Very few know what a soil activator is. We explain what it's all about and how to use soil activator for he althy soil life.
The term may sound a bit strange at first, but there is a very useful thing behind it that you as a hobby gardener should also know. In times of low humus soils and nitrate pollution, the focus is increasingly on the he alth of the soil - a good thing, we at Plantura think. So that you know what a soil activator is all about, we have summarized everything on the subject here.
Do you know what a soil activator is, what it is used for and what it consists of? All of these questions will be answered below and we will show you what to consider when choosing and using soil activator.
What is soil activator?
Soil activators are nothing more than soil fertilizers. This means that the application of a soil activator is not aimed directly at plant nutrition, but at increasing soil quality. A he althy and active soil then has a positive effect on the plants that grow in it. The effect of soil activators is largely based on the input of organic material together with a limited amount of nutrients. Some mixtures contain living microorganisms that can recolonize depleted soil. In addition, there are any soil additives that are intended to create an optimal environment for microorganisms. The effect is increased activity and multiplication of microorganisms, as well as promotion of humus formation and other important processes that take place in the soil.
Why do you need soil activator?
To understand the purpose of soil fertilizers, you have to look at the soil with a slightly different eye: what at first glance seems like a lot of dust and dirt can, in the case of a he althy garden bed of 10 m 2 size contained a good 25 kilograms of microorganisms. Within these organisms there is tremendous diversity: bacteria, fungi, nematodes, andInsects, worms and woodlice are just a few representatives. Roughly outlined, their mission in life and their basis of life is the conversion of all kinds of organic material that accumulates on and in the soil. On the one hand they ensure the formation of new, fertile humus, on the other hand they release nutrients.
However, if there is not enough organic material available for the community of microorganisms, the little helpers start to starve and sometimes even extinct. This happens particularly strongly on intensively and commercially farmed arable land, so that sometimes only four to five tons of soil organisms per hectare of land remain - about a fifth of the original mass.
Tip: The entirety of the soil flora and fauna is called Edaphon. While composition can vary greatly depending on soil type, vegetation and environmental conditions, the table below gives some guidelines:
| Part of the edaphone | Share |
|---|---|
| Bacteria | 40% |
| Algae and fungi | 40% |
| Earthworms | 12 % |
| Macrofauna: Larger insects, snails, centipedes etc. | 5 % |
| Microfauna: Tiny insects, mites, nematodes, springtails, etc. | 3 % |
But why is a loss of soil organisms a negative thing? One would think that all those springtails, nematodes, fungi and insects would want to harm our beloved garden plants in order to feast on their tissues. But that in no way corresponds to reality. In fact, all plants that grow in the soil are connected to microorganisms. Since they can only get nutrients naturally from the small creatures, many plants even attract bacteria by secreting a carbohydrate-rich gel at their root tips. They form such a close bond with the mycorrhiza fungi that their root cells are in constant direct contact with their fungal filaments. The fungus supplies nitrogen, phosphate and water, in return for which it receives a simple sugar as an energy source that it cannot produce itself. Apart from this direct influence, the activity in the soil has a strong influence on the water and nutrient balance, the pH value and the thermal conductivity of the soil. When these physical factors are stable, it facilitates plant growth.
OneUsing soil activator makes sense on depleted, stressed soils when organic matter from other sources is unavailable. Because the soil can only be revived through nutrition and possible resettlement of microorganisms, so that humus reproduction gets going, soil compaction and waterlogging are reduced and plants can benefit from all the positive effects mentioned.
What is soil activator made of?
Ultimately, a soil activator is just what is missing from a soil that has been cultivated incorrectly or too intensively: Organic material, i.e. the food base for microorganisms and the starting material for humus formation. In addition, there may be living organisms or their survival forms. The organic matter itself usually also brings with it the nutrients needed by soil life. If nutrient information is given on a soil activator, it is primarily used to supply microorganisms. Nitrogen is particularly important because it is needed to build enzymes and DNA. In addition, there is often lime, because the bacteria involved in the formation of humus have an easier and more productive life at higher pH values. In addition, the natural ingredients contain all the trace nutrients important for plants that mineral fertilizers do not provide. Clay minerals such as bentonite, which are mineral soil additives but with which microorganisms do not interact much, are included less frequently.
