EnSoil Algae for Greenhouses
Save Money * Significant Reduction in Chemical Inputs * Improved Yield * Improved Soil Biology
Improved Water Infiltration & Retention * Improved Plant Stress Adaptation
Now Taking Orders for Fall 2023!
For orders, consultations, and EnSoil Algae prescriptions tailored to your farming needs, contact our Sales & Partnership Development team:
Hear What Customers are Saying About
EnSoil Algae for Greenhouse Producers
The Plant Company
Keith Meadows & Brett Bennett- Moutrie, GA
At the Plant Company, greenhouses provide plant starts for L&M produce farms and others growing onions, sweet potatoes, peppers, cucumbers, cabbage, broccoli, tomatoes, melons and more, nationally. A trial of 10,000 tomato plants is underway. The first of four applications of EnSoil Algae was at the time of planting/transplanting, then applied at 2-week intervals in greenhouse and also in the fields when transplanted to TN.
Feedback: “We saw significant visual evidence of improved root mass and plant height plus an increase in copper uptake from the plant tissue analysis. Before harvest in the field, we saw less evidence of disease and more fruiting and flowers on plants treated with EnSoil Algae. The early observations are promising, and we are expanding our studies. We think the algae could be very useful to the greenhouse operations.”
WabiSabi Farms
Jimmy Livingston- Cordesville, SC
Wabi Sabi produces organic market vegetables: strawberries, watermelon radishes, greens. Jimmy has decades of organic farming experience at Wabi Sabi. The community has been looking to Jimmy for organic growing techniques and he runs a very popular u-pick operation.
Feedback: "We've had very exciting production on strawberries and radishes when incorporating EnSoil Algae into our fertility program. We only grow organically. We love that EnSoil is an OMRI listed biological solution for improving soil health and plant production. The plants we’ve grown using EnSoil are some of the prettiest we have ever grown.”
Sweetgrass Garden Co-op
Jennifer Wicker- Johns Island, SC
Sweetgrass Garden grows and distributes free, fresh, naturally grown, local produce to charitable food distribution agencies on Johns Island and Wadmalaw Island. Regenerative farming practices and permaculture principles are utilized to maintain the farm. Sweetgrass has been funded on four USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research Education (SARE) projects. Two of the grants included research of the algae in Enlightened Soil.
Feedback: “Sweetgrass Garden is dedicated to using organic, regenerative practices and teaching folks those practices. Donating produce to those in need that is treated with EnSoil helps us stick to our mission while positively impacting our climate.”
EnSoil Algae for Greenhouse Producers
The science behind EnSoil is not new. There are more than 40 years of research on the effectiveness of Chlorella as a soil amendment; it has been used in countries throughout the world. Enlightened Soil Corp has now made EnSoil commercially available in the U.S., providing an NPK alternative that can do the following: 1) increase soil health, 2) promote plant growth, 3) intensify green color, and 4) improve drought resistance. It also, 5) is safe for waterways, 6) involves no tonnage, and 7) costs only $20 per acre to treat.
Here are some of the ways EnSoil can benefit your greenhouse or farm:
Soil Health
It is well known that the microbial makeup in your digestive system, the biome, has a direct effect on health, and that dietary habits and supplements can affect your biome. The well-being and growth of plants depend on an similar process. Like humans, plants live in a symbiotic (cooperative) arrangement with microbes. The soil around the roots, known as the rhizosphere, is essentially the plant’s biome. The rich mixture of microorganisms living there performs a number of tasks critical to plant growth and health.
Soil bacteria “fix nitrogen”; that is, they convert atmospheric nitrogen into compounds that are absorbed by plant roots and used for photosynthesis and the production of organic compounds like amino acids and proteins. That’s right—plants themselves don’t fix nitrogen. It is a function of soil bacteria. For example, we plant legumes, like peanuts or chickpeas, to enrich soil, to raise the level of nitrogen. However, it is bacteria in the root nodules of legumes that actually process atmospheric nitrogen.
The major benefit to improving soil health for vegetable production is building up drought resistance and decreasing weed infestations. Healthy soil biology will improve your soil structure as well as water-holding capacity of the soil. Increasing your SOM increases the water available for plants to grow and thrive as well.
Enhanced Chlorophyll
Photosynthesis is the foundation of life as we know it. Plants and algae are able to convert the sun’s energy into carbohydrates. We are beginning to understand the role of microalgae in the process.
When EnSoil Algae is applied to plants and soil, it signals to microbes in the biome, stimulating activity. This is measurable through Haney Testing. The resulting increase in microbial activity results in improved nitrogen fixation and nutrient solubilization, providing more nutrients to plants.
Plants benefit from foliar application of EnSoil Algae. It enhances chlorophyll directly, helping plants capture the sun’s energy more efficiently. Plants treated with EnSoil Algae respond positively. Farmers, ranchers, gardeners, and lawn care specialists all report deeper green colors and improved growth from use of EnSoil Algae. This is photosynthesis at work.
Plants experiencing enhanced photosynthesis put more carbon in the soil to feed the microbial community. Which leads to greater nutrient uptake for the plant!
Drought Tolerance
& Water Retention
EnSoil Algae can help reverse the catastrophic consequences of soil compaction and water runoff from decades of chemical fertilization. Fertilizers have destroyed soil biology and consequently soil structure. The outcome is a devasting reduction in water infiltration and soil's water holding capacity.
However, just a 1% gain in soil organic matter (SOM) can represent as much 20,000 gallons of additional water holding capacity per acre. Application of EnSoil Algae--especially when paired with regenerative farming practices like no till and cover cropping--can dramatically improve SOM, improving soil structure. The better the soil structure, the better water holding capacity in the soil, and the easier for plants to utilize the water. As an added bonus, because EnSoil Algae is used in micro-amounts and is particulate, it does not go into solution. It stays lodged in the soil and does not runoff causing watershed pollution.
As drought conditions lead to more strict water usage regulation, it is critical that our soils capture and hold as much rain and irrigation as possible. There is a direct return on investment in soil structure improvement!
Stress Adaptation
EnSoil Algae applications have proven beneficial in tuning plant responses to several types of abiotic stress. Abiotic stress is usually oxidative stress, and plants have natural defenses when exposed to stressors such as drought or salt. They produce antioxidant enzymes that detoxify reactive oxygen species (ROS). Treatment with EnSoil Algae boosts plants' natural antioxidant production, and thus mitigates the effects of drought or salt. A practical corollary is that algae treated plants require less irrigation!
Unlike NPK inputs, EnSoil Algae (C. vulgaris) do not go into solution. They are living cells, a suspension of particles in water. After sitting for a few hours, the cells fall to the bottom of the bottle and only disperse uniformly with mild agitation. Because they are particulate, they do not penetrate far into the soil. In addition, migration through soil is hindered by algae’s positive charge. Soil is negatively charged, so the algae lodge in place. Finally the number of algae cells applied is relatively small. Fifty-thousand cells per square foot is a "micro-amount."
Watershed Safety
