Sea Minerals are used as a fertiliser for plants and soil biology. Healthy soil biology consists of a wide diversity of organisms – over 50,000 can be found in a single spoonful of compost. It stands to reason that this large diversity requires a diverse range of minerals to function well. Sea Minerals is one of the few, if not the only, natural source that provides this wide range of minerals. Please note that Sea minerals are complementary to all biology-friendly plant nutrition and are not a replacement.

For many minerals in Sea Minerals, we know their functions in plant growth. The precise interactions between these minerals and the 50,000+ soil species are not fully understood, but the benefits are easy to see. Plants show improved growth, with bigger and darker-green leaves that have a healthy shine – the latter indicating high resistance to insects and diseases. When the soil biology is not healthy, the growth of plants stays below its optimum, and they do not yet have their resistance against diseases and insects. They need to be protected with industrial chemicals, which further reduce the soil biology.

The Plant Health Pyramid developed by John Kempf shows that everything starts once all essential minerals for the first two stages of plant health are available. Some complex compounds needed for the final two stages are produced by the soil biology, provided it is healthy. Following the lead from others, we found significant improvements in the health and yields of field crops, orchards, and pasture after applying Sea Minerals, see the summary of case studies.

For large areas, It can be bought in bulk and applied when irrigating through fertigation. It is profitable from the first application at the recommended rate of 40L/ha.

For smaller areas, it can be bought under many names in small amounts and applied with a watering can.

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It highlights that a plant needs minerals from the soil and complex compounds from the soil biology to be healthy. In this context, healthy means to have natural and almost complete resistance to diseases and insects. Those same minerals and compounds are also vital for human health.

Levels 1 and 2 of the Plant Health Pyramid focus mainly on mineral nutrition, which is relatively straightforward to manage using tools like sap analysis to identify and apply the needed nutrients. By contrast, Levels 3 and 4 highlight why fostering healthy soil biology is critical for resilient, nutrient-dense crops. Here, the focus shifts from simply adding minerals to supporting the microbial community that feeds and protects plants. In return, the microbes are fed with sugars by the plant.

In practice, Levels 3 and 4 move us from just growing plants to growing the living system that sustains them. For more on nurturing this symbiotic soil life, check out our introduction to Soil Biology.

Four levels of plant health

The plant health pyramid has of four levels. Each level requires a set of inputs to get certain outcomes and represents essential key processes for good plant health. Any shortcoming in the lower levels reduces the processes in the higher levels.

Unfortunately, most commercial growers and most crops are not even at level one of plant health care on the plant health pyramid – John Kempf

Even when commercially grown plants don’t reach level one, they can still grow and produce by relying on artificial chemicals. However, these worsen the problem over time by killing the microbiology in the soil and on the plant, and so diminish the processes in levels three and four. This increases the amounts of chemicals that need to be used and severely reduces the plant’s nutritional value to us. And that has serious health consequences for us.

Level 1. Complete photosynthesis

Photosynthesis is the process in which the plant uses the blue and red rays from the sun to combine carbon dioxide from the air with water and minerals from the soil to make sugars. Photosynthesis requires magnesium, iron, manganese, nitrogen, and phosphorus.

It is complete when each of these are sufficiently available and there is enough water, sunlight, and carbon dioxide for the plant to make enough diverse sugars to grow itself and for exchange with the soil biology. The plant then becomes resistant to soil-borne fungi, increases its leaf size and leaf thickness, and can look quite different from what we are used to.

Level 2. Complete protein synthesis

The simple sugars from level one are then combined into more complex sugars and additional minerals into very large molecules through a process called protein synthesis. This process creates 10s of thousands different protein molecules needed for the plant’s own DNA and other functions that include protecting itself against insects and diseases. In addition to the above-mentioned minerals, protein synthesis requires a wide range of minerals in small amounts such as cobalt, nickel, molybdenum, selenium, zinc, manganese, copper and many more.

When complete protein synthesis is reached, plants become resistant to insects with a simple digestive system while they are larvae and to sap sucking species by disturbing their digestive systems.

Level 3. Increased lipid synthesis

Lipids are fats and oils that all plants produce for their own basic needs. When these needs are met, they cover their leaves with them, which can be seen as a glossy, waxy sheen on their surface. The lipids work as a shield against all the airborne bacterial and fungal pathogens. Again, many of the compounds or their components are made by beneficial microbes on the plant’s roots and leaves.

Level 4. Increased secondary metabolite synthesis

Further to those fats and oils, secondary metabolites refer to essential oils such as aromatic compounds, flavonoids, carotids and many more. These protect the plants from ultraviolet radiation and overgrazing and ward off diseases and insects by killing viruses, bacteria, and insects outright. Many of the compounds or their components are made by beneficial microbes on the plant’s roots and leaves and exchanged for the plant’s sugars. As a result, plants become resistant to beetles, nematodes, and viruses. Some compounds give plants their unique, individual taste, and many compounds are essential for human health.

