Humic acid
1 - 20 of 38 Posts
Joined
·
10 Posts
If you want the best source there is look at RGS by Greene County fertilizer. Tell them I sent you. It's a Humic with Kelp. Cleanest and purest I have found.
Joined
·
10 Posts
Not really other than the process is a long cold brew that takes them 12 weeks. I buy in bulk so making 200-300 gallons isn't an option. If you need a small amount you'd be okay mixing your own. I like Kelp4less for small mixes. Their extreme blend is Humic, kelp and amino acids. Great product.
Joined
·
10 Posts
I will find out from them and get back to you asap. Don't be afraid of Kelp4less for small batches. They have good powders. I'm all about not paying for water being shipped to me.
Greene County will sell if you call them. When I talked to them on the phone they said they mainly sell to the professionals in large quantities, but will sell small orders too if you take the time to call them. Shipping will be just as much as your order though. If I remember right, I believe shipping is a flat $30. The RGS was $11 for a gallon jug. I bought 4 1 gallon jugs of different products from them and my total was $76 which included shipping.
I spoke with Brad when I called and he was very friendly and helpful.
I spoke with Brad when I called and he was very friendly and helpful.
That's a great price Mike.. it would be nice if they could get their product to Amazon.. I get free shipping.. thanks for all the information guys I appreciate it. I check out kelp4less first thing popped up was will not ship to California.. which is kind of crazy because I see most of their products in the hydroponics stores. Must be some kind of loophole because I also see a lot of things on Amazon that says will not ship to California but I can buy it there.. I just picked up a bag of potash 0-0-60 but there's nowhere else you can buy it.. they have restrictions on everything over here.. again thank you guys..
I have also seen RGS for sale on this site in a 5 gallon bucket or 2.5 gallon jug. About the same price though. Don't know what shipping would be I'd if they ship to CA.
https://www.webstore.aquariussupply...oducts&path=Main////Turf+&+Tree+Care+Products
https://www.webstore.aquariussupply...oducts&path=Main////Turf+&+Tree+Care+Products
Joined
·
1,720 Posts
They will ship to CA. I just spoke to them because I will be buying some for myself. You just have to select the CA version. He told me that it is the same stuff just labeled differently so they can differentiate what they shipped to CA so they can pay the respective CA tax.MikeD said:
I will be buying the Extreme Blend and will be using it starting in the spring on my turf grass and all my other annuals and perennials.
Joined
·
1,884 Posts
What does Humic acid do and how does it do it? I can't find any academic studies or explanations regarding its use/benefits on the web. Lots of discussion about humic and fulvic acids as a component of humic mater, but nothing how its use as an amendment would improve soil or plant performance.
Joined
·
10 Posts
Once thought as snake oil because there were no standards ; Humate is mined just above the layer of coal. Humic acid alone is good, kelp alone is good but you add the two together especially when applying your fertilizer applications and you get the most bang for your buck. The two together are pretty impressive. I have noticed on over 50+ acres managed better nutrient uptake, improved soil structure, overall better plant health, deeper color and better resistance to disease. Can you throw away the fungicide.. no however the plant seems to be able to process and outcompete stress and disease better. I buy in bulk so if you have problems getting what you want shoot me a message. It's a great tool on the tool box. Kelp4less offers their extreme blend which combines the two with amino acids in a soluble powder. A little more work and mess than Greene County fertilizer products but a great product. I just prefer the super slow brew process and very sprayer friendly supply I buy in bulk. Overseeded pic using RGS twice and fertilized onceRidgerunner said:
Joined
·
1,884 Posts
MikeD said:
I'll check it out, thanks.g-man said:
I'm more interested in the application of humic acids and their effect. Sources and effects of plant hormones and nutrients (kelp derivatives, etc.), I can appreciate.
Joined
·
1,884 Posts
OK, but why and how?
Joined
·
240 Posts
humic acids alone are just organic acids with lipids. nothing real special as a stand alone product. kelp has a high amount of cytokinins in particular. the benefit of applying the kelp is to increase the presence of cytokinin in relationship to the presence of auxin. Once that greater concentration of cytokinin is present in the plant, an increase in shoot development takes place. shoot development will help fescue or bluegrass have a more "full" appearance, assuming another necessary nutrients are there (humic acid plays into this later). cytokinins also play a role in the plants natural ability to heal itself from damage - avoiding senescence (when a plant ages to the point of potential death).Ridgerunner said:
So with the greater concentration of cytokinin in the plant and all that it entails, the humic acid is there to act as a delivery system for applied nutrients. humic acid (all humic acid extracted in a low pH solution using potassium hydroxide will also contain the smaller particulate make up of humic acid - fulvic acid) will form weak organic bonds with minerals, particularly trace minerals (Fe, Mg, etc) to provide a chelating effect. Once the organic bond is formed, the plant can than more readily use supplemented trace mineral whether through leaf or root absorption. The beautiful thing, is that HA can actually have a chelating effect in soil bound minerals.
In relationship to macros, NPK, humic substances contain a high amount of carbon. the carbon and lipids will work to coat, absorb, and protect macros. while it may intitally delay the uptake of supplied macros, it will ultimately release it to the root system upon contact (and demand from the plant). this prevents losses to atmospheric and weather conditions (leaching, runoff, rain). in terms of the RGS product in particular, the name relates to "N-Ext RGS" - nitrogen extender root growth supplement, or something along those lines. I call it "really good shit." I have a video that shows 2 yards side by side, one i applied RGS, AMS, Aerated, and Seeded. The one next door, same application but no RGS. There is a distinct color difference 4 weeks after application. but don't take my word for it - do your own experiments.
so the whole goal is to supply your nutrients (NPK), use the humic acid as a "bridge" to increase nutrient availability efficiency to the plant, and utilize the kelp to increase cytokinin to promote shoot growth and keep the plant "healthy" in terms of its natural defenses.
in terms of the production process, cold extractions are better than heated extractions. heat will degrade the intergrity of the cytokinins in kelp. and to insure the most "biologically active" sample, the kelp must be "Brewed" over a long period of time. john perry at RGS built a 12 week brew system for his kelp.
His humic acid is produced in a brew fashion as well, well, actually, it's not exactly a brew - its more of a process.
if you were to take a sample of leonardite shale, we'll say 10 tons, and crush it up and soak it in water, you could extract some of the contained fulvic acids. fulvic acids are the smaller particulate component of humic and they're soluble at any pH. from there it would have to be tested for active percentage, and then reduced to meet "sell-able" AI (active inredient concentration). In ten tons, you may get 1 or 2 gallons of FA, and thats a shit load of wasted great material left behind. So to simplify the process, they first put the lignite in a super low pH solution. this precipitates out a more pure form of humic. they then prepare of solution of water and potassium hydroxide to bring the pH up to a 12 (humic is only soluble at a high pH). They then blend and mix the solution with the humic, and run it through a series of filters and screens, extracting as much of the humic and fulvic material as possible. at this point, it goes through a series of screens and the solution is brought back down in pH slightly to remain in solution and not react with other fertilizers as long as pH remains above a 4.5. if sulfite salts are used during the initial humic pull, before the high pH extraction, it will remain in solution without forming too many particulates when pH is brought back down.
hope that helps
Great info! I use kelp and humic acid in my tank mix and in the past have used it as a soil applied spray(sprayed with AIXR nozzles and watered in after). I am looking to try and use them in a mix as a foliar spray next year. Is there any benefit to using kelp/HA as a foliar spray or is it best to get it into the soil? Different advantages or negatives?
1 - 20 of 38 Posts
