I’m going to give you the NON scientific answer. Microbes have to break down the nutrients so just because they’re in the soil doesn’t mean they’re “available” for use.
What pretty amazing to me is microbes can and do regulate ph as well!
This is why I chose to give ph tap water
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I’m gonna go on a limb here and remind us consumers that brands like fox farm are only interested in selling and shit ton of bottles. They have their own line of ph Up/down that they would love every gardener to use. Along with their 12 other nutrients and additives as
well.
It’s kinda of like the dr. Trying to hook us on weight loss and head med pills. When all we have to do is eat balanced food and sleep all night.... ff script will always be the same ole thing, they want you to think their schedule and products are all 1000% necessary.
And the biggest mystery to me is how the industry as a whole has convinced most new gardeners that ph is like a plant vitamin. Lol one a day, makes the human feel like we’re doing something.
I swear I see people feed 4x as much ph down as nutrients.