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Dirt is Dead, Soil is Alive!
Bring your garden soil back to life and watch in amazement as plants grow as never before
By John Bagnasco
In the 1840’s, Justus Von Liebig, the father of chemical fertilizers, found that when water-soluble forms of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium were added to soils depleted of organic matter, crop production was increased. Since that time, the propaganda of the chemical industry has urged American gardeners to believe that artificial fertilizers were their salvation. What has been overlooked is the fact that Von Liebig and other early proponents of the chemical fertilizers only intended them to supplement the use of organic matter, not to replace it.
The mere presence of a particular element in the ground is not enough to feed a plant. Optimum growing occurs when the element is available at the time the plant needs it. Organic matter is the soil’s best reservoir for nutrients and humus is the major component of organic matter. The most biochemically active components of humus are the humic acids. This system has worked well in supporting plant life for eons. Unfortunately, modern gardening practices have evolved into a vicious circle of activity that ignores the replacement of humates in favor of increased use of chemical fertilizers. This produces a Catch-22 situation that accelerates the consumption of humus (which holds fertilizer available in a soluble form) and in turn requires the use of yet more fertilizer to produce the same results year after year.
As chemical fertilizers are added to our already organically depleted California soils, the little life that they do have is slowly strangled out. The salt accumulations make conditions unsuitable for worms and other beneficial soil organisms. The soil can no longer support itself and needs to be put on artificial life support. On the other hand, sustainable soil is alive and bustling with activity. There are over one million life forms in healthy soil. All this life generates heat, and when you scoop up a handful of healthy soil in the morning it will be warm to the touch. That is how farmers used to tell when their soil was ready for planting. Conversely, dead dirt is literally stone dead.
Humic Acids
Humic substances are now recognized by most soil scientist as the most essential parts of a healthy, fertile soil and the most important contributors to a healthy, vital plant. Humus is best described as a brown to black matrix of humic substances produced by the decay of organic matter. Humates perform the following functions:
Provide a physical modification of the soil, thus improving aeration and moisture holding capacity.
Store nutrients in an available form for plants to use when needed.
Stimulate plant growth by supplying a slow release of auxins, amino acids, and organic phosphates, thereby regulating hormone levels that tend to undergo rapid changes in stressed plants.
Serve as a substrate to support the growth and proliferation of beneficial soil microorganisms.
Historically, humic substances have been regenerated in the soil using practices such as crop rotation, planting legumes, plowing under green manure, and the application of compost. Today, these routines are time consuming and costly, but superb results can be generated by the addition of humic substances directly to the soil and even to the plants itself. Humic acids in conjunction with organic fertilizers can immediately resuscitate the poorest of soils. When properly applied there are physical, chemical, and biological benefits that are achieved.
All this information simply distills down to the fact that our generation is guilty of (maybe unwittingly) using gardening practices that are actually harmful to the earth ant the growth that we are ironically trying to maintain. Fortunately the situation is not irreversible and plant lovers can experience better results and a healthier environment with simple organic practices. Think of your car with a full tank of gas, but no spark plugs in the engine. You can put all the extra gas cans in the trunk and in the back seat, but until you put the spark plugs back in the engine, you are not getting anywhere. All the nutrients of the world are worthless without the spark of life from millions of organisms living in the soil. Without humic acids to provide that spark, your garden will never exhibit its true potential.
*Taken from The Garden Compass March/April 2002 edition, pg. 20-22

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Past Ads Dirt is Dead, Soil is Alive! Bring your garden soil back to life and watch in amazement as plants grow as never before By John Bagnasco In the 1840’s, Justus Von Liebig, the father of chemical fertilizers, found that when water-soluble forms of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium were added to soils depleted of organic matter, crop production was increased. Since that time, the propaganda of the chemical industry has urged American gardeners to believe that artificial fertilizers were their salvation. What has been overlooked is the fact that Von Liebig and other early proponents of the chemical fertilizers only intended them to supplement the use of organic matter, not to replace it. The mere presence of a particular element in the ground is not enough to feed a plant. Optimum growing occurs when the element is available at the time the plant needs it. Organic matter is the soil’s best reservoir for nutrients and humus is the major component of organic matter. The most biochemically active components of humus are the humic acids. This system has worked well in supporting plant life for eons. Unfortunately, modern gardening practices have evolved into a vicious circle of activity that ignores the replacement of humates in favor of increased use of chemical fertilizers. This produces a Catch-22 situation that accelerates the consumption of humus (which holds fertilizer available in a soluble form) and in turn requires the use of yet more fertilizer to produce the same results year after year. As chemical fertilizers are added to our already organically depleted California soils, the little life that they do have is slowly strangled out. The salt accumulations make conditions unsuitable for worms and other beneficial soil organisms. The soil can no longer support itself and needs to be put on artificial life support. On the other hand, sustainable soil is alive and bustling with activity. There are over one million life forms in healthy soil. All this life generates heat, and when you scoop up a handful of healthy soil in the morning it will be warm to the touch. That is how farmers used to tell when their soil was ready for planting. Conversely, dead dirt is literally stone dead. Humic Acids Humic substances are now recognized by most soil scientist as the most essential parts of a healthy, fertile soil and the most important contributors to a healthy, vital plant. Humus is best described as a brown to black matrix of humic substances produced by the decay of organic matter. Humates perform the following functions: Provide a physical modification of the soil, thus improving aeration and moisture holding capacity. Store nutrients in an available form for plants to use when needed. Stimulate plant growth by supplying a slow release of auxins, amino acids, and organic phosphates, thereby regulating hormone levels that tend to undergo rapid changes in stressed plants. Serve as a substrate to support the growth and proliferation of beneficial soil microorganisms. Historically, humic substances have been regenerated in the soil using practices such as crop rotation, planting legumes, plowing under green manure, and the application of compost. Today, these routines are time consuming and costly, but superb results can be generated by the addition of humic substances directly to the soil and even to the plants itself. Humic acids in conjunction with organic fertilizers can immediately resuscitate the poorest of soils. When properly applied there are physical, chemical, and biological benefits that are achieved. All this information simply distills down to the fact that our generation is guilty of (maybe unwittingly) using gardening practices that are actually harmful to the earth ant the growth that we are ironically trying to maintain. Fortunately the situation is not irreversible and plant lovers can experience better results and a healthier environment with simple organic practices. Think of your car with a full tank of gas, but no spark plugs in the engine. You can put all the extra gas cans in the trunk and in the back seat, but until you put the spark plugs back in the engine, you are not getting anywhere. All the nutrients of the world are worthless without the spark of life from millions of organisms living in the soil. Without humic acids to provide that spark, your garden will never exhibit its true potential. *Taken from The Garden Compass March/April 2002 edition, pg. 20-22
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