Floor activator in the test: What you should pay attention to
From the mode of action of soil activators, you can derive what to look out for when buying:
- A soil activator should not have a high nutrient content, as this would reduce the formation of humus.
- Liquid soil activators bring in microorganisms and nutrients, but structural materials are often much more urgently lacking in impoverished soils. The application of liquid soil activator on the soil should only take place with the simultaneous incorporation of organic material.
- Soil activators can be based on raw materials of animal or vegetable origin. Anyone who does not want to support commercial factory farming should therefore keep an eye on the declaration of soil activators and choose the animal-free variant.
You can read more about humus management - i.e. the humus-promoting cultivation of soils - in this special article.
Mineral soil activator
Since organic matter is the most important ingredient in a soil activator, there are of course no mineral soil activators. Rather, only the increased use of purely mineral fertilizers means that the use of a soil activator becomes necessary. The chain of action is as follows:
- Mineral fertilizers provide soil organisms with nutrients, which stimulates their activity. However, it lacks fresh, high-carbon compounds as an energy source.
- The microorganisms thus attack other organic matter in the soil: Fertile soil humus is decomposed and the carbon it contains is absorbed and then partially exhaled by the bacteria as CO2.
- Boosted by the nutrient supply, the soil life has greatly increased, a lot of humus is mineralized, more nutrients are released.
- The humus content decreases and the food base of the microorganisms with it. The microorganisms can no longer multiply and die off again. Their bodies are also carbonaceous, which other organisms break down and more carbon is exhaled into the air.
- The result is soil with less humus and a reduced number of soil organisms. Many nutrients were available in the short term. That is little consolation, however, considering that valuable humus takes months to build up and only a few centimeters form in several decades. The soil quality has thus decreased with the loss of humus.
Soil activators are therefore always organic fertilizers - possibly with small amounts of mineral nutrients.
Organic Soil Activator
All soil activators are therefore mostly organic. But where does the organic matter come from? As with all organic fertilizers, there are two options here: The raw materials can be animal or vegetable. Because slaughterhouse waste and animal excrement are often too rich in nutrients, different raw materials are usually combined. However, anyone who attaches importance to the fact that the animal raw materials come from sustainable and organic sources should pay attention to organic certification. This is likely to be the case for animal lovers, vegetarians, vegans and environmentally conscious gardeners in particular.
Organic Soil Activator
Soil activators with an organic certificate promise a sustainable and ethically justifiablesource of their raw materials. The Plantura organic soil activator developed by us is one of the certified organic soil activators. It does not contain any animal ingredients and is presented separately again in this article. In addition to the component of conscience, the smell is also an advantage of animal-free soil activators and fertilizers in general: Ground slaughterhouse waste often has an unpleasant smell that can even attract corvids or the neighborhood cats.
Application of soil activator
Soil activators can be used on any surface where the soil needs to be improved. Some areas are of course more in need than others: lawns and vegetable beds are heavily used by the recurring mowing, processing and removal of crops or lawn clippings. However, all areas that have been fertilized almost exclusively with minerals in recent years also show improved performance after using a soil activator. Since these are complex and sometimes lengthy processes that lead to the formation of humus, an immediate effect is of course impossible - just as a one-off mineral fertilization does not immediately lead to a dramatic decrease in soil quality.
The application rate of the soil activator depends on the type and condition of the fertilized soil. Lawns and vegetable and greenhouse areas have a higher requirement than more natural bed areas on which a stalk or leaf falls to the ground from time to time and could be consumed by soil organisms. Correct application is important: Soil activator is spread and then worked into the upper layer of soil. If the weather is dry, it can be watered afterwards. Normally, however, the next rain takes over this task.
You can read more about the use of our Plantura organic soil activator here. Because lawns are a permanent crop that is heavily used and can particularly benefit from a soil activator, we deal with the topic of soil activators for the lawn in detail in this article.