Author: Peter Van Beek
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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…
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Bigger Peanuts, how restoring soil biology led to a marked increase in Jumbo grade nut size
Humic acid and Liquid Sea Minerals were applied to peanuts. At harvest, the fruit weight was increased by 10%. By supplying soil biology foods, the soil structure and nutrient availability improved, thereby allowing larger nuts to be produced. Bio-Booster was not used in this trial. The Trial The trial was conducted near Bundaberg in 2020.…
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Grass Measurement Posts
Grass measuring posts can be used to show increased pasture growth, if any. Taking photos from the same position over a period of time is one reliable way of finding out. Improvement in pasture quality is shown by cattle consistently showing preference for one plot over the other. This too can be recorded on photos and/or in…
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Summary of Case Studies
This is a summary of all our tests on commercial farms. The surprise to us was that all responses were fairly quick and showed possible profits from the first crop. Equally, we have not yet had a failure to get a good response to our many small ‘Look and See’ experiments in our and friends’…
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Risk Assessments and Regulations of Wicking Beds in Schools
Any proposal to build wicking beds on school grounds requires the usual risk assessment. The information below is meant to assist the proposer. They are based on Queensland Government regulations and reflect Australian standards more broadly. While many rules apply nationwide, schools outside Queensland should confirm any additional local requirements. This information was last reviewed…
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Introduction to wicking beds and boxes
Wicking boxes and beds are for people who like to grow at least some healthy vegetables but are short of time, water, suitable space or money. With wicking boxes, they can grow healthy vegetables in weekends, on balconies, concrete surfaces, near trees and on heavy clay soils. They are very water-efficient. Wicking refers to water…
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The Hidden Costs of Using Cloth and Stones in Wicking Boxes and Beds
When making wicking beds and boxes, a widely promoted mistake that is based on two common misconceptions, is to put stones next to the reservoir and a sheet of cloth over both. In addition to costing money, there are hidden costs that are far more important. Rocks waste space where the soil biology should be,…
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Countless Ways to Make Wicking Beds
Wicking beds can be made from almost any materials and are limited only by our imagination. Here are some examples: Styrofoam Boxes Styrofoam boxes of all sizes can be turned into wicking beds, from 50-litre boxes to 13-litre mini versions using 40 mm PVC pipe as a reservoir. These can be decorated and placed on tables…