growing strong seedlings
Root Stimulants
Starter fertilizers provide all of the essential
minerals that seedlings need, but organic
bio-stimulants aid with the uptake of minerals. For example, humic and fulvic acids
aid with the uptake of iron and other trace
minerals. Humic acid is an intermediate
chelator. “Chela” means “claw,” so humic
acid molecules attach to mineral ions like a
claw, holding them tightly enough to keep
them from getting locked up in the soil, but
loosely enough to release them to the root
hairs on demand. Humic and fulvic acids
also help to neutralize pH. In nature, humic
acids raise the pH of acid soils and lower the
pH of alkaline soils.
For even better results, combine humic
acid with seaweed extracts. When used
together in a 5:2 ratio, humic acid and
seaweed work 50% better than either
product alone. The combination stimulates root development, producing more
lateral root growth and more root
mass. Seaweed extracts also contain
B-vitamins and amino acids that
stimulate cellular metabolism
and further aid with the uptake
of minerals. For example,
some amino acids stimulate
root cells to open up
calcium ion channels,
allowing calcium
ions to be taken up
thousands of times faster
than simple osmosis. Calcium
helps seedlings develop thicker stems
and stronger cell walls. Plus, calcium activates the enzymes
that pump the growth hormones to the growing tips.
Seeds contain all of the
minerals and nutrients
necessary to begin growing,
so they can be germinated
with water only.”
124
Maximum Yield USA | April 2015