DID YOU KNOW.......
that your soil contains approximately 45% minerals, 25% water, 25% air and 2-5% organic matter?  If you are really fortunate, you might hit 10% organic matter.

DID YOU KNOW.......
that there are two kinds of colloids - clay and humus?

DID YOU KNOW.......
humus colloids have 300% more storage capacity than clay?  For example, humus Stepone, of course, is the organic matter.  Organic matter comes from corn stalks, plow down clovers, manure, crop residue of any kind, etc.  Most of our soil tests give us a reading in organic matter.  However, the real wealth of our soil comes into being when the organic matter is changed into Humus, Humus is truly the energy of of our soil.

I was reading an article just the other day and it was talking about the GV's in the soil - the general vitality of the soil - and they were attempting to release the energy through computer controlled electrodes in the soil.  They found that when bacteria was working in the soil and when the organic matter was breaking down into humus, the energy released was phenomenal.  The soil is truly alive with bacteria - if given a chance.

Over the past five years, we have had program to speed up the conversion of organic matter to hums.  By applying calcium, sulphur, and sometimes a little nitrogen to the organic residue, we see a market decrease in the time that it takes to get humus.  Of course, when you make humus, you are creating all kinds of other bacteria in the soil that enhance the yield of your crops.  One of the greatest assets of organic matter and humus is the ability to conserve the water in your soil.  As you know, you can have a good fertility program and good seed, but if you don't have water, then you are in trouble.  We very seldom look at water as being part of the fertility program or look at the water-holding capacity of the soil.  It is recognized in the agronomy field, that water will move up in the soil just as quickly as it moves down.  If you have good water retention capacity in your soil, then in dry years and drought, the water will come back up and feed your crops.

Many farmers make the mistake of making a barrier between the soil moisture and the seed.  When a large amount of crop residue is plowed below the surface and the seed is planted on top, the water is located down with the crop residue.   The barrier between the residue and the seed contains organic matter that has not broken down and makes it difficult for the water to find its way to the level of the seed.  Don't get me wrong - that crop residue is mighty important if treated right.  It's your bankroll.

DID YOU KNOW.......
in an ordinary year of rain, the rain contains 30 lbs. of nitrogen double that if electrical storms are prevalent?  It contains 22lbs. of phosphorous, 338 lbs. of calcium.  In fact, one learned doctor of agronomy believes the air contains all nutrients needed by the plant if, that is, the plant was in top condition to take them in.

DID YOU KNOW.......
there are 8000lbs. per acre of organism in the soil?  To name just a few, there are 2600 lgs. of bacteria and 2600 lbs. of fungi.  There are 445lbs. of earthworms in the soil and, if the soil is in top condition, you could get up to 800lbs. of earthworms.  Insects and other arthropods - 830lbs.of those.  These are  living creatures in the soil.  They work for the farmer, providing he hasn't killed them with chlorine and toxic chemicals.  It would be wrong if I did not next bring up the nutrients needed by the plant.

DID YOU KNOW.......
that 80-90% of the plant is water?  The remaining 10-20% is carbon and oxygen.  1-5% of the plant is minerals.  We all know where water comes from.  Carbon comes from hums and organic matter.  We know that oxygen comes out of the air.  What we have to do is to balance it with that 1-5% mineral.  I might add that it is extremely important.

When we talk about the general vitality of the soil, of course, the better the soil, the better the plants that grow in your soil.  At different stages of growth, plants are measured for their sugar content.  It is know as brix content.  To give you an idea of the tremendous variance from poor to excellent, alfalfa will test 4 when poor and 22 when excellent.. Corn, young plants, will test from 6 to 24 and grains will test from 6 to 18.  The higher the brix content, the plant is less susceptible to diseases and delivers more nutrition to the consumer.

These are a few things that I felt that you should be aware of.  Also, another thing that we need to consider is muriate of potash.  This has been around for a long time and farmers apply anywhere from 50-700lbs. to an acre.  Over 46% of that product is chlorine.  If you want to try a little demonstration some time, take a little muriate of potash and dissolve it in the water and drop in an earthworm and see what happens.  Then take some Insta-Gro 9-18-9 or 3-18-18, make a solution, drop in another earthworm (the first one in now long dead) and that earthworm will thrive.  I can recall many times where I have set up a farmer on the Insta-Gro program.  Sometimes he would expect immediate results even though he had been harming his soil for many years.  Where one has been dumping chlorines and herbicides, it sometimes takes more than one year to get the soil back to good working order.  In fact, it can sometimes take two or three years.  Believe me, if you give the soil half a chance, it will work for you every time.

We, here at Insta-Gro, are continuing our search and research for better ways and better products to do a better job to help us be better stewards of the land.  We know a few things, but there is a lot more that can be known.  We do know what plant like to eat.  We know how to restore the soil back to its original tilth.  This is what we do.  In fact, I have said in other messages and to many farmers, that if we had a giant spray plane that would spray calcium across the nation, we could do nothing but good for every  thing it touched.  What ever is growing - the fish, trees, gardens, crop and plants - would experience enormous benefit by getting the soil back to the health of its original state.  Of course, it takes more than the calcium.  That is why our program consists of the energized liquid fertilizer, the chelated calciums, the energized sulphur and potassium.

Spring is just around the corner.  If you need more information on any crop, contact your local distributor or feel free to drop us a line here at the house that Experience Built - or give us a call.  We'll be glad to get the information to you.  If we don't have the information, we will find it.

What is soil?

Minerals: 45%
Water: 25%
Air: 25%
Organics: 1 to 5 up to 10%

Colloids: Two kinds - clay and humus

Note, Humus Colloids hold 300% more than clay colloids
Humus colloids store 90% of the nitrogen
60% of the phosphate and 98% of the sulphur available to the plants

Soil tilth, soil structure, water penetration, root growth, activity of soil organisms and availability of nutrients are all enhanced by more humus.

PH. Use only calcitic lime if needed.

Water moves as quickly up as it moves down in the soil. Water uptake is controlled by the collids.

Brix Content:

Brix Content Poor Good
Alfalfa 4 22
Young Corn 6 24
Cerial Grains 6 18

Organisms:

Total 8000 lbs/acres
Bacteria 2600lbs.
Fungi 2600lbs.
Algae 90lbs.
Earth Worms 445lbs.
Insects and other arthropods 830lbs.