Colour me phosphorous (P)

Soil: Australian soils are often low in phosphorous (P). Native plants have adapted to this efficient take up of any available phosphorous, but exotic plants and food crops require supplementing with phosphorous. Phosphorous is most available to plants in a 6-7pH range.

Plants: This energy mineral is used in virtually every aspect of plant growth, including photosynthesis, and the formation of plant sugars and starches. Phosphorous promotes vigorous early root (excellent for root vegetables) as well as stem growth and flowering. The colour intensity of flowers, fruit and vegetables is determined by phosphorous.

People: Phosphorous is needed by every cell in the body and together with calcium, is essential for bone structure, pH balance and membrane structure in cells. This mineral  closely linked to reproductive health.

Animals: As with people, phosphorous is essential for bone structure and must be balanced with calcium and vitamin D for maximum benefit. It is essential in the production and mobilisation of energy and is required for reproductive efficiency.

Plant Deficiency Symptoms : Plants are usually stunted with a reduced capacity to produce fruit. Leaves can take on a dull green to purple hue, often affecting older leaves first. Purple lower leaves are a classic sign of phosphorous deficiency.

Old farm sites often have a good store of phosphorous locked away from years of super phosphate applications. Home gardeners can tap into this frozen reserve using inoculums of phosphate solubilising organisms.

Soil pH is a powerful guideline to nutrient uptake and it has been determined that a pH of 6.4 is ideal. At that level, the best balance of availabilities is found, so that your food plants will be providing the highest nutrient density for you and your family.

People often think pH as an indicator of calcium levels in soil, but magnesium is just as important, particularly in lighter soils. In these soils it is advised to use dolomite rather than limestone as you will require both calcium and magnesium.

An acid soil is equivalent to an empty pantry because it is dominated by the mineral, hydrogen, which is the acid element and it is not a plant food. 

Nitrogen – our number one soil nutrient

Nitrogen is the nutrient required in the largest amount for plant growth. In the natural scheme of things, nitrogen is largely sourced from the atmosphere where 74,000 tonnes of nitrogen gas hovers above every hectare.

Soil bacteria are responsible for the conversion of this gas into plant available nitrogen but they need good levels of calcium, sulphur and molybdenum to perform this role.

The aim of biological gardening is to optimise conditions for natural nitrogen fixation while supplying supplemental nitrogen in a natural form. Nitrate nitrogen is the form most commonly used in commercial home garden fertilisers and it is not conducive to the production of nutrient-picked, insect resistant crops. In fact, it encourages the exact opposite! Nitrates are taken into the plant with water and this dilutes all other nutrients. This mineral deficient plant then more easily falls prey to insect pests and disease. Just like a healthy human, a healthy plant has a strong immune system!

Nitrogen is the basis of vigorous growth as it is needed to build protein, hormones and enzymes. Along with magnesium it is the main mineral in chlorophyll, the green pigment that houses the sugar factories that produce glucose through photosynthesis. The best sources of natural nitrogen include compost, manures and fish fertilisers.

However, it is essential that your plant food contain molybdenum so that the plant has access to the “free gift” from the atmosphere – nitrogen.

Plant deficiency symptoms: a nitrogen deficient plant is often a thin straggly plant with fewer stems and poor vigour. The leaves are uniformly pale and yellow (including the leaf veins) 

Mulder's chart represents the relationships between minerals and why a correct balance is so important to achieve maximum mineral availability. 

Minerals and Micro-organisms

Minerals and micro-organisms are the basis of soil health, plant health and human health. Minerals and micro-organisms are the very essence of satisfying, problem-free productivity in the home garden.

Soil and plant health is not just about throwing nitrogen or phosphorous about the garden to fee our plants. It is more about balancing minerals. Good humus, healthy soil, is far more than applying lawn clipping compost to regenerate your microbe workforce. An imbalance of minerals and micro-organisms will result in poor production and unhealthy plants susceptible to pests and diseases.

Mineral imbalance is usually linked to calcium  and trace element deficiency, or to an excess of phosphorous and potassium, often due to over application of chook manure fertilisers. 

We use the Life-Force system from Nutri-Tech Solutions which contains cutting edge components that have previously only be available to large scale agriculture.

The Life-Force system was essentially developed for even the most inexperienced gardener.In my early days of gardening I was continually frustrated and disappointed by the sight of straggly substandard plants, that too often succumbed to pests and disease.  Many times I gave up as it was too hard, and a waste of my time ans effort. Now that I use Nutri-Tech products I harvest nutrient dense, medicinal foods for our family. We have a chemical free, organic garden and superb food that tastes delicious.

The home garden can be our own private wellness tool. The five step, Life-Force system has given me sensational results and the tastiest vegetables we have eaten in years.