4/16/2015 - By Matthew Shultz

With EOP season in full swing I have been traveling like crazy as I am sure all of you have. Many onsite visits have been made this fall but two visits in particular have stood out to me. One was to a grower in northern Georgia and the second was just last week when I was in Texas. In both of these visits the topic of snake oils came up in conversation. I thought this was interesting because on both occasions the topic was brought up by the plantman…and I do stress plantsman! And both times I posed the same question to them….”What do you mean snake oil?” Now I know what is meant by the term snake oil, but I wanted to hear what they had to say, and on both occasions the answer went like this…”A snake oil is a product that you swear by…you don’t fully understand what it is or what it does you just know it works and it makes your plants grow better.” One of the plantman even went as far as to say that his grandfather’s snake oil was a little bit of topsoil from the woods which was teaming with beneficial organisms. But let’s take a look at some of the ingredients commonly found in these snake oils….

HUMIC AND FULVIC ACIDS - First we need to understand that all peat based products are made up of some amount of humic components. Humic acids serve as a major building block in the formation of these humic components. Fulvic acids are similar to humic acids but they have higher oxygen content than humic acids. These acids are produced from decomposing organic material in the presence of a water source, which is why they are commonly found in dried up ancient sea or creek beds. It is also important to understand that these acids aren’t a single acid but rather a mixture of many different acids which serve many different complex purposes in the soil. Most purposes in the soil are too complex for researchers to understand at this point, but they know there is great benefit in having these acids present. Humic and fulvic acids also serve as a food source for beneficial soil fungi and bacteria. Growers who utilize mycorrhizae or Streptomyces will often add these acids in their mixes and applications to serve as a short term food source, allowing the microorganisms to establish more easily. Compost teas will often have a humic acid component to help with the brewing process. The last major role that these acids place in the soil is that they help to degrade elements commonly found in pesticides. This is why they are commonly applied when trying to recover a plant after a pesticide misuse. Harrell’s EarthMAX has humic, fulvic, and ulmic acids.  

MYCORRHIZAE- The word mycorrhizae simply means fungus-root in Greek. This type of beneficial fungi forms a symbiotic relationship with a plant’s roots. The fungi feeds off of the exudates from the root hairs which helps the mass grow larger; the fungal mass helps the plant retrieve nutrients and water from the soil. Mycorrhizae are very important in phosphorus assimilation because the acids that are released by the fungi help to break down and absorb phosphorus that is usually locked up in most soils. These fungi can also help to free up minor nutrients like calcium, magnesium, iron, copper and zinc from stubborn soils. There are two different types of mycorrhizae, endo and ecto. Endo mycorrhizae actually penetrate the root hair and become an extension of the root, growing large masses in the soil. Endo species are most often utilized by herbaceous plants, grasses, vegetables, annuals, and softwood trees. For endo, think “enter”. The other type of mycorrhizae is ecto mycorrhizae. These species of fungi grow around the root mass forming large webs in the soil but they never enter the actual root hair. These types are utilized by hardwood tree and conifers and can usually be found very close to the soil surface, some even produce mushrooms. For ecto, think “exit”.  It is estimated that a good mycorrhizal colony can increase the efficiency of a root mass by as much as 1000x…Harrell’s EarthMAX has both ecto and endo mycorrhizae present!  

BACILLUS - Bacillus strains are a type of beneficial bacteria that serve many purposes in a healthy soil. They help to break down difficult starches and sugars found in soils, thereby helping along the decomposition and composting processes. Some Bacillus strains help to expedite the mineralization process for some necessary plant nutrients, thereby making traditional fertilizers more effective. Some strains even have fungicidal properties, colonizing plant roots and outcompeting harmful pathogens. Harrell’s EarthMAX contains 10 strains of Bacillus, here are the more pertinent ones -

• Bacillus mojavensis – The biosurfactant produced reduces the interfacial tension between hydrocarbons and aqueous.  Oxidizes sulfide and nitrate.
• Bacillus subtilis – Aerobic or facultative endospore forming bacteria.  Also used as a fungicide.  The bacteria colonize the root system, leaving no room for fungal disease organisms.
• Nitrobacillus georgiensis – Nitrifies ammonia and produces biosurfactant.  Enhances the emulsification of hydrocarbons and increases their availability for microbial degradation.
• Paenebacillus polymyxa – Reduces nitrate.  Produces biosurfactant.
• Bacillus megaterium – Puts rock phosphate into a plant available form.
• Bacillus amyloliquefaciens – Breaks down starch into sugars that plants can use.
• Bacillus pumilus – Aerobic and anaerobic growth with strong biosurfactant production.  Sulfur oxidizer and starch degrader.

All growers have their own special snake oil, and if you don’t I encourage you to find one. Whether you use a special harvested top soil, brew your own compost tea, or apply an all in one product like Harrell’s EarthMAX…snake oils cost pennies per plant but can pay huge dividends towards a healthy living soil.