Using Soil Tinctures to = “Feed The Soil, Not The Plant”.

Healthy plants look great, produce high quality produce, repel pests (via volatile organic compounds) & more.  To sustain health, they require a wide range of nutrients, much more than NPK – nitrogen, phosphorus & potassium.  The basic nutrients (biochemical sequence) are used in the order…

1. Boron, which activates:
2. Silicon, which carries all other nutrients, starting with…
3. Calcium, which binds =
4. Nitrogen to form amino acids, DNA and cell division.  Amino acids form proteins such as chlorophyll and tag trace elements, especially =
5. Magnesium, which transfers energy via…
6. Phosphorus to:
7. Carbon to form sugars, which go where –
8. Potassium carries them to build plant cells.

Thus, the nutrient with the lowest concentration limits growth – much like the shortest plank in a barrel limits the amount of water held.

Plus…

Nutritional requirements change from…

– plant to plant –

– species to species –

– season to season –

– location to location –

Thankfully, planet Earth is a living lab which has been working on plant health for billions of years!  So we don’t need to work it all out – we just need to work with (or mimic) nature.

Activated Soil…

Plant nutrients are produced by soil organisms who decompose large particles into small particles – so small, that they dissolve in water & are taken up by plant roots (via capillary action).

Healthy soil = living soil!

We can identify the presence of healthy, living soil – because the soil stays attached to a root system when it is lifted.  The plant has a ‘fluffy’ rhizosphere (or root zone) as roots, living beings & soil become one.

This is (bio) activated soil – it is living soil.

…the living organisms which activate soil are:

The key to ACTIVATED SOIL = MICROBIAL DIVERSITY !!!

Key players:

• Bacteria
• Fungi
• Algae
• Protozoa
• Nematodes
• Earthworms & small animals

Bacteria:

…proliferate when fed = simple carbon sources:

• Green materials (leaf)
• Molasses
• Sugar
• Fruit juice
• Milk
• Fish emulsion

Fungi:

…proliferate when fed = complex carbon sources:

• Brown materials (bark, wood, roots)
• Cellulose (i.e.. Lucerne)
• Cutin
• Lignin
• Wood chip
• Fish oils

Algae:

…proliferate when:

• Moisture exists.
• Hard-hooved animals are absent.
• Synthetic pesticides & pollutants are absent.

Inoculate with:

• Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) grown in buckets from pond water which has been allowed to sit for a few weeks (until it goes green).

Protozoa:

…eat:

• Bacteria

Inoculate soil with:

• Lucerne
• Protozoa tea

Nematodes:

…eat:

• Bacteria
• Fungi
• Each other

Inoculate soil with:

• Compost
• Vermicast (worm-farm ‘soil’)

Earthworms & small animals:

…eat:

• Decomposing organic matter.
• Compost
• Manure
• Other soil life.

Inoculate soil with:

• Compost
• Vermicast (worm-farm ‘soil’)
• Livestock manure
• Mulch

Soil Tinctures…

Soil tinctures keep soil healthy by feeding the soil organisms.

Dominant soil organisms:

• Bacteria-dominant soils (agriculture) = groundcovers, salads, grains, root-crops, herbs, leafy vegetables, flowers, shrubs.
• Fungi-dominant soils (horticulture) = larger shrubs, bulbs, mushrooms, fruit trees, nut trees, sap trees, vines, small & medium trees, large canopy trees…

Recipe:

1. One cup of boiled rice.
2. Add selected nutrient based on what organism you wish to be dominant:
   1. Bacteria eat (simple carbon) – brown sugar.
   2. Fungi eat (complex carbon) – carbohydrates.
3. Place in a bucket with holes drilled into the bottom & sides.
4. Place into worm farm (on top of castings) for 1-2 weeks.
5. One cup additional nutrient:
   1. Extra food for bacteria/fungi
   2. Whatever your soil lacks (i.e. if it is low in calcium, add fish).
   3. Plant nutrient (see ‘The biochemical basis of plant nutrition’ above).
6. Optional step: Aerate (with a bubbler or pour between containers/vigorously mix twice daily).

Compost Tea – farming aerobic microorganisms & producing plant nutrients:

1. One part compost (as diverse a mix as possible).
2. Ten parts water.
3. Aerate (with a bubbler/vigorously mix twice a day).
4. Brew for one week (minimum).
5. Dilute to the colour of weak tea.
6. Apply to the soil (target the plant roots).

Protozoa tea:

• Make a ‘Compost Tea’ – but use lucerne (in place of compost).

Super simple compost tea:

Add water to a few handfuls of leaf litter & soil – if possible, add manure. 

Aerate daily by pouring from one bucket into another.

It’s ready when it turns the colour of tea – around one week!

Synergistic cover crop mix – feeds soil life (adds 50% sugar into soil):

Apply directly onto the soil (as seed or living plant):

• Legumes (beans, seed pods) 40%
• Grasses 25%
• Cereals (grains) 25%
• Chenopods (quinoa, amaranth, fat hen etc) 5%
• Brassicas (radish, cabbage, broccoli, kale, canola, mustard etc) 5%

Bonus tinctures…

Root-growth hormone:

If a plant species is known to shoot roots when placed in water or directly in the ground, it is high in root-growth hormone (usually indole acetic acid or a derivative of).  This is the same store-bought hormone used in propagation as a dipping powder or gel.

To collect & use = macerate the plant in a minimal amount of water, pour liquid off & use fresh.  (This will not keep, use immediately.)

Uses:

• dip a cutting (clone) into the liquid & plant into growth medium (ie. soil, perlite etc).
• pour around the stem (to target the roots).

Pest repellent + :

The above tincture can be used for any desired plant product, for example – to repel pests, macerate a plant which contains a repellent & spray liquid onto leaves. 

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Related articles: 

Natural Broad-Spectrum Herbicide Recipe (Wild-Foraged)

DIY Worm Farm – Vermicast, Worm-Juice, Soil Life & More!

Free Electricity from Compost – DIY Earth Battery.

 

REFERENCES:

1. Main image:  The New York Times. 2013. The Hidden World Under Our Feet. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/12/opinion/sunday/the-hidden-world-of-soil-under-our-feet.html. [Accessed 21 September 2019].
2. Eco Farming Daily. 2019. Building the Microbial Bridge for Soil Health. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.ecofarmingdaily.com/build-soil/soil-life/soil-microbes/building-the-microbial-bridge-to-support-nutrient-availability/. [Accessed 21 September 2019].
3. BioAg. 2020. Top 5 tips for spring pasture. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.bioag.com.au/top-5-tips-for-spring-pasture/. [Accessed 13 January 2020].

Special thanks to Noosa & District Landcare presentation “Tonics For Your Soil” with Nina Saxton & Dave Clark (20^th June, 2019).

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