Step 1

Identify a Collection Site 

Collect local soil biology from undisturbed areas with long-term mulches. Avoid areas that are cultivated or have had fertilizers or chemicals applied. Look under mulches, along fences, roadsides, near compost bins, maybe a friend’s garden, local creek or remnant native vegetation. The soil needs to have a surface mulch and beneath that a crumbly layer of fine mulch and crumbly soil.

Collection 

Push aside the layer of dead leaves and sticks or mulch and collect the top 1 to 2cm soil, which is the layer where the biology is most active. Often, this layer will be darker than other layers.

For commercial applications, collect at least 5 litres of soil; for small areas collect at least 1L. Collect from several locations to increase the chances of complete local soil biology and then mix the samples together.

Storage: 

Thoroughly mix the samples together and store in a cool and moist place. Avoid it getting waterlogged or dried out.

STEP 2 - STARTER

The starter combines local soil biology in a growing medium with foods to multiply the biology. This results in a high-fungal starter to be further massively multiplied in a large volume of water to grow the Bio-Booster. Farmers and graziers will do this to cover large areas. A 40-litre brew needs a 40-litre starter and is enough to treat up to 4,000 square metres

Mixing 

4 L Starter for 100 L Bio-Booster for 0.4 Uniformly mix: 

3 L worm casts from your own or a local worm farm.

Dry compost (not potting mix) may be tested as a substitute. 

1 L Mill Run – bran and pollard as a biological food, available at produce stores,

50 ml molasses - dilute in warm water for even spreading.

300 mL of local soil collected in Step 1. Once mixed, add water till just able to squeeze a drop of water, NO wetter.

Squeeze until a water droplet appears

Growth Phase: 1 - 3 Days

Place the mix, 8 – 10 cm deep, in a cardboard box, in a shady place, on the ground with drainage available. 

Compress it gently, like compressing soil around seedlings. Excess compaction will exclude air and stop the desirable biology from growing.

Cover with a wet cloth to maintain humidity and temperature.

Rewet the cloth in a bucket of water, wring it out and put it back over the starter twice a day. A slight warming will occur after 12 – 24 hours, which shows strong biological activity. It is important to check by hand for warming and make sure it is going well.

Check if ready to apply. It may be after 24 hours in summer or 48 hours in winter. When fungi cover the surface, check their spread throughout the starter. Break the starter from top to bottom. If you can see white or grey threads throughout the Starter, it is ready. If not, put it back and give it another day.

Key Points:

Keep the collected soil moist and cool before use.

Check by hand that there is warming about 12 – 24 hours after wetting the starter.

Keep the covering cloth damp twice a day.

Prevent the mix from getting too wet by protecting it from rain, sprinklers and hand-held hoses.

When the fungi covers the Starter, check that it has also spread through the starter.

If not, wait another 24 hours and allow to grow further. 

N.B. It is strongly suggested to complete two or three small starters as per Step 2 Starter for Gardeners, to gain a feel for it and test local ingredients and conditions before undertaking a 40-litre starter for 1,000L.

Step 3  Brewing

The Starter is increased by using aerobic brewing, allowing application to 5000 square metres. 

Aerated brewing

Good natural soil biology needs oxygen, so aerated brewing is necessary to achieve good biology. An aerobic brew smells ‘earthy’, the sweet smell of good, moist soil. Anaerobic biology does not need oxygen and smells foul. Check by smelling and dump anaerobic brews.

Equipment – for 40 litres of brew

A 40-litre brew can be brewed using many designs as long as it results in a lively 2-cm boil on the water surface – a jumpy surface as in Photo 3. A pump suitable for a 40-litre brew must produce at least 40 litres of air per minute. One example consists of two 20-litre pails, an aquarium pump, 20 mm conduit and fittings and 13mm poly pipe and fittings, all available at most hardware shops.

The twelve 3-mm air holes in the spreader pipe in Photo 2 face sideways and downwards.  One row, either side of the centre line, minimises anaerobic dead spots around the edges. Another example of brewing equipment consists of a 60L blue drum with the top cut and the drum partly filled with 40 litres of water. A pond pump (under the red cover in photo 4) supplies air.  A poly pipe connects the pump to the spreader pipes at the bottom of the drum. When ready, the brew is syphoned from the drum into a watering can or tank used for application, see Application for large Gardens.

Feeding the biology

Multiplying biology requires food. The ingredients added during brewing favour fungal growth, which is part of the biology that builds soil structure and captures long-term carbon. Fungi need other biology to provide food to survive and grow.

Growing

     Use only rainwater or non-chlorinated water. To remove chlorine, allow it to stand in the sun or aerate for 3 – 4 hours. 

     Mix into 40 litres non-chlorinated water or rainwater:  100 ml Fish emulsion,  200 ml Seaweed liquid,

     Soak starter in about 5 litres of water for 10 minutes, breaking lumps by hand, then add to brewing drum

     Brew for 24 hours in warm weather and 48 hours in cool weather

     Assess development under a microscope if feasible

     Apply within 4 hours after stopping aeration – if delays in application, then continue with aeration.

Tips

If a starter bag is used to keep the brew free from floating solids, ensure air is supplied directly into the bag. Otherwise, this may create anaerobic conditions. A free-floating starter dispersed throughout the brew is simpler and produces just as good a brew.

Clean the drums and pipes after each brew. Experience has taught that cleaning the equipment while it is wet is easier than later. Otherwise, the biology keeps working and “glues” itself to the equipment. Don’t overfill the tank – allow 10 cm for the jumping brew. The secret to success is maintaining a very jumpy brew at all times.