Welcoming a New Member to Black Earth

With a new year at Black Earth upon us, the crew here at Black Earth is happy to announce that we are welcoming a new member to our team - we have Mr. Tesfay Teklay joining us as our Scientific Research Lead.

A Guide to Humic Material

When it comes to introducing farmers to Black Earth and humic material in general, there are usually three things they need to understand: what humic matter is, why it works so well as a soil additive, and what the differences between different brands are.

Better returns and a better environment.

As a farmer or horticulturalist looking to improve the quality of your crops, one of your main concerns may very well be that the soil additive you choose is beneficial to the environment. Using products that are made only from organic materials will be one of the most important elements to your search. If you’ve already done some research, you’re probably somewhat familiar with humus and humalite, and the various benefits these materials have on your crops, but did you know that humic matter is actually beneficial to the environment as well? It’s one of the reasons why our products at Black Earth are comprised of at least 80% humic acid, and why we always use 100% organic materials when producing them. 

Humic Acids Can Help your Thirsty Crop

Many people in the US Midwest are being affected by the most severe drought in close to 60 years.  Growers in this area are seeing their crops wilt away and ultimately being mowed down or plowed under in hopes of seeing the rains return next year.  This year they saw a disaster in which their crops were stressed and stunted, ears of corn did not produce anything and their soils were dry and cracked, thirsty for water.  In times like these, growers look for answers and a solution to their problems.  There is a product that can help trap and store the precious moisture for parched crops; that is, humic acids.   Incorporating humic acids into your soils should be done as a management decision, in where, it is part of a conservation program combined with other effective crop management tools to help you bring the life of the soil back after so many years of synthetic fertilizer applications, pesticide applications and soil erosion events that have occurred.

What's the Difference?

There is a lot of confusion out there when it comes to Humic Acids; people always wonder if it is a fertilizer, and if not a fertilizer - what is it?  Humic Acids are best known as a soil conditioner which makes poor soils good and good soils great.  Humic Acids work best when applied with fertilizers to create optimum growing conditions.  They work as a compliment to the fertilizer and the benefit is a more efficient use of your fertilizer and the money you spent to add it.

Get more from your crops and gardens.

Generally speaking the principles behind growing crops are often the same. Unless you reside in an area where soil conditions are at their most fertile and supple, it’s likely that at some point you’ll run across an obstacle or two on your path to generating strong and healthy crops. One of the major problems that farmers and horticulturalists face is finding the proper soil additive to help their crops and gardens grow. This has been an issue ever since people began to till the fields. 

Humic Matter as a Soil Additive

In searching for a good soil additive, you’ll want to take several things into consideration. You’ll want to ensure, for instance, that any soil amendment you choose works well with your particular type of soil, and that it ultimately has the ability to enhance the quality of your crops.

Humic Material vs. Manure

Despite the amazing properties that humic matter brings as a soil additive, buyers often have a lot of confusion when it comes to comparing it to other agricultural aids. In particular, because humic matter (and the humic and fulvic acids that make it up) tends to sound "scientific," they often have the mistaken notion that it must be somewhat similar to manure or fertilizer.

Using Black Earth as a Safe and Powerful Soil Additive

If you’re an experienced grower, you probably already know that soil additives are vital to the crop growing process. Even those with minimal gardening experience have at some point been exposed to the rich, dark soil, commonly referred to as topsoil, that’s necessary for plants and vegetation to grow. But how does black earth help the growing process?