive surface area of root systems. These species work symbiotically to promote enhanced activity in the rhizosphere, improved soil structure and extensive root growth.