HUMATES EXPLAINED & WHY THEY ARE A LANDSCAPER & GARDENER’S BEST FRIEND

Humate deposits are the ancient remains of prehistoric forests that grew uninhibited for millions of years, like the Amazon forest of today.As the surface of the earth changed, some of these tropical forests were trapped under layers of rock and sandstone, preserving their concentrated carbon goodness.

Humates, or as we call them, ‘Concentrated Compost’ contain very stable forms of carbon. Carbon is the building block of life in the soil. Healthy soils are rich in stable carbon and contain at least 3 % Organic matter to help support a thriving microorganism community. Adding humates to your landscape leads to healthier soils & plants.

Humates are located around the world, but not all humate deposits are the same; Most have washed away or degraded in quality. Finding a well-preserved humate deposit is important for successful landscape results. We mine the globally-famous Emery deposit because of the high value it contains. In humate deposits, it is the amount of humic acid, fulvic acid, humin, and trace minerals that are in the ore along with the absence of heavy metals that determines the value. The Emery deposit is considered one of the ‘World’s Best.’

All the components of humates, the humic acid, fulvic acid, humin, and trace minerals, work harmoniously together in multiple ways to improve soil health.

Here are some of the benefits that humates can provide:

• The carbon feeds the indigenous microbes in the soil
• Humic & fulvic acids stimulate root growth.
• Loosens tight and compacted soils
• Greater water retention as humates can hold 7x their weight in water
• Improved fertilizer absorption, uptake, and availability
• Provides trace minerals that can be deficient in some soils
• Improves oxygen flow and water infiltration

Not all black products are humates. Recently many industrial wastes like biosolids, sawdust, and animal waste are being processed and sold as biochar. Biochar is a fancy name for charcoal and does not contain any of the stable organic acids commonly found in humate. The biochar industry is mostly unregulated, and products vary significantly based on what the charcoal product is made from and the temperatures they are burned. Biochar does not provide organic acids like humic and fulvic acid and should be avoided.

Humates have a long history of reliable performance around the world and are called ‘Black Gold’ by farmers for its soil-improving properties. In Houston, MicroLife includes Humates or humic/fulvic acids in all of their products. One product, in particular, MicroLife Humates Plus, has been inexpensively and significantly improving soils and plants since 2009. Healthy soils are rich in organic matter with abundant microbial populations. Adding humates can fast-forward the soil building process. Because the organic acids in humates are stable, the benefits can be observed for many years to come. Applying ‘Concentrated Compost’ to build soil organic matter now becomes affordable and less labor-intensive. Apply humates on all landscapes in both granular or liquid, and you will be rewarded with better, less costly, and easier to maintain landscapes.

BY: RUSSELL TAYLOR, HPTA PRESIDENT