Vital Force Flowers ‘N’ Fruits & More
The overall formula of Flowers ‘N’ Fruits & More is similar to our Soil Energizer, with the exception of not having a microbial component. It is designed to reinforce the action of our Soil Energizer by providing the same type of complex blend prebiotics. This continues feeding the microbial components and improves the soil and plant health, further promoting the effects of the Soil Energizer through the end of the growth cycle.
Flowers ‘N’ Fruits & More is engineered to provide an enhanced level of nutrients for plant growth and development. It provides a baseline of specialized nutrients required by plants during the transition into the flowering/fruiting stage. For plants not already in flowering phase, Roots ‘N’ Shoots & More should be applied alongside Soil Energizer at planting/transplanting, according to label rates. Repeat applications can be made every two weeks to reinforce Soil Energizer function up until transition to flowering phase, at which time Flowers ‘N’ Fruits & More should be applied via top dressing. Repeat applications should be made at two week intervals up to and through harvest.
Flowers ‘N’ Fruits & More is a customized blend of 12 ingredients, each with distinct functions. It promotes the biological activity of soil to maximize growth potential.
For best results, Flowers ‘N’ Fruits & More should be added when the flowering phase begins.
Functions of Vital Force Ingredients:
Ecochar
The base of Flowers ‘N’ Fruits & More is Ecochar, a revolutionary biochar made from a range of sustainably recycled farm waste materials. In this product, we use Ecochar made from dried distiller’s grain sourced from a bioethanol plant.
Biochar has long been recognized as capable of providing many important soil properties and functions necessary to maintain soil health, fertility and function, ensuring proper plant growth and performance. One big advantage of Ecochar over other types of biochars, specifically those made from wood, is its high nutrient content. Wood biochars tend to be very nutrient poor. If added to soil without prior nutrient loading, they can tie up the existing nutrients and prevent them from being available to plants and other soil biology. Ecochar comes preloaded with nutrients, minimizing any potential nutrient tie up.
Some recognized benefits of adding Ecochar to soil include:
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Improves tilth and reduces soil bulk density
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Increases soil water holding capacity
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Increases cation exchange capacity (CEC - the ability to hold onto and transfer nutrient cations: ammonium, calcium, magnesium, and potassium)
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Increases anion exchange capacity (AEC - the ability to hold onto and transfer nutrient anions: nitrate, sulfate, phosphate)
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Improves fertilizer utilization by reducing leaching from the root zone
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Retains minerals and nutrients in a plant available form
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Helps plants resist stressful conditions
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Supports soil microbial life and biodiversity
Humates
Humates are a recognized critical aspect of soil fertility and plant nutrition. Flowers ‘N’ Fruits & More uses a uniquely processed, water-soluble humic acid that is added to the Ecochar, along with a rock mineral product (see Azomite below), to provide an enhanced biochar.
Some recognized benefits that humic substances provide include:
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Improves soil texture
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Increases water retention
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Increases cation exchange capacity
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Alleviates excess salt buildup
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Increases nutrient availability and uptake
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Improves seed germination
Azomite
In addition to the soluble humate product, we also include Azomite, a well-recognized and widely used rock powder, to help promote soil remineralization. This product is added along with the soluble humate to formulate our enhanced Ecochar product. The main purpose of this addition is to help ensure the Ecochar is charged with essential mineral nutrients, including micronutrients vital for soil biology, plant health and function.
Microbial Food Sources (Prebiotic Component)
A major component of Flowers ‘N’ Fruits & More is the addition of a range of sustainably sourced components, commonly referred to as “prebiotics”. They serve as a source of nutrition for naturally occurring microbes in commercial soils, and for the microbial component of Soil Energizer. Just as with human nutrition, soil health (and by extension plant health) is promoted via a balanced diet. This is why Flowers ‘N’ Fruits & More has eight distinct “prebiotic” components. The inclusion of such a varied list of microbial foods is partly because the prebiotic components have different capabilities in terms of what types of microbes are stimulated. This ensures that we provide a viable food source for the widest possible range of microbial organisms. In addition, the prebiotics have different breakdown profiles, with some having a rapid and short-term feeding rate, others having a slower and more long-term feeding rate. This helps ensure the longest possible stimulation of the soil’s biological components.
Breakdown profile of Flowers ‘N’ Fruits & More's Prebiotic Components
1. Blood Meal - Rapid
2. Feather Meal - Slow - Moderate
3. Soybean Meal - Moderate
4. Kelp Meal - Moderate
5. Alfalfa Meal - Slow-Moderate
6. Bat Guano - Rapid
7. Worm Castings - Slow-Moderate
8. Meat and Bone Meal - Moderate