Blue Sky BRIX Testing Kit with Refractometer, shredding shear, sap press & laminated charts
$139.00
Brix Level Testing Kit Overview
This kit has everything you need to test the sugar levels (Brix levels) in plants like a pro. It’s easy, fast, and precise.
What’s Included:
A refractometer (that automatically adjusts for temperature)
A shear tool to chop leaves, helping to release the sap
A sap press to crush the chopped leaves and get a few drops of sap for testing
Laminated Brix charts and instruction sheets
Why is Measuring Brix Important?
Plants contain tiny “solar factories” in their cells that help them convert sunlight into energy through photosynthesis. This process creates sugar, which is essential for plants and affects how successful your farming is. The goal of good farming is to enhance how well plants can perform photosynthesis.
More effective photosynthesis leads to more sugar production, which supports soil microbes. These microbes help create better soil by building humus, fixing nitrogen, and providing plant nutrients. So, more sugar means healthier plants!
How Do We Measure Photosynthesis?
We use a refractometer to measure photosynthesis through Brix levels. This handy tool can help farmers predict the quality and yield of their crops and assess their resistance to pests, diseases, and weather conditions.
To use the refractometer, place a few drops of sap on it and hold it up to light. The light will bend differently based on the sap’s content, allowing you to read the Brix level. Higher Brix levels (usually over 12) indicate better nutritional value in the plant.
Practical Uses of Brix Measurements:
The Brix levels of fruits and vegetables can suggest their taste and how long they might last after being harvested.
You can test fertilizers by measuring Brix levels before and after applying them. If the Brix level doesn’t improve, the fertilizer might not be suitable.
Checking the Brix level of a plant’s sap gives you a quick look at the overall health of the crop at any time during its growth.
Tips for Measuring Brix Levels:
Take readings simultaneously each day (ideally after at least two hours of morning sunlight).
Sample from the same part of the plant each time to ensure accuracy.
Keep a record of your measurements!
Note: Brix levels can be affected by plant stress or dehydration, so it’s important to monitor these levels consistently and avoid testing damaged leaves.
Operating Instructions:
Step 1:
Open the daylight plate (1) and gently clean the refraction prism (2) with a soft cloth. Be careful not to scratch the prism.
Step 2:
Take the first fully developed leaves, roll them into a small ball, and place it in a high-quality garlic crusher. Squeeze the ball to extract the sap.
Step 3:
Place 2-3 drops of sap onto the prism surface. Slowly cover the daylight plate to let the sap spread evenly and reduce air bubbles.
Step 4:
Point the refractometer towards a light source. Adjust the focus (7) until the graduated lines are clear. The boundary between bright and dark indicates the level of dissolved solids. A blurry line is preferable, while a clear line can suggest low food quality.
More on Brix:
- Brix Readings: Brix values can vary; ensure you’re consistent with the method of extraction for reliable results.
- Environmental Effects: Brix levels may drop with low atmospheric pressure, especially before storms.
- Weed Measurement: Your weeds should generally have lower Brix levels than your crops. High Brix in weeds may require action to prevent lower crop yields, but if weeds have lower Brix levels, they can be left alone.
- Daily Variations: Brix levels tend to be lowest in the morning and highest in the afternoon. Weather conditions (like storms and cloud cover) affect Brix levels. To maintain higher Brix, using a foliar spray of fulvic acid can help.
- Soil Health: If Brix levels are inconsistent throughout the plant, check for soil imbalances, particularly the phosphorus/potassium (P:K) ratio.
- Trace Minerals: A drop in morning Brix could indicate a boron deficiency, as boron helps move sugars to the roots.
- Observation: Use Brix readings alongside other assessment tools for a complete understanding of plant health.
If you need further clarification on any part, feel free to ask!
Brix index measures the sugar within the sap, which provides the ENERGY we require for production. Sugar is also the building block for all the “plant medicines”. These are the so-called “secondary plant metabolites”, mostly polyphenolic compounds that keep the plant strong and healthy (and which will keep us healthy when we eat a plant rich in these nutrients!). Polyphenolic compounds act as antioxidants, antibiotics, vaccines, wormers, and immune tonics. Therefore, they prevent the need for additional medicines or crutches to keep animals strong, healthy, growing, and disease-free.
BLUE SKY BIOCHAR
Formulas for Soil Drenching, raw Biochar Inoculation, Foliar Spraying.
For Soil Drenching and raw Biochar inoculation, add the following Blue Sky Products to each gallon of water or Compost Tea.
1/4-1/2 oz Wood Vinegar liquid (for Biochar inoculation, use 1 oz.)
1 oz EM-1 liquid
2-4 oz Molasses
1 oz Fish/Kelp formula liquid
1/2-1 oz Yucca Wet liquid
1 oz Humic Acid liquid
1 oz Ocean Magic Minerals
1 tablespoon Big Foot Mycorrhizae Concentrate powder
Apply this liquid blend around each plant just after planting and as a periodic maintenance
every few months or as often as needed. We also recommended adding Rock Dust periodically to your soil.
When using this blend for raw Biochar inoculation, make sure to wet the raw Biochar first with some water, thoroughly mixing it while you wet it down, but not too much, and then distribute the blend in to the wet Biochar using a shovel to continually mix as you pour in the blend at a slow pace so it get mixed in completely and uniformly. Let it sit for a few days or so, and it is ready to use, fully stocked and ready to grow.
For Foliar Spraying, add the following Blue Sky products to each gallon of water, preferably non-chlorinated water. Or you can use a Brewed Compost Tea in place of the water for a greater effect.
1/2 oz Wood Vinegar liquid
1 oz EM-1 liquid
1 oz Hyperdrive or Yucca Wet liquid surfactant
1 oz Humic Acid liquid
1/2- 1 oz Fish/Kelp liquid
As an option, you can add other nutrients and biology to the mix following the directions on the label.
Spray the plants in the late afternoon with a fine mist on every part of each plant.
Foliar spraying should be done regularly throughout the growing cycle.
The earlier in the plant’s life cycle you start applying foliar solutions, the better the plant will develop immunity to insects and disease, and increase the nutrient density of the food and plants you harvest. The main goal in using these protocols is to raise the Brix level of what you are growing, because when the Brix goes above 12, plants develop their own immunity to insects and diseases, and nutrient density rises dramatically.
Blue Sky Biochar offers a high-quality Brix testing kit at a reasonable price, with everything you need to test your plants.
When blending inoculated biochar into your new or existing soil, we recommend 4 parts soil (containing 60% base soil blend, 20% premium compost, 20% premium worm castings, 10 lbs.). Blue Sky Complex Rock Dust blend per cubic yard with 1 part inoculated biochar.
For more info, go to www.blueskybiochar.com or michael@blueskybiochar.com 818-599-9119
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