Understanding conditions required for minerals to be utilized by plants helps understand why some work better than others. These conditions also define plant health and the conditions required to support pests and pathogens. Plants expend significant amounts of energy to maintain plant friendly conditions and to convert added minerals into usable forms. The relationship between these conditions, pest and pathogen pressures and the energy plants expend to convert minerals are explained. Home made products are evaluated against these concepts and shown to be exceptional when evaluated for efficacy, sustainability and regenerative principles. Effects on the local environment are also examined.