Summary

The plant health pyramid is a practical guide to a very high level of plant health, highlighting the fundamental issues with our soils such as the lack of trace elements needed for a healthy soil biology. This is the strong foundation required for healthy soils and healthy plants. Building this foundation to foster the robust and diverse soil biology required at levels three and four, is the main focus of this website.

A large increase in soil biology and bigger plants may lead to the balance of minerals being disturbed. Some minerals will turn out to be in shortage relative to the other minerals, leading to the previous problems reappearing. This requires these minerals to be supplemented. By learning what our soil biology and our plants require, we can begin growing bigger and healthier plants that are more nutritious for us.

A summarised extract of John Kempf’s talk that includes many other observations and ideas is in Building Crop Immunity: Understanding the Plant Heath Pyramid.

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Use 30% shade cloth, as 50% provides too much shade for most plants. Aim for at least 6 but preferably 8 hours of direct sunlight daily. Choose the location carefully, as the shade house will last for decades, and surrounding trees will continue to grow. This recommendation is based off over 20 years of experience.

Materials and Equipment

Tools

• Tape measure
• Level
• Hacksaw (to cut poly pipe)
• Star picket driver
• Screwdriver
• Heavy-duty scissors (to cut shade cloth for front and back)
• Heavy-duty stapler
• Battery disc grinder (for rocky soils)

Construction Sequence

1. Measuring and Marking

• Level the area and remove sharp objects.
• Set out an exact square: 6m long, 4m wide (no wider, or the poly pipe will sag in the middle).
• Mark 2m and 4m spots for star pickets along the long side.
• Mark the centre of each poly pipe.
• On either side of each pipe, mark at 85cm, 92cm, 97cm, and 100cm for bottom batten placement. This leaves a few centimetres to place cable ties around the bottom batten.
• Mark the centre of each batten, then three spots on either side, 2m apart.

2. Constructing the Frame

• Drive star pickets 30cm deep (if obstructed by rocks, cut them to 90cm above ground for uniform height).
• Place poly pipes over the star pickets and push them to soil level.
• Place a 2.2m timber upright under the centre batten of both front and back poly pipes, ensuring vertical alignment.
• Secure the poly pipe to each upright using a tie down plate, bending it over the pipe and screwing it evenly on both sides of the timber. Insert one screw into the poly pipe.
• Secure a third timber length under the batten where the door will be placed, using a tie down plate.
• Attach the centre batten with two screws at the marked locations.
• Secure remaining battens in place with two screws each at the marked locations.

3. Attaching the Shade Cloth

Using clamps made from segments of pipe are useful for temporarily holding the shade cloth while installing. These can be made by cutting lengths of the 5cm poly pipe which are then sliced lengthwise, allowing them to be used to grip the mesh.

Sides

• Cut two 6.15m lengths of shade cloth for folding around the pipe. Unfold and spread one along the length.
• Temporarily hold sections with poly pipe clamps. Staple from the top batten down with staples placed 10cm apart.
• Use cable ties to secure both shade cloths to the top batten (20cm apart)
• Trim the cable tie’s tails for a neat appearance.
• Tie the bottom edges to the bottom battens.

Back

• Cut one 4.1m length, unfold, and spread along the back.
• Clamp near the bottom to hold in place.
• Pull the cloth over the top and clamp to the top batten.
• Use three clamps on either side to distribute the shade cloth evenly.
• Once satisfied that the shade cloth is evenly spread, staple the cloth to the poly pipe and trim the excess.

Front

• Cut one 2.25m shade cloth length and unfold it.
• Cut a length wise 2.15m-wide strip for the wider side (the side without the door) and a 1.25m-wide strip from the narrow side (which includes the door).
• Staple the 2.25m strip at the bottom, middle, and top to the timber on the wide side. Use clamps to hold the cloth in place before stapling. Trim excess cloth.
• Repeat for the narrow strip on the opposite side of the door.

4. Installing the Door

• To keep the door area weed-free, install weed matting or pavers.
• Install the door so that it swings outward.
• Measure and cut shade cloth to staple above the door.

5. Weed Protection

To prevent weeds from becoming a nuisance, cover the floor area with builders’ plastic to stop the roots from weed seeds taking hold. Then cover the plastic with weed mat or old/scrap carpet to protect it from sun and damage from being walked on.

Final Touches

Happy growing! You may want to consider building some wicking beds to go in your new shade house. We recommend using wire mesh and weed mat style wicking beds. Refer back to the countless ways to make wicking beds for ideas.

Celebrate with a beer.

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If you know something we don’t, we would appreciate it if you get in contact with us!

Information sourced and compiled from:

• Sea Minerals Reduce Dysbiosis, Improve Pasture Productivity and Plant Morphometrics in Pasture Dieback Affected Soils
• Teaming with nutrients – Jeff Lowenfels

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