Author: Peter Van Beek
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Lightweight Wicking Beds from Crab Pot Mesh and Weedmat
Crab Pot Mesh and Weedmat Wicking Beds are cheap, easy to build with simple home tools, and can be made in any shape or size to suit your requirements. Our designs minimise waste of mesh, plastic, and time. Despite their simplicity, they’re exceptionally durable—our beds built in 2010 still show little to no wear in…
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The Roles of Soil Biology
Soil biology builds soil structure, creates many health compounds for plants and people, all in exchange plant sugars
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Carbon and Minerals in air, soils and plants
Over 500 million years, a complex symbiosis between plants and soil microorganisms has put Oxygen into the air, Carbon into the soil, and given us Healthy Plants. The Sun is the Driving Force Green chlorophyll in leaves, algae and some bacteria use energy from the sun to split Carbon Dioxide (CO2) from the air into…
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Looking After Your Soil Biology
Looking after your soil biology pays off from the start with healthier plants that put more carbon into the soil leading to better soil structures, and are healthier for us – and it costs very little to do. Avoid Chemicals that Kill Avoid using any chemical that ends in ‘cide’ – as that suffix that…
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Bracewell pasture trials, significantly increasing Dry Matter with BioBooster
Bio-Booster, Sea Minerals and Humic acid were applied on two properties to sections of native pastures that had not been grazed One treated area showed increased growth and leaf Brix readings. Additionally, chicory seeded with the Bio-Booster show larger plants and flowers. The second trial on a nearby property was mulched, with the grazier reporting…
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Scientific Evidence of the Benefits of applying Sea Minerals to Pasture
Sea minerals were applied to pasture to study its effects on plants and soil microbiology. The trial addressed Pasture Dieback, a major challenge in Queensland grazing industries, the causes of which are still unknown. Soil and pasture samples were taken and showed improvements in yield, quality, taste and nutritional value of plants and beneficial changes…
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An Introduction to Sea minerals
Seawater contains almost every mineral that exists in the world. In Australia, table salt (sodium chloride) and Potassium chloride are extracted from it by letting the sun evaporate much of the water in huge flat bays at the coast. As a result, the concentrations of sodium and potash reach high concentrations and crystallise out first. Most…
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An Introduction to the Plant Health Pyramid
The plant health pyramid is a framework that explains the links between the health of a plant and its requirements for nutritional and biological support. It was developed by John Kempf and was presented as a talk in 2021 which can be found on YouTube. It highlights that a plant needs minerals from the soil…
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Building Crop Immunity: Understanding the Plant Health Pyramid
Lets explores the Plant Health Pyramid, an approach that helps farmers and agronomists strengthen plant immunity against diseases and insects by carefully managing plant nutrition and soil biology. It combines practical examples, science-based explanations, and key concepts on how balanced nutrition and robust soil ecosystems make plants naturally resilient. Why Focus on Plant Health? Modern…
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The Basics of Building your own Wicking Beds
Wicking beds can be purchased, but many sold as ‘wicking boxes’ do not actually wick. Before buying, read our article on the countless ways to make wicking beds and make sure to watch out for many of the common misconceptions and design flaws of commercialised and popularised wicking beds. Proper wicking beds are easy to make. Any container…