NATURAL ORGANIC CHELATES
There are microbial-produced molecules that can play a role in
chelating various nutrients too. Organic substances in the soil,
either applied or produced by plants or microorganisms, are
natural chelating agents. The most important substances having
this nature are organic acids, amino acids, and hydroxamate
siderophores. Hydroxamate siderophores are naturally produced
by soil microorganisms and are essential in natural ecosystems
to make soluble and transport nutrients, especially iron and
copper, to plant roots. Amino acid, fulvic acid, and humic acid
are three particularly popular natural chelating agents. If your
grow media pH is between 6.0 and 7.5, all three are soluble.
Fulvic acid is soluble at all ranges of the pH scale.
Humic acid and fulvic acid make great natural soil
conditioners. (Humus, a complex substance, contains both
humic and fulvic acids.) In soil or grow media, they both
improve the uptake of minerals and so improve plant health
and growth. However, as the molecules in fulvic acid are much
smaller, they are more active and fast acting. So, fulvic acid
also makes a great foliar spray.
Amino acid plays an even more diverse role in plants, includ-
ing protein synthesis. Plants can and do produce amino acids
for their own use, but this requires energy. When the plant
can make use of amino acids available in the soil rather than
having to manufacture all of them itself, there is much more
energy available within the plant for other functions.
“ AMINO ACID,, FULVIC ACID,,
AND HUMIC ACID ARE THREE
PARTICULARLY POPULAR
NATURAL CHELATING AGENTS. ”
grow cycle
73