Acid Food

Miscellaneous Fertilizer Definitions: The following information will help clarify various terms found on many different fertilizer products.

  • Organic: Anything coming from plants or animals, i.e., bone meal, blood meal, cottonseed meal, bat guano, seabird guano, chicken manure, horse manure etc.
  • Natural: Extracted solely from rocks, minerals, air, soil or water.
  • Chemical: Manufactured or made in a laboratory (elements of natural and organic products may be used in the process).
  • Blended Fertilizer (Chemical): Different pellets containing separate primary and micronutrients are blended together in one bag. Contents of these bags can settle out (some pellets are heavier or larger than others), causing uneven application of nutrients.
  • Homogeneous: All primary and micronutrients listed on the bag are contained in every fertilizer granule in the bag.
  • Organic Based: Consisting of primarily organic and natural ingredients with a small amount of non-organic nitrogen included.

 

The Dr. Q's Fertilizer Line

 

Background: Southwest Landscape Supply entered into a partnership with Seasource, Inc., of Salt Lake City, Utah (seasource@msn.com) to develop an environmentally safe, soil conditioning fertilizer line suitable for use in all parts of the country, but particularly effective in the harsh soil and climates of the Southwest. The products were field tested, with amazing success, for a couple of years before we placed them into our inventory. Dr. Q’s Fertilizers are made from the finest ingredients using the best possible science and they are best for our environment. No corners were cut when this line was developed!

Dr. Q’s Fertilizer Formulas Contain:

  • Phosphorus (P2O5) from processed bone meal (readily available; the best in the world!)
  • Great Salt Lake solar evaporated sulfate of potash. All salts have been removed. This is the cleanest potash (potassium) in the world!
  • Patented Iron, Manganese and Zinc sucrates (US patent #3567460). Micros in most fertilizers are sulfates or oxides (iron sulfate, zinc oxide, etc.). The micros in Dr. Q’s Fertilizers are formulated as “sucrates” which are sugars especially attractive to plant roots. As a result, these micros are absorbed much more quickly than those of traditional chemical fertilizers. the only fertilizer with FOOD GRADE blood & bone meal (regulated and approved by USDA). These are the only fertilizers currently offered that can make this claim.
  • Kelp (Ascophyllum nodosum) – a superior plant growth stimulant and soil builder. This form of kelp is salt free!
  • Humic acid (high fulvic/humic ratio)**
  • Signaling molecules (glycoprotein elicitors) from Bio-Start, Ltd (3-year shelf life)
  • Organic Soil Conditioners: All nutrient granules are encased in a combination of kelp and natural aged compost. As the granules break down, they build, condition and “feed” the soil while the fertilizer nutrients are continuously released to plant roots. Most Dr. Q’s Fertilizers, including Royal Flush and Jackpot, contain a touch of Mycorrcin™, a cutting edge product, manufactured in New Zealand. This all-natural product contains “signaling molecules (polysaccharides) and bacteriocins. The signaling molecules are the same Oligosaccharide Elicitors that plants secrete from their cell walls to initiate flowering. The bacteriocins are protein-like structures that kill certain pathenogenic bacteria. Simply put, Mycorrcin augments and stimulates soil microbes to provide natural defenses against nematodes, “bad bacteria” and hostile fungi. When you cut through all the scientific talk, Dr. Q’s Fertilizers condition the soil, feed your plants, and help protect them from attack by hostile organisms. The formula remains under constant review to continually incorporate the latest advances in soil food web technology.
**Humic acids play a vital role in soil fertility and plant nutrition. They are the carbon containing structural components of the soil. Humic substances feed essential microorganisms and small soil animals. They give structure to the soil, opening up spaces for water retention. They help neutralize soil pH and they change minerals into a form that can be absorbed by a plant’s root surfaces.

Modern soil science says a fertile soil should contain 2-8% organic matter—most soils contain less than 2% and our soils probably contain less than 0.5%. Using organic amendments and pinpointed NPK applications are being used to improve soil structure but it’s a slow process. In recent years, the aim of research has been to isolate the components from aged organic matter that make up structural humic substances. These isolates are known by the broad term “Humic Acids”. This term encompasses humins, humic acids and fulvic acids, the carbon chains that give the soil its structure. They are not soluble in water, regardless of pH. They are resistant to decomposition and are very old.

Some people think that humic acids function more like a micro-nutrient and therefore are amply contained in most soils, but such is not the case. Humic acids are not nutrients although they play a function in nutrient uptake by plants. They are the key components of soil structure and have been found to perform a variety of tasks that contribute to soil fertility. The best source of humic substances for fertilizer use is from “leonardites”. These are ancient coal-like carbon deposits that exist in several regions around the world. That is where the most concentrated amounts of humic substances can be found.

**Information taken from, “Organic Matter, Humus, Humates, Humic Acid, Fulvic Acid – their importance in SOIL FERTILITY and PLANT HEALTH”; Dr. Robert E. Pettit, Emeritus Associate Professor, Texas A & M University and “The Characteristics and Effects of Humic Acids Derived from Leonardite”, JB Aitken, B. Acock, and TL Senn, Clemson University