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Healthy Citrus Gardens with Trace Elements

citrus garden

Citrus orchards, with their boughs heavy with oranges, lemons, and limes, evoke the pleasant image of sun-drenched groves beside the briny blue. Ironically, that very sea which shimmers on the horizon holds secrets to the health and vibrancy of those very trees.
In the world of horticulture, there’s a newfound enthusiast for the treasure troves of minerals found in the sea, particularly seafood wastes and seaweed that are rich in trace elements critical for the robust growth of citrus fruits. These trace elements, including calcium, magnesium, and iron, are the building blocks of a nutrient-dense, mineral-rich soil that’s the foundation of health for citrus trees.

The Ocean, a Bountiful Harvester of Nutrients

Composting seafood waste creates a soil enhancer rich in microbes and sea minerals, essential for Citrus growth. This process compiles critical elements into an accessible form for plants, sustaining life from the ground up.

Sea Minerals for your garden through Composting
Organic matter, including seaweed and seafood waste, undergoes a transformation in composting that results in the extraction and concentration of these trace elements. Incorporating this compost into the earth not only enriches the soil with beneficial microbes but also boosts soil structure, moisture retention, and the uptake of macronutrients— all essential nutrients for healthy plants and health fruit.

The 5 Essential Sea Minerals for your Citrus
Here are five starring trace elements that are indispensable for your citrus plants in the garden or in pots.

  • Calcium – Essential for cell wall structure and integrity, calcium ensures that your fruits are lush, smooth, and free of defects.
  • Magnesium – The ‘central atom’ of chlorophyll, magnesium is the lynchpin of the photosynthetic process, ensuring vibrant green leaves and efficient energy production.
  • Iron – A key player in chlorophyll production, an healthy tree with enough iron will have deep dark green leaves due to efficient photosynthesis.
  • Zinc – A regulator of growth hormone, zinc ensures a balance between vegetative growth and reproductive health, aiding in flower and fruit set.
  • Manganese – A workhorse enzyme activator, manganese is necessary for numerous metabolic pathways, including those that neutralise reactive oxygen species within the plant.

Trace elements like calcium and magnesium are essential for citrus fruit health and productivity. Enriching the soil sets the stage for a fruitful relationship between earth and tree. Iron, zinc, and manganese also contribute to plant health through various functions. Each element plays a unique role in supporting plant vigour and fruit quality.

The Ocean in Your Garden
Seaweed and seafood waste, often under-appreciated byproducts of the sea, hold within them the key to healthy fruit and zesty citrus fruits. By recognising the role that healthy soil plays with the natural addition of these important trace elements that come from the composting process, we can utilise these minerals from the sea to enrich your garden. . The approach is sustainable, economical, and effective in the long-term health of your citrus.

*We recommend a balanced and sustained standard feeding, watering and mulching program.

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Autumn Citrus Success: Healthy Soil and Sea Minerals

Autumn in the temperate regions of Australia is a critical time for gardeners, especially those nurturing citrus trees. These fruit-bearing wonders thrive on more than just sunlight and water; the secret lies beneath the surface in the health of the soil. In this article, we’ll explore how a symbiotic relationship between beneficial microbes, vital sea-derived minerals, and robust soil can lead to citrus that are not just good – but great and how healthy soil leads to healthy plants and fruit.

Great Citrus Fruit starts with Healthy Soil: The health of soil is paramount when it comes to growing citrus fruit. It’s the life force that fuels stronger root growth, leads to healthier plants, and acts as a defence against pests and diseases. But what exactly makes soil ‘healthy’? The answer is thriving microbial life.

Beneficial Microbes – Nature’s Essential Workers

Microbes in the soil play a significant role in amplifying the availability of essential nutrients through increased cation exchange. This enhances the brix levels in plants, which is a fancy way of saying more natural sugars are produced, leading to better-tasting fruit. Furthermore, these microscopic allies bolster the plant’s intake of nutrition, ensuring every orange, lemon, or lime from your tree is the taste and health.

Minerals from the Sea:Trace Elements!

Our oceans are teeming with life, but did you know that they are also a reservoir of vital minerals? For citrus plants, adding a pinch of the ocean’s bounty – which includes calcium, iron, magnesium, and phosphorus – can work wonders.

  • Calcium and iron ensure lush green leaves, a testament to evident plant vigour.
  • Magnesium is like a health tonic for the entire plant, necessary for photosynthesis and overall well-being.
  • Phosphorus secures the promise of strong roots, providing a solid foundation for the beauty that blooms above.

The Role of Phosphorus and Potting Mix Boosters

In particular, Phosphorus is crucial for root development, which is vital during the autumn season as plants prepare for the cooler months ahead. For those growing citrus in containers, incorporating a potting mix booster such as Ocean2Earth,  that’s rich in these sea-derived minerals can replicate these conditions found in nature.

Stronger Plant Growth – Seasonally Adjusted

Each season brings its own charm and challenges, and autumn is the time to lend your citrus trees some extra care. Supporting them with the right mix of minerals replicates the balance of elements they would naturally find in a thriving coastal ecosystem.

Big Blooms, Tasty Fruit, and Shiny Leaves

When a citrus tree has all it needs, it shows. Expect to see:

  • Big, vibrant flowers: harbingers of the juicy fruit to come.
  • Tasty fruit: with complexity in flavor, thanks to higher sugar levels.
  • Healthy shiny leaves: reflecting vitality, contributing to the photosynthesis powerhouse.

