Our NoTill Compost Mix is ideal for setting up a long term garden, or ‘NoTill’ environment. This compost has been crafted to ensure balanced nutrient levels and avoid nutrient lock out after a few harvests.
By utilizing a Higher Cationic Exchange Capacity (CEC) and more mild amendments (nutrients), the NoTill mix was created for growers to be able to top dress their plants regularly and over time facilitate a biological environment that allows nutrient cycling (requiring less amendments over time).
Note: This product is ‘mild’ compared to the ‘SuperSoil’ compost we offer, and therefore we recommend you get your plants into a 100% NoTill mix, well before they are in their final pot.
Sold per bag, at approx. 25 litres per bag.
Why Should We Care About Such A Mix?
"A wonderful thing about a balanced, mineralized soil based on the soil's exchange capacity is that everything else becomes easier. The soil pH self-adjusts to its optimum, plant disease and insect problems largely disappear, water retention, drainage, soil texture, and rate of decay of organic matter all become self-regulating and automatic, weather permitting. The grower knows that the nutrients are in the crop because the nutrients are available in the soil. The soil life is active and healthy and helping to make these nutrients available, and the plants growing on this ideal soil have free-choice of any nutrient they want, in balance, a balance designed by intelligent science and observation." - Michael Astera
What You'll Need To Finish The Recipe:
To complete the recipe you will need to cut the NoTill Compost Mix with equal parts Peat Moss or Coco Coir and Aeration ingredient (Pumice/Scoria/Rice Hulls/Perlite), in the ratio of 1:1:1. This means you'll mix approximately 25L of each ingredient and get approximately 75L of final Coots Mix (from a single bag of our compost)!
Our Notill Soil comes with an EXTERNAL nutrient kit (2kg) that you NEED to mix into the Compost! This is so that you can see just how much nutrients are in our soil!
Components:
Vermicompost - Vermicompost is nutrient rich compost that has been refined by worms to have a neutral pH and excellent water holding capacity. Humic substances within the Worm Castings act as chelating agents that enhance the availability of nutrients to your plants, while the negative surface charge of organic materials within our Worm Castings provides additional cation exchange sites for the retention of nutrient cations. Due to the abundance of mycorrhizal spores in our Vermicompost, the organisms within your soil will act as vectors to innoculate the roots of your plants with viable AMF propagules.
Oyster Shell Flour - Freshly ground oyster shells are composed of approximately 96% Calcium Carbonate, with the remainder being trace elements, kelp and microbes. Oyster shell flour not only releases calcium and trace element, but is also a liming agent, improves tilth, provides favourable conditions for microbial activity, stimulating enzyme activity and increasing Cationic Exchange Capacity (CEC).
Oyster shell flour is a very special component of our compost blends because the slow release calcium helps to increase the structural integrity of plants, promