Humic acid (and its usually accompanying fulvic acid) are most often used as an amendment to improve the quality of clay soils, sandy soils, and/or other soils organically deficient. The primary value of adding humic acid to clay or other compacted soils comes from the resulting structural break-up (increase in friability) of these soils. Obviously, this should not be an issue in the soils you are using. In sandy soils, humic acid's value is in its addition of organic material to soils, which would also in the end improved water retention and root function, neither of which are anything you would be lacking in the soils you use. In some soils, humic acid can also play another role in facilitating a plant's ability to assimilate nutrients. Humic acid can lower pH and help unlock otherwise bound nutrients in the soil that might not be unavailable under conditions of higher pH. Again, this should not be an issue for you, given the fertilizer regimen you use and a known favorable pH. Finally, humic acid can stimulate soil micro-biology in some soils, increasing the numbers and activity levels of soil micro-populations, the primary function of which are to make available minerals and nutrients which could be stored within the humic acid complex and hopefully available on an 'as needed' basis. Again, not much of a benefit when you consider you're supplying a full compliment of nutrients in a readily available form on a regular and 'as needed' basis. I suppose if I was to sum it up, I would say that a build-up or adequate measures of humic acid in garden soils is to be desired & most effectively accomplished by the regular addition of organic materials to the soil. How valuable wholesale applications of humic acid are to garden soils is probably highly variable by soil type, soil composition, and the intrinsic quality/value of the individual product at hand. It's value in containers would probably be marginal at best or go completely unnoticed, but there's nothing to stop you from trying it. I think if you ARE to see any value in its use, it's more likely that you would see it in the gritty mix you are using, rather than the highly organic bark:peat:perlite mix (if you use that at all). Take care. Al

Hi again tiphereth, 230 ppm that's quite a bit of a plus, but that depends on the amount of water you use for the purpose (is it the full amount or just some part of it?). I was thinking of using humic acid in my nutrients as well and wasn't sure what the 0.5 % that seemed to be a common content meant to be. Because manufacturers tend to be vague about their additives. Anyway other sources suggest less, actually only as half as much. Anyway, check the amount/content to use again - I believe the 0.5% is in fact ONLY 0.5% of the sum of ALL NUTRIENTS - and NOT 0.5% of the volume of the nutrient solution you make up! That's the first thing to be sure of and to take care of. As soon as you are sure of the actual amount to use, you may also dilute the acid(s) even more and make your nutrient solution somewhat stronger (accordingly) as usual, as it will become weaker as soon as you add the highly diluted acid/water mix. Also, your pH will most probably drop somewhat after adding the acids, as you may have guessed. I would recommend to test the mix in a clear water bottle first and watch the bottom for any white precipitations (of Ca), but I am not sure if they are visible in such small amounts. In a higher concentration and if there is a reaction, you can spot them easily - but that's obvious and that's not what you want to test nor achieve. PS: the actual ppm of the acids should be added, not subtracted from the total/final ppm. Otherwise what you substract, is what you will actually have less in nutrients. 230 ppm plus still seems too much.

You can use humic acid. The important things you should watch in hydroponics is pH, solubility and compatibility of the salts, and the concentrations. The vegetative growth depends of the nitrogen concentration. If you want generative growth, simply low the nitrogen concentration. I suggest you prepare one gallon of your nutrient solution with humic acid, and observe it for at least 3 days. Test it under the sunlight too. If there is not precipitates, or changes in the pH then you can use it in your strawberries.

Tricky... So you're saying you experienced Franken-weeds? Let's see, if weeds were growing at a prodigious rate, couldn't be killed and continued to return with a vengeance then it would seem your garden was indeed robust that year... its the very definition of ROBUST actually... it's just not the plants you'd desired apparently. Epilog: Due to the weather (really cold and snowy) I'd been putting off my trial planting experiment. Well two weeks ago, I finally got around to scooping up soil from the beds and putting it into large plastic cups. Took out left over vegetable seeds from the summer past and sowed them into the cups. 8 cups in all... radishes, turnips, beans, carrots, lettuce, spinach, beets, and broccoli. Put the planted cups under grow lights in the basement. Just TWO DAYS later the radishes, turnips, lettuce had all sprouted... the NEXT DAY the broccoli, beets and the first bean plant showed up... TWO DAYS after that all the cups had germinated (carrots and spinach were the last to emerge... not what I would have predicted). This was certainly a good sign as it means germination has not been compromised... now to see if any of the first real leaves will appear deformed. I figured by the time I begin to see the second set of real leaves there should be no doubt that the roots are functioning within the soil supplying the plant with nutrients as the embryo leaves start to wither. Today makes it one day short of two weeks since PLANTING the cups and all plants have at least two sets of real leaves! (I've been giving them 14 hour days and the cups do get a little warm under the lights so that likely explains the speedy germination and growth rate.) All are very green (as I'd expect) and growth rate is exponentially accelerating every day so I don't know how much longer I can keep this experiment going... especially the bean plants (re: "Jack and the Bean Stalk" anyone?). I'll probably give it another week... by then the plants will be killing each other out as you can't expect to grow a half dozen or so plants in an 8 ounce cup for very long. Actually they are already fighting with each other (carrots, spinach, and broccoli are the exceptions so far... I'm sure in another week it'll be a different story for them as well). So to answer my own question (refer to the title of the thread)... I've determine the answer to be... wait for it.... NOTHING. Wow, what a long journey to discover there is nothing to fear with applying massive excess humic shale to the garden.... could it be its all a scam? That's another question for another thread for another time.