How to use sea mineral fertilizers on plant crops

Prior to starting any new fertiliser program be it organic or chemical, we recommend that each farm performs its own testing, this includes testing their soil, irrigation water and of course a leaf tissue test on the plants/crops that they are currently growing. These vital tests give us a “road map” for the future. We would also recommend that AFTER approximately 18 months to 2 years these tests are performed again, ideally with the same laboratories so that a comparison can be made from when the new fertiliser program started to the present day, alterations can then be made as necessary to further improve results.

All crops, soils and environments are different however this short article briefly explains in GENERAL terms how we use AJs Australian sea minerals.

Our sea minerals alone will not replace proper farm management and are not a quick fix solution to many of the farm problems that we as a company come across every day. It is best to remember that being a natural organic gentle fertiliser sea mineral tend to work slowly with nature over time and it is the REGULAR application at LOW dose rates that produce the very best results.

Most of the world’s soils are depleted of vital nutrients and are out of balance, as a result it becomes harder and harder for farmers to produce a good pest free nutritious crop. Years of applications of super phosphate and other nasty chemical fertilisers and pesticides have helped to kill our soils and destroy our environment. AJ Products as a company continues to see this on a daily bases and things will only get worse unless we stop and address these worldwide issues. Every time you ‘reap” your crop you MUST put something back into the soil, to help feed the many organisms and improve soil structure. If you soil is alive and well balanced it doesn’t matter what you grow the plant will respond accordingly, it will be strong and vigorous, nutritious and pest free.
Everything starts with your soil!

AJs Sea minerals are an odourless liquid which varies in colour, it’s made by a slow evaporative process in Australian marine parks. It has an indefinite shelf life and contains over 80 different minerals in very small volumes. It is therefore low is NPK, but it’s the 80 minerals that it contains that our soils are often crying out for, that make the difference. These minerals will improve soil fertility, and the trace elements contained within it help to promote sustainable growth outcomes.

AJs Sea minerals are best applied first thing in the morning or last thing at night. Morning is preferred as the stomata of the plant is far more receptive at this time of day, whilst they are ‘open”. The sea minerals are very concentrated and should therefore be applied accordingly, best applied ALONE but can be mixed at the time of need with other natural organic products these include our fish fertiliser and seaweed based liquid fertiliser. These fertilisers complement the use of sea minerals, as they too are natural, organic and work in a similar fashion.

In general, we recommend a rate of between 4 to 12 litres of sea minerals per Ha in upwards of 1000 litres of water. It is best to apply them firstly through the irrigation and then roughly every 10 to 14 days as a foliar spray throughout the growing season, so alternating between roots and leaf’s is an ideal method, the timing is not critical but regular applications at low dose rates are. For example, it’s best to apply TWO applications at 4 litres per Ha than ONE application at 8 litres per Ha. However, having said this we recommend each farm does their own test trails to see what works best for them.

Best times are early spring and late autumn, foliar spraying although more labour-intensive yields best results, make sure that you cover the whole plant paying particular attention to the underside of the leaf. The sea minerals will not damage the fruit/crop in anyway, harvest can be done straightaway too, as there is no withholding period.

Noticeable improvements may be slow to start with but persist ants is a must, most farmers will start to see healthier crops that are ‘cleaner” and less prone to pests and disease, many who suffered from plagues of pests in the past often report a vast improvement, this means less water, less pesticides/sprays and less work. The crops mature quicker they have better, colour, heavier weights longer shelf life and are far more nutritious.

10 most commonly asked questions regarding sea minerals as a fertiliser

1. Do I continue to use my currently fertiliser/s?
   Answer – that’s entirely up to you, if you are still not convinced, we recommend that perhaps to start with you try by designating a small area of your farm to our products only, and try first on a small scale to see the results for yourself.
2. How soon will I see results?
   Answer—Each farm will vary due to many factors outside our control, but many farms report seeing improvements after just a few applications.
3. Do I require specialised equipment to apply sea minerals?
   Answer – generally no, you should have a designate a special mixing/ holding tank, that has not been used before for any chemical sprays or fertiliser, as its imperative that clean non contaminated equipment is used for organic products like sea minerals. A specialist spray wand or “mister “maybe required for foliar applications.
4. I don’t do any foliar spraying on my crops, is it ok just to use sea minerals only through my irrigation equipment?
   Answer – yes that’s fine, but the results won’t be as good, plants take up nutrients through their roots but also through their leaves.
5. Can I burn or damage my crop using sea minerals?
   Answer—it’s highly unlikely unless you have applied them at too high a concentration, or at too hot a temperature during the day or you have mixed them into something else like a chemical/ pesticide or non-compatible fertiliser.
6. Will the sea minerals affect the applicator in anyway?
   Answer—no specialised protective gear is required, other than the standard safety spectacles and perhaps gloves when mixing. The sea minerals are harmless to us, wildlife or the environment.
7. Will a sea mineral program cost more or less than a conventional chemical one?
   Answer – to start off with generally yes, but in the long term no it should work out cheaper, because you will be using less water, less chemical sprays to control problems (like pests and weeds) and therefore less labour. Also, on the plus side most growers get paid more for producing their crops organically!
8. Are all sea minerals not all the same?
   Answer No, our sea minerals are made in a slow solar evaporative process which takes up to 3 years to produce using some of the cleanest and most nutritious sea water in the world, most other sea minerals do not contain the same levels minerals, some contain heavy metals as well as fillers or other additives.
9. Will sea minerals block my fine filter equipment?
   Answer no, over time some crystallisation may form at the bottom of the storage tank, but this material is harmless.
10. Can these sea minerals that I use as a fertiliser be used for human consumption?
    Answer No definitely not, these are two different product types, sea minerals for human consumption have under gone a totally different process in order for them to be consumed, although at times they may appear to be the same, they are different.

This article has been written to provide general help and advice only when using sea minerals in commercial situations.
However, each farm situation is different depending on the farm’s history environment, crop being grown etc and therefore our advice may differ.