adding some organics to a traditional program

[Smallaxe]

Originally Posted by ELS Landscape

I like Humates too but they will tie up some weed control products, IIRCC the pre-ems. I will stop adding the humates to my pre-em mixes but will keep it in my other mixes and go lighter on the actual fertilizers.

That's an interesting concept... Do you know how that works???

[ELS Landscape]

Originally Posted by Smallaxe

That's an interesting concept... Do you know how that works???

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/n...2/art4jun.html

[jonthepain]

from the University of Wisconsin study:
Humate and Humic Acid

By Dr. Wayne R. Kussow, Department of Soil Science,
University of Wisconsin - Madison

The single research report in my files is fora study in which 14 “non-nutritional growth enhancers” were applied to a creeping bentgrass putting green. Several humic acid and humate products were among those tested. The focus of the study was the effects of the products on rooting and root development. Data averaged over all rooting depths for the entire growing season revealed that non of the products significantly affected bentgrass root length or root numbers.

from the NC State study that I assume he is quoting from:
Influence of Humic Substances on Rooting and Nutrient Content of Creeping Bentgrass
R. J. Cooper *,
Chunhua Liu and
D. S. Fisher

In sand culture, humate incorporated to a depth of 10 cm stimulated a 45% increase in root mass at the 0- to 10-cm depth and a 38% increase in root mass at the 10- to 20-cm depth compared with the control. Incorporation of granular humate increased maximum root length 15% compared with non-treated turf in sand culture.

[Smallaxe]

It looks as though the same qualities that make it good for chelating also causes it to absorb and hold herbicides...
It reads a lot like char, in fact, only char simply adsorbs as opposed to actually absorbing as stated in the article...

I would imagine there are any number of things that herbicide might bind with in the soils, and this is just one more... this one evidently will never 'let go'... interesting...

[Smallaxe]

The thing about adding humates to the sand culture would most likely be atributed to the increase of CEC...

I wonder if there is any advantage to removing the humic acid from the leftovers of dissolved OM and using those, as opposed to,,, just using the original material they come from???