Sea kelp acts as a rooting hormone and stress reducer. Humic acid is a chelator (make nutrients available to plants) and add some carbon to the soil.

 

@Lungal09 i get mine from a place in bc. Gardeners pantry. A pound of humic powder is 15 bucks and 500ml of kelp is 11 bucks I think. (Kelp and EM have a recommenced one year shelf life) The owner recommends 1.5 tbsp each per 1000 per month. Sure you could do more but it's like 20 bucks a year to apply both. I mix mine up and spray it out of a hose end sprayer. I also got the activated EM as well for this year. Kelp4less has an extreme blend that a lot of others use as well.

 

@Matix99def ok thanks I'll look them up. Seems like an affordable addition to add on my lawn. You say you use a hose end sprayer. Do you just refill one that you previously bought? Could I I mix them both together and spray them one a month together in my regular sprayer?

 

The N-Ext products are all the craze as far as kelp/humic in the community it seems. I broke down and bought 2.5 gal of RGS and Humic12 last year and I'm using them every two weeks at 3 oz/M through November as part of a program to reduce summer stress on my TTTF.

These products really won't show much effect until your turf starts getting stressed, but there is evidence that they do help in management and recovery. They are a good addition to a balanced program if you want that little extra edge.

 

GCF products are great but if you have spare 1 gallon water jugs, buying Kelp4less extreme blend and making your own, also works well.

 

Us Canadians have a hard time getting gcf products ha. @Lungal09 you can mix them together. It's easier if You can get a cheap hose end for like 15 bucks and you can wash it out after and reuse it.

 

I am a user of both, and there is great info here. One detail to note:

Both products (and many others) can either be applied as a foliar application or as a soil application (soil drench). The mix concentrations are different.

The foliar app uses less product (lower concentration/amount per 1000 sq ft) per app and is a smaller droplet size typically (i.e. pump sprayer), and left on the leaf surface to be absorbed through the leaf tissue. This results in a quicker response by the plant.

The soil app is uses more product (higher concentration/amount per 1000 sq ft) and is typically applied with a higher volume of water via hose end sprayer with a larger droplet size with a lot more product making it's way to the soil.

I've used hose end apps and have started foliar apps this year. I will probably use a mix of both, going forward.

 

As always very helpful information everyone, thanks!

 

@Chris LI what rates are you using to differentiate between the two modes? Using Next products for ex, would you say 3oz/M in the 7:1 ratio is more foliar or would that still considered soil applied?

 

I know the efficacy of these things is kind of controversial... limited or no testing. I don't know where I sit personally as I have no experience.

You all obviously feel these products help, may I ask what your reasoning is? Did you start applying it one year and got way better results than previous years?

 

I can't give a testimonial as I've only used it for one year but my reasoning to try it was that a lot of people already were. A lot of newer product seem to be incorporating it into their products and for an applied cost of 30 bucks a year to my 2500 sq ft I figured why not.

 

@Chris LI what rates are you using to differentiate between the two modes? Using Next products for ex, would you say 3oz/M in the 7:1 ratio is more foliar or would that still considered soil applied?

Sorry for the late reply. I had to go look up the label for SLS Root Hume.

For hose end sprayer apps (soil), it lists 10 oz/M. For pump sprayer apps (foliar), it lists 3 oz/M.

I used it in various cocktails that I made with GS Plant's kelp, blackstrap molasses, Essential 1-0-1, and K4L liquid yucca. I didn't always use all 4 products at the same time. I would estimate that I used 6-8 oz Root Hume/M, in a hose end sprayer (Blue Mule), as more of a soil application. I typically applied later in the day, and didn't wash it off, although I think it rained afterwards, at least a couple of times. I hope this helps.

I may try foliar applications this year, earlier in the season, before summer stress hits. Last year, I did it in the summer, and went with the soil app to get more water down to replenish the turf and cool the roots.

I haven't used Next products, so I'm not familiar with them. I'm not sure what you mean by the 7:1 ratio. I'm guessing 7 parts water to 1 part product?