User:Walter A. Wood/Licorice Root Mulch

Licorice Root Mulch is

Licorice root mulch is a natural soil amendment and mulch manufactured by MAFCO, which is headquartered in Camden New Jersey. MAFCO, formerly known as McAndrews and Forbes, steams and extracts various compounds from the perennial root of glycyrrhiza glabra without chemicals and the mulch is the sterilized remains of the extraction process.

Glycyrrhiza glabra is a perennial herb and member of the Leguminosae family of plants. All Leguminosae family members have a symbiotic relationship with the soil borne rhizobia bacteria which fix atmospheric nitrogen (NH4+) in the roots of the host plant. The *Carbon to Nitrogen (C/N) ratio of licorice root mulch is 24.43:1, which means there is sufficient nitrogen for both the mycelium required for decomposition and ornamental plants, vegetables or fruit bearing species. As the mulch decomposes it releases the ammonium and 11 other nutrients while naturally conditioning the soil, which means the use of it naturally reduces the need for manufactured nitrogen based fertilizers.

A compost analysis of licorice root mulch found the following nutrients available:

pH = 5.56     (C) carbon –to – (N) Nitrogen Ratio = 24.43 to 1

PRIMARY MACRONUTRIENTS	% BIOMASS BY WEIGHT – DRY	% BIOMASS BY WEIGHT – WET	LBS / TON

(N) Nitrogen	                             1.92	                    0.598	    11.96 (P) Phosphorus	                             0.02	                    0.006	     0.12 (P2O5) 	                                     0.05	                    0.016	     0.32 (K) Potassium	                             0.08	                    0.025	     0.50 (K2O)	                                     0.10	                    0.031	     0.62

SECONDARY MICRONUTRIENTS (Ca) Calcium	                             2.04	                    0.636	    12.72 (Mg) Magnesium	                             0.15	                    0.047	     0.94 (Na) Sodium	                             0.02	                    0.006	     0.12 (S) Sulphur	                             0.06	                    0.019	     0.38 (C) Carbon	                            46.84	                    14.61	   292.20

MICRONUTRIENTS 	           PARTS PER MILLION -DRY	  PARTS PER MILLION – WET	 LBS / TON (B) Boron	                             2.52	                     0.79	    0.0002 (Fe) Iron	                          1105.17	                   344.81	     0.690 (Mn) Manganese	                            31.67	                     9.88	     0.020 (Cu) Copper	                             8.25	                     2.57	    0.0005 (Zn) Zinc	                            12.68	                     3.96	     0.008 (Cl) Chloride	                           197.50	                    61.62	     0.123

Macronutrients

Primary nutrients: (N) nitrogen – essential component of all proteins, (P) phosphorus – necessary for the conversion of light into energy and (K) potassium – reduces water loss and increases drought tolerance.

Secondary nutrients: (Ca) calcium - regulates transport of other nutrients into the plant, (Mg) magnesium - an important part of chlorophyll and (S) sulphur - a structural component of amino acids and vitamins.

Micronutrients

(B) boron - important in sugar transport, cell division and synthesizing certain enzymes, (Cu) copper - photosynthesis, many enzyme processes and the manufacture of cell walls. (Fe) iron - photosynthesis (Cl) chlorine – osmosis, ionic balance and photosynthesis, (Mn) manganese - building the chloroplasts, (Mo) molybdenum - building amino acids and (Zn) zinc - required by a large number of enzymes.


 * Wood mulches, forestry by-products, have high Carbon to Nitrogen (C/N) ratios, typically > 25:1.  High C/N ratios increase microbial activity and initiate decomposition, which increases the demand for nitrogen by microorganisms.  When microbes access ammonium (NH4+) before ornamental plantings can, a process referred to as nitrogen immobilization, the nitrogen is no longer available to vegetables, perennials, ornamental shrubs and trees.  Nitrogen immobilization affects plant development and can lead to the loss of foliage, and, or plants.