All about amino acids
Let’s talk Amino Acids. What are amino acids you ask? Well, in short, using a fertiliser with a high amino acid content is like giving your lawn a daily vitamin supplement.
Amino acids are organic compounds comprised primarily of carbon, oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen. These key elements create the structure for proteins, which are the basic components required for living cells to exist. In layman terms, amino acids are the molecular building blocks of protein.
Plants have the ability combine these four key ingredients together in order to generate amino acids through the formation of complex biochemical pathways. They do so by synthesizing amino acids retrieved from carbon and oxygen from the air, hydrogen from water and nitrogen from the soil, pretty clever huh!
Why do we need Amino Acids?
Amino acids are a vital food source for the many millions of microbes in the soil, which you can read more about in our last blog – Microbe Mania. Carbon found within amino acids is one of the core energy sources for microbes.
The relationship between microbes, soil and plant life is dependent on the amino acids’ ability to thrive. Amino acids are also significant ingredients in the process of Protein Synthesis – no we don’t mean photosynthesis, we mean protein!
There are believed to be around 20 necessary amino acids involved in the process of Protein Synthesis. So, it’s no surprise that studies have shown amino acids can directly and indirectly influence the physical activities of a plant.
How do we get these amino acids to reach our plants you wonder? Amino acids are supplied to the plant(s) by integrating them into the soil. This compound is believed to improve the microflora of the soil, which facilitates the absorption of nutrients. Choosing an organic fertiliser consisting of a high amino acid content can ultimately, provide the highest level of nutrition for your plants.
What are the Benefits of Amino Acids?
Amino acids offer a variety of benefits that include improving root absorption, increasing crop resistance to climate conditions such as drought and frost, and helping plants to produce their own proteins more efficiently.
If you’re growing fruit, there’s good news for you too! Amino acids will help improve fruit flavour, colour, firmness and preserve your harvest.
Plants grown with amino acid supplements are more likely to be richer in sugars and other nutritional elements, allowing them to be sold at premium prices.
To sum it up, adding amino acids to your soil will directly influence the overall health and quality of your lawns, gardens and crops. Amino acids are found in seaweed/kelp, fish and humic and fulvic acids and much more. As we add these items to the majority of our liquid products (and some granular), Plant Doctor has a good selection of fertilisers and soil conditioners listed below which contain amino acids. So, what are you waiting for, give your lawns and gardens a daily vitamin supplement!
Fertilisers and Soil Conditioers with Amino Acids:
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