Sustainability: Giving Back to Mother Earth

While we take from the sea, it’s essential to give back to the land. By diverting products like fish waste destined for landfill into microbially rich soil enhancers, we’re not just reducing Carbon emissions but enriching our garden soil sustainably. Similarly, opting for sustainable packaging solutions for gardening supplies plays a small but significant role in our quest for greener living.

Grow better Citrus this Autumn

For gardeners with dreams of helathy and delicious citrus fruit and for those already growing, remember that Autumn is an opportunity. Adjusting our practices to include the gifts of the sea and the partnership of microbes can upgrade the typical growing experience to one that truly celebrates natural richness and sustainability.

It is never too late to improve your soil as these microbes and minerals will go to work immediately. Citrus are heavy feeders and go through flowering and then Fruit set, so added micronutrients will help stave off pests and diseases at the important stages.

Healthy plants, stunning flowers, and delicious fruits provide a daily reminder of the role healthy soil, and a little oceanic assistance, play in the circle of life. It’s time to roll up your sleeves and give your citrus trees the underfoot conditions they need to flourish. Your taste buds will thank you come harvest time!

Happy gardening! 

If this insight into citrus cultivation has rooted a seed of interest, share your thoughts, experiences, or questions in the comments below. We love connecting with fellow gardening enthusiasts and sustainable living advocates!

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Exciting Job Opportunity

🌊🌿 Exciting Opportunity! 🌿🌊

Join the Ocean2Earth family as our National Product Manager and be part of a game-changing circular economy initiative! 🌏✨

Ocean2Earth is not just a business; it’s a movement towards a no-waste economy. 🔄 We’re turning “seafood waste” into premium organic garden products, revolutionising the way we manage and recycle industry byproducts. 🦐🌱

Our mission is to be the leading natural fertiliser brand in the market, and we need YOU to make it happen!

As the National Product Manager (NPM), you’ll be the powerhouse behind our day-to-day sales and marketing operations nationwide. 🚀 Working closely with our timber sales force and utilising our four nationwide warehouses, you’ll drive sales initiatives, build new accounts, and nurture customer relationships.

Why Ocean2Earth?

✅ Circular economy focus

✅ 100% natural products

✅ Made from Australian industry byproducts

✅ No artificial or synthetic additives

This role is based in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, or other major cities in Australia. 🏙️

Apply now and be part of shaping the future of natural garden products in the market. 🌱🛍️

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to make a real impact!
Apply now and grow with us! 🌱🌊
https://www.seek.com.au/job/73228401?ref=search-standalone&type=standout#sol=9b46bf7301e1cee53905b8222d26bbf1c809c78c

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Stories of change – Ocean2Earth

Ocean2Earth converts waste materials into a value-added product, finding opportunities to grow through challenging times.

Ocean2Earth’s is an excellent illustration of how businesses can adapt during challenging times, and how seeking opportunities in the face of adversity can not only help overcome difficulties but also elevate a product.

“Know where resources are located, what is available locally, and how you can use that to take your product”

Environmental composting business Ocean2Earth is the coming together of two brothers who were looking to launch a war on waste. Based in the Bega Valley – an area boasting beautiful hinterlands, winding rivers and coastal waterways – Ocean2Earth had access to an abundance of local natural waste resources.

By using local resources and products, Ocean2Earth have been able to demonstrate its passion for the environment and circular economy, all while making a difference to its local landscape and community.

Ocean2Earth’s success can be attributed to its connection with the land and community, and its collaborative effort with local businesses and the Bega Valley Shire Council to reduce excess waste in the Shire.

“Think outside the box and beyond your market in the local area, always think about the next step”

Utilising local fish waste from fishing boats and seafood processes, timber by-products and a house-made microbial inoculant, Ocean2Earth has created a 100% natural product that not only works to keep the local community free of waste but also brings great benefits to the garden.

Having launched in April 2019, the start-up was impacted substantially by the Black Summer bushfires and the COVID-19 pandemic. Through support from government grants and subsidies and pivoting to support a booming online market driven by the pandemic, Ocean2Earth was able to continue to thrive despite the odds.

“Secure your infrastructure, sort out your regulatory items and make sure your business is in a position where other businesses will want to take you on as a partner”

Major suppliers like Mitre 10 began to show interest in the Ocean2Earth Soil Enhancer, but the business didn’t have the infrastructure at that stage to take it to the next level.

By partnering with Pentarch Group and pulling the product from the self for a few months to focus on establishing the appropriate infrastructure, Ocean2Earth was able to grow into the next phase of its business.

This article has been supplied by BVSC – https://begavalley.nsw.gov.au/business/stories-of-change-ocean2earth

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Eden brothers turning fish waste into compost – Ocean2earth!

Fish to marine compost ocean2earth

Article written: Ian Campbell – About Regional

Two brothers from Eden have created a new business that turns fish waste into compost and solved an ongoing problem facing the community at Bega Valley boat ramps.

Bega Valley Mayor, Kristy McBain, has launched Ocean2earth, an Eden-based company founded by Kyran and Tim Crane.

Continue reading “Eden brothers turning fish waste into compost – Ocean2earth!”