Harsh Soil Environments – Humic Substances are the Perfect Buffer

Do you know what a humic acid is? Chemically it is not an acid at all, we refer to them as humic substances. The Humic Product Trade Association (HPTA) is an organization of scientists dedicated to protecting consumers by qualifying their members’ claims when using humic substances in a fertility product. EarthWorks has been a proud member of the HPTA since 2010.

Humic substances do not feed the plant and are not a source of available carbon to either the plant or soil microbes. Rather, they make feeding the plant easier by holding nutrients in the rhizosphere, making elements more accessible to micro-organisms.

Humic substances are an “apartment complex” for microbes as well, providing protection from harsh soil environments and buffering the soil from buildup of toxins like sodium. Many soil environments in the sports turf industry are sand based or have been heavily top dressed with sand. Humic substances adhere to sand particles. This helps to support needed microbial populations, build nutrient holding capacity (CEC), hold water, and buffer the soil.

To best support the turf plants every program should include products rich in humic substances like the EarthWorks Foliars Plus products.