Bloom’s label will soon get an update to formally recognize the slow release nature of its phosphorus. The change comes on the back of recently approved lab methods to verify the water-extractable phosphate (WEP) in carbon-based products like Bloom. Of the 1.5% phosphorus claimed on the Bloom label, only .05% is WEP. The remaining 1.45% will now be recognized as slowly available on the label in Virginia, with an updated label soon to come in Maryland and Pennsylvania.
It’s a small change in terms of the label itself, but one with big implications. “The importance of this claim relates to the potential negative environmental impacts of highly soluble phosphate sources, as well as to help customers better manage nutrient addition for proper plant growth,” says Ron Alexander, an organics expert and consultant who pushed forward the change with both national regulatory bodies and state officials responsible for approving the label changes.