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Brix
So, What Exactly Is Brix?
Brix
is often referred to as the "sugar" or sucrose content of a plant or the produce
from it, but this is a very simplistic and incomplete view of Brix. In
actuality, Brix refers
to the total soluble solids (TSS) in the juice of the produce or sap of the
plant. Total soluble solids refers not only to sucrose (sugar) but also to
fructose, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, proteins, hormones, and other solids
found in the plant, fruit or vegetable.
The higher the TSS or Brix value,
the healthier and more nutrient/mineral rich the plant is.
How Does a High Brix Help Me With My Lawn?
A liver is necessary to digest sugar.
If an insect, which does not have a liver, ingests sugar, that sugar will
eventually turn to alcohol and kill the insect. Insects instinctively know this,
and plants with high Brix
organic value (and, as a result, high sugar content) will emit different
UV light patterns and electrical charges which communicate to insects that they
should stay away.
Unfortunately, it has become the norm to ignore those warning signs and simply
kill off all the bugs - either with some toxic chemical or with some natural
insect control alternative. Of
course, of those two options, the natural insecticide is certainly the better
option, but it still does not address the central problem of this situation. The
bugs are there for a reason. The plant is not healthy. Make the plant healthy
and the sugar content of the plant will rise, the insects will move on to a more
attractive food source.
Grass Has a Brix Value Too
The higher the Brix value,
the higher the sugar content. Therefore, the higher the
Brix value of your grass, the
more likely it is that insects will not be feasting on your lawn (if they do,
they will die trying).
In fact, a Brix value of 12
or higher is all it takes to eliminate most insect infestations of any plant,
including a lawn. Brix values
for many grasses can reach values well over 20 or 30.
Most grasses have such low Brix value (typically no greater than
about 6 or 8 and often much lower) that insects will feed on them all day long
Raising the Brix of a plant is really quite simple. Provide good
nutrition, including a balanced diet of macro and micronutrients and trace
elements. Organic fertilizers and
soil amendments such as Humic acid will provide much better nutrition to any
plant than chemical fertilizers will. Some fertilizers will raise Brix values
more effectively than others will. For instance, kelp fertilizers are probably
the most effective means to improving the overall nutrition of any plant (and,
therefore, the Brix value) because most kelp fertilizers are made from Kelp
grown in very cold, virtually toxin free and nutrient dense waters.
Since kelp is a plant itself, the macro and micronutrients it provides
are completely balanced and easily available to a plant. Thus, the addition of
kelp to any fertilization program is probably the easiest way to increase the
Brix value of that plant, which includes grass. Therefore, adding regular doses
of kelp to your lawn care and landscaping fertilization program will increase
the Brix of your grass and plants. The higher that Brix value gets the less
insect and disease problems you will have.
if you have any sort of insect problem, it is a fact that your lawn is
receiving very poor nutrition, and is, therefore, very sickly, even if it
doesn't necessarily look sick at this particular moment. Improve the nutrition
the plant is receiving and the bugs will move elsewhere.
All of our liquid fertilizers and soil builders such as Natures Magic are
supplemented with a natural nutrient package derived from Seaweed, Humic Acids,
and Molasses. What this means to you is that you are getting a soil improving
fertilizer with added vitamins, bio-stimulants, and trace elements. Each
product contains vitamins B-1, B-12, gibberellins, indoles, auxins as well as
trace elements of boron, iron, zinc, cobalt, copper, manganese, molybdenum and
sulfur.
The nutrients in our liquid fertilizers are chelated, meaning they are
instantly available to the plant. Our NPK sources are salt and chlorine free,
which means safe for the plant and soil. In fact, all our raw materials used in
our liquid fertilizers are classed as food grade materials.
Our liquid fertilizers can be applied through any type of garden sprayer or
fertigation equipment. For smaller areas you can use a watering can if that is
more convenient. All of our fertilizers are compatible with our
AERIFY
- Liquid Soil Aerator and Clay Loosener. You can also use our fertilizers to
foliar feed your plants. For foliar feeding, use the lighter application rate
listed on the label directions. Use a fine mist sprayer for foliar feeding.
Mornings and early evenings are the best times for foliar spraying.
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