A plain language guide, 8 minute read
Better soil grows better food.
Most fertiliser labels tell you what is in the bag. Very few tell you what it actually does in the soil. Read this once and you will understand the range, how to use it, and what to expect over your first three seasons.
01, the basics
What is soil biology?
Healthy soil is alive. One teaspoon of healthy garden soil contains billions of bacteria, kilometres of fungal threads, thousands of protozoa, hundreds of nematodes and a handful of arthropods. Together this is called the soil food web.
These organisms do most of the work plants need. They unlock nutrients from rock minerals. They convert organic matter into plant-available food. They help plants resist disease and drought. They build the crumb structure that lets roots breathe and rain soak in. When soil biology is healthy, plants need fewer inputs and grow stronger. When it is damaged, by tillage, chemical fertilisers, drought or compaction, plants become dependent on bought inputs to survive.
See what a soil test measures02, the difference
Chemical feeds the plant. Biological feeds the soil.
You can use biological and chemical inputs together. Many growers do, particularly during a transition. The aim is to need fewer chemical inputs each year as the soil biology takes over more of the work.
A bag of NPK is a measured dose of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium that the plant absorbs straight from the soil water. It works fast. It also bypasses the soil food web, and over time can suppress it.
Beyond Soil Life products supply microbes, microbial food, kelp extracts, humic substances and biostimulants that wake up and grow the soil food web. The food web then feeds the plant. Slower in the first two weeks, more durable over a season, and it keeps building instead of running down.
Chemistry and biology
Know both and the programme actually works.
Building a programme
A simple application calendar.
Five moves, from bare bed to harvest. Click through the weeks. This is the same shape every Beyond Soil Life programme takes, whatever you grow.
WEEK 0
Prepare the bed
Mix Beyond PSP+ into the soil at the recommended rate and water it in. This supplies the starter microbes and organic matter that young roots need to establish.
WEEK 1
Plant
Transplant seedlings or sow seeds. Spray PopUp directly into the root zone, either on the seedling tray or in the furrow.
WEEK 3
First foliar
Spray SeaBrix NPK at the recommended rate, early morning or late afternoon. This feeds the plant during peak demand and the leaf microbes that help fight disease.
WEEK 4
Second foliar
Alternate with RealCal for head formation and firmer fruit. Calcium is the one most growers under-apply.
TO HARVEST
Keep alternating
Repeat alternating foliar sprays every two to three weeks until harvest. After harvest, spread a thin layer of compost or worm casting and water in. If the bed will be empty for more than four weeks, plant a cover crop.
If you would rather do it by hand
Three steps, no wizard.
Stronger roots, better colour
Stronger early root development. Healthier leaf colour by week four. You will see a difference in your plants, but the soil itself is still rebuilding.
The soil starts to change
Visibly better soil structure. Worms return. Water soaks in faster after rain. You start to need less fertiliser to get the same crop.
The soil pays you back
Crops hold up better in dry weeks. Pest and disease pressure drops. Input costs come down. The soil becomes an asset that pays you back, not a cost that drains you.
Common questions
Questions about how it works
Yes. Many growers run both during a transition. The biological products will continue to build soil even alongside chemical inputs. Over time, as the soil biology takes over more of the work, most growers find they need less of the chemical fertiliser to get the same result.
The range is biological and does not contain synthetic pesticides or genetically modified organisms. Some products are organic and some are not. If you need certified organic status for a market or buyer, check the individual product page or ask us before you buy.
Most growers see a visible difference in plant health by week four of season one: better leaf colour, stronger establishment, fewer transplant losses. The bigger change, in the soil itself, takes one to two full seasons to become obvious.
The worse your starting soil, the more dramatic the change. Sandy, compacted or chemically tired soil tends to respond fastest to biological inputs because there is more room for the biology to grow into. If you are not sure, send us a photo on WhatsApp and we will help you choose a starting point.
Find a Starter Pack for your patch.
Pick by size, get the guide, and we are on WhatsApp if you have any questions.