Frequently Asked Questions

When do I use Bio-Blend?

We suggest making a compost extract and using it on established plants in healthy, well-balanced soil. Compost extract is suitable for use in the vegetative phase and fruit or flower production.

How much Bio-Blend do I use?

We recommend using 0.25-0.5L of the compost blend to 5-10L of dechlorinated water, applied to 1-2m2 of growing area. Use water that’s a similar temperature to your soil. Limiting shock to your root zone will make sure you are getting the most from your extract. If growing in pots, divide 5-10L between the number of plants per 1-2m2, for example; 4 pots per m2 will require 0.625-2.5L per pot.

Mixing Bio-Blend

Use a mixing vessel twice the size of your final extract volume. For example, choose a 20L bucket if you are making 10L of extract. Add the compost blend to the water and mix vigorously for 30 seconds to 1 minute. You can use a large spoon, paddle mixer or paint mixer drill attachment. If you have none of these things to hand, a pole or a sturdy stick will do the job! Once well-mixed use the mixture straight away. You can filter the bulk compost out of the extract if applying it through a watering can with a fine rose or sprayer. A 400-micron pond filter is a good option. You can top-dress the used compost onto your pots or beds, or apply it to your compost heap. Alternatively, simply water the compost extract onto the soil around the base of each plant with the compost included.

Applying Bio-Blend

After making the extract, it is best to keep the liquid mixed while applying. Simply giving it a good stir before watering is fine. Nematodes are relatively heavy and will sink to the bottom, so keeping it agitated we ensure even application of all the compost extract constituents.

Can I use Bio-Blend with other organic inputs?

Always check the ingredients in the product you are using. If they contain microbial foods such as carbohydrates (beet and sugar cane molasses) or liquid fish extracts, either avoid them or use them at very low doses. The risk associated with these bio-stim products is they provide microbial foods at such a high rate, they over-stimulate the soil microorganisms creating a boom-bust cycle and collapsing the soil food web. Mycorrhizal root inoculants, bacterial products like Mammoth P and combination products like Biosys are all compatible with Bio-Blend.

How are fungi beneficial in soil?

Increasing fungal biomass will help your living soil thrive! In many ecosystems the primary decomposers are fungi. These primary decomposers break down, eat and digest organic matter. Saprotrophic fungi produce a branching web of hyphae that penetrate through the soil and decaying organic matter. This hyphae web absorbs nutrients from the environment and can translocate them to other areas of the fungal web. Building a symbiotic relationship between your plants' rhizosphere and fungi allows the fungal hyphae to exchange nutrients with the plant roots; these exchange points are created by mycorrhizal fungi and are called arbuscules. The benefits of increased fungal activity aren't just limited to nutrient location, there are many other benefits too. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi produce an incredible glycoprotein, this protein is called Glomalin. Glomalin is released by the hyphae of the fungi and is like a glue that can retain large amounts of carbon and maintain a strong soil structure. As well as helping build a rich carbon store in your soil, fungal breakdown will drive other microbial growth. This boost in microbes will drive the cycling of nitrogen, and mineralisation of phosphorus and other soil nutrients vital for healthy plant growth.

Is Bio-Blend minerally balanced?

Maintaining a well-balanced soil is easier when adding a balanced compost extract. Each batch of Bio-Blend compost has been lab tested to make sure your plants can continue to thrive without the risks of overloading potassium, sodium, chloride or other elements that are naturally higher in other composts.

When should I use Bio-Blend?

When the plants have established and are growing at a healthy rate, a single dose of compost extract once a week is optimal. We are aiming to build the biology over time, there are no real shortcuts to establishing a truly superior living soil! Working with growers and real-world testing has given us the experience and understanding of how beneficial these compost extracts can be. Weekly inoculations are a great way to build the desired biology and life in your soil, as well as provide some extra plant-available nutrition to your plants.

Can I use Bio-Blend on cuttings and seedlings?

We don't advise using Bio-Blend with young cuttings or seedlings, with such a small and underdeveloped rhizosphere the concentration of microbial life from the compost extract can be too much. We suggest using the compost extract with established plants in a healthy balanced living soil.

I'm growing with coco or other substrates and liquid fertilisers can I use Bio-Blend?

If using a coco, peat or peat-free substrate with liquid mineral or organic fertilisers, we do not advise using compost extracts like Bio-Blend. Tests carried out by the Soil Ecology Laboratory using this approach created nutritional problems and low yields. This is because, when you introduce a high-quality compost extract into substrates that are maintained with liquid feeds, microbial activity can rapidly deplete the substrate of nutrients. This causes competition with the plants and mineral imbalance, leading to unhealthy plants. More research needs to be done at lower doses of compost extract with increased nutritional inputs. We recommend using compost extracts with nutritionally dense organic soil, like Eco-Life living soil. This provides better conditions for the microbes and plants to thrive.

Can I add Bio-Blend to an empty pot or bed before repotting?

As long as the soil is healthy and well-balanced, you can water the soil with compost extract before you plant. Our partners at the Soil Smiths, who make the thermophilic compost advise using the compost extracts when plants are established with a healthy root system for maximum benefit.

When I'm using the compost extract, is there anything else I can add to boost the life in my soil?

Yes! Adding some saprotrophic mushrooms under your mulch layer can be a great way to get those primary and secondary decomposers booming! King Stropharia (aka wine cap) mushrooms are a great species to add, oyster mushrooms, shiitake and reishi mushrooms are primary decomposers too! You can purchase these as mushroom spawn and use them under your mulch layer, in addition to applying compost extracts. It's as easy as that!

Compost? Do you mean the stuff in bags from garden centres?

No. The typical bags of “multi-purpose compost” are a blend of various growing media ingredients such as peat, coco coir, green waste, bark fines etc. These are low-quality potting mixes and not really compost at all. In the UK, gardeners call this compost when in reality it's a soilless growing medium or ‘substrate’.