Science Proves Fertilizer Salt Does Not Kill Biology in Soil

We appreciate all the comments we’ve been getting in response to this post. We share your passion. We are not suggesting that organic fertilizer is equal or inferior to salt-based fertilizers. bio365's entire product line is organic; we use only organic nutrients in our products; our own wide spectrum microbiology is found in all of our products; and we are strong advocates for organic agriculture and environmental sustainability -- values that are fundamental to bio365's founders and mission.

There are many compelling reasons to use organic fertilizers and amendments. In fact, bio365 has a science and technical team that helps interested cultivators transition from conventional to organically-grown crops.

The point of this post was intended to be narrower in scope. Our observation, backed by scientific studies, our own research, and the data collected from our customers, is that salt-based fertilizer does not kill the kind of wide spectrum beneficial microbiology found in our growing media. We are also NOT claiming that salt-based fertilizers are better for soil microbiology -- only that synthetic fertilizers are, on the whole, neutral in this one way.

Future articles will further clarify our position and address many of the comments people shared, so stay tuned.

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A widespread myth among cultivators is that fertilizer salt kills the beneficial biology in soil. This is a myth that is simply not based on fact, and it can be easily disproven with the fundamental facts of chemistry and plant science as well as numerous scientific studies.

There Are Hundreds of Salts

First, some semantics for any beginner growers who are reading this article. Most cannabis growers today use synthetic fertilizers rather than organic fertilizers. Synthetic fertilizers can also be referred to as chemical fertilizers, ionic feeding, or salt. This isn’t table salt. For chemists, there are hundreds of types of salts.

Chemists consider a salt to be composed of two or more ions. When the ions come together, they form crystals called salts. Whether the compound is table salt (which is made up of sodium ions and chlorine ions) or ammonium nitrate fertilizer (which is made up of ammonium ions and nitrate ions), both are called a salt as far as chemists are concerned.

With that said, let’s take a look at how science proves fertilizer salt does not kill the biology in soil.

Fertilizer Salt Dissolves into Ions Identical to Organic Sources

When solid fertilizer salt dissolves, like any other salt, the ions separate. At this point, they’re now called “ions” rather than “salt.” This means as soon as fertilizer salt is placed on plant soil, it will start to dissolve, and when watered, it will dissolve even faster. Each of the ions has different chemical and physical properties when added to soil, so when they dissolve, each can then do what it needs to do to feed the plant.

In other words, the ions are the nutrients that plants use. Whether the ions come from synthetic fertilizer, organic fertilizer, or nature, they’re all the same once the salt molecules break down into separate ions. This doesn’t mean that organic fertilizers aren’t better overall (see below), only that in the particular case, synthetic salts do not negatively impact biology.

Plants Need Fertilizer Ions - In the Right Amounts

Plants need every ion in fertilizer. Those ions are a source of food, but all ions could be toxic at high levels, including salt. Toxicity levels vary depending on the ion and the plant. The important thing to remember is that plants need the ions they get from fertilizer to grow, but like anything else, too much is not a good thing.

The type of soil you use to grow your cannabis plants can also have a significant effect on the amount of ions needed. Ions stick to some soils a lot more than others. For example, ions stick to clay soil but not to sandy soil. Why? Because water easily washes ions away in sandy soil. If plants don’t use all of the ions, they’ll build up and can become toxic.

Bottom-line, growers need to understand their plants, what goes into the fertilizer they use, how the ions affect plants when they break down, and how the soil impacts ion levels.

Biological Microbes Need the Ions from Salt to Live

Just as plants need ions, they also need biology. Think of ions as the food source and biology as the building blocks. If biological microbes can’t absorb ions and other nutrients, they can’t live. This is why our breakthrough invention, bioCHARGE®, which is the repository of the clean, wide-spectrum biology we deliver, contains bioavailable nutrients. It couldn’t live and thrive if we didn’t include a source of nutrition for the biology.

Though bio365 starts with organic nutrients that we then biotransform to feed our biology – in part so that you can be sure that every bio365 soil can be used in organic production – the truth is that our beneficial biomass cannot distinguish whether the ions it needs to thrive came from organic or synthetic sources. Of course, just as too many ions can be toxic to plants, they can also be toxic to biology.

Therefore, salt does not kill biology unless it is delivered at toxic levels – just like any other nutrient or input. Furthermore, just as too many nutrients can be toxic to human beings and many animals, they can also be toxic to plants.

With that said, it’s important to note that salt can harm plant roots and bacteria if it comes into direct contact with either. However, direct contact has little or no effect on biological microbes for two reasons. First, the surface area of fertilizer salt crystals is very small. Second, the more beneficial biology in the soil, the less risk there is.

For example, bio365 living soil includes millions of beneficial microbes. When fertilizer salt crystals are dissolved with water, the ions separate quickly and move through the soil thanks to the high porosity of bio365 growing media with no threat to biology.

Key Takeaway - Science Says Biology NEEDS Nutrition

Not only does science show fertilizer salt does not kill biology, but it also shows that the ions from dissolved salt crystals are required for cannabis plants to live. The key to success as a cannabis grower is fully understanding toxicity levels for plants and the soil your plants are growing in.

Organic fertilizer is always best for many reasons. For example, organic can improve chemotype expression. It’s also better for the environment than synthetic fertilizer, which can add chemicals to the earth and our water sources. In addition, chemicals can linger on plants, which can make people and animals who consume them sick.

However, organic fertilizer is not better than synthetic when it comes to ions, nutrients, and biology. In simplest terms, neither microbiology nor plants care where the ions they need come from – synthetic or organic fertilizer.

Keep in mind, not all soils are the same. All bio365 living soils are made with organic inputs, and our patented biochar allows the biology in our soil to render to its most bioavailable form. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t use synthetic fertilizer with bio365 clean living soil. Doing so will not harm the biology as longs as you’re not feeding at toxic levels.

Everything comes back to the science!