Soil Remineralization

Soil is a marvelous creation.  The book of Genesis records how the Creator used the “Dust of the ground” and the breath of his spirit to fashion Adam, the first man.  Later it records these well-known words:

Genesis 3:19 NKJV

In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground; for out of it you were taken: for dust you are, and to dust you shall return.

Rock, in various forms, is the parent material of all soil.

Interestingly, the sustenance for our physical bodies today still traces back to the “dusts of the ground.”; The food quality we eat is a direct reflection of the soil mineralization or its lack on which the food was grown. To achieve excellent health it is imperative that we eat foods grown on highly mineralized soil.

Rock, in various forms, is the parent material of all soil. As soil ages the rock particles become smaller and smaller. What started out as rock fragments is broken down to sand. Over time sand is reduced in size to silt. Silt particles eventually break down to the smallest of all particles; clay. While there is considerable variation, soil is generally considered to be a mixture of various portions of sand, silt, and clay.

Rocks are storehouses of fertility. As they break down to smaller particles nutrients within the rocks are released. This release of nutrients feeds the microbial population in the soil. The microbial population in turn feeds the plants. When crops are removed from the land, nutrients that started their journey encapsulated in rock end up as food, timber, animal feed etc. When rocks break down to clay and contribute their nutrients to building crops the soil slowly becomes demineralized.

The liberation of nutrients contained in rocks takes place through 3 spheres:

• Physical Action

• Chemical Reactions

• Microbial Digestion

PHISICAL ACTION 

The breaking down of rocks begins with physical action. The primary way this occurred in the past was through the action of glaciers. Large slow-moving rivers of ice caused rocks to grind other rocks to a powder. A long time ago these glacier covered large sections of North America. Today most glaciers are confined to the higher altitudes or arctic and sub-arctic zones. Worms also provide physical action as they grind rock particles down in size in their gizzards.

CHEMICAL REACTIONS 

Chemical reactions work upon rock particles to further release stored nutrients. Weak acids in rainwater and root exudates are a couple examples of chemical reactions.

MICROBIAL DIGESTION 

Once the rocks have been partially broken down by physical action and chemical reactions the stage is set for the final performers: soil microbiology. Microbiology functions as the soil’s stomach. They digest rock powders and make the nutrients released from the rock powders available to plants. Plants and microbes function synergistically. Plants produce sugars through the process of photosynthesis and have a mineral requirement that must be met from soil reserves. Soil biology, on the other hand, has access to plenty of minerals (if the soil has been remineralized) but need an energy source to liberate rock-bound nutrients. This beautiful synergy of creation reveals the handiwork of its creator. Plant roots excrete carbohydrates that feed soil biology which return the favor by making bound-up nutrients available to the plant.

Without fresh incorporation of rock powders the soil becomes progressively demineralized. This leads to a decline in the plants’ sugar production, which results in a declining microbial population. When microbial life is reduced the soil will eventually lose its structure. This happens because the soil will be giving up more carbons than it stores and as a consequence soil energy is reduced. The end result is reduced yield and quality. When rock powders are added to soil according to the need of the soil the whole process of soil degradation is reversed.

The Nutritional Foundation of the High Brix Garden Program is Soil Remineralization

Soil remineralization is accomplished through the annual broadcast. The annual broadcast is custom formulated based upon the results of the soil test. It is formulated from the following broad categories.

CALCIUM-BASED ROCK POWDERS 

Calcium is present in every biological cell. It must be well supplied in order for the soil to produce top-quality. Limestone and gypsum are frequently used from this group.

CLAY-BASED ROCK POWDERS 

The best in this class is soft rock phosphate. Soft rock phosphate provides many trace nutrients in addition to phosphates. These trace minerals are in a compound colloid form. Soft rock phosphate combines with limestone to form an electromagnetic field within the soil that helps soil resist water and wind erosion.

SILICATE-BASED ROCK POWDERS 

Silica is on of the most often-neglected plant nutrients. It is extremely important for plant growth and in maintaining soil energy. Silicate rock powders are a virtual storehouse of broad-spectrum trace minerals. They also help increase soil paramagnetism. This type of rock powder requires microbial digestion to make the locked up nutrients available to the plants.

CARBON-BASED POWDERS 

These are very important energy sources that support soil microbiology. Carbon powders help balance calcium-based powders and make both the calcium and the carbon more accessible in the soil. Carbons help increase crop growth through the respiration of carbon dioxide that results from their digestion in the soil. Lastly carbon increases soil energy by increasing the ionization flow of nutrients in the magnetic lines of force.

FERTILIZERS FOR SPECIFIC NUTRIENTS IN SHORT SUPPLY 

It does very little good to address all the broad-spectrum rare earth minerals without first addressing the major plant nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium and the common trace minerals such as copper, iron, zinc, and manganese. Examples of fertilizers in this group would include potassium sulfate and copper sulfate. Fertilizers are only used when called for by the soil test.

MICROBIAL INOCULANTS 

This is the match that lights the fuse and causes everything else to work.

When all these components are used in accordance with the soil test, soils can make great strides towards restoration in a relatively short time frame. In summary soil remineralization increases the density of soil minerals. These minerals are carriers of energy that cause plants to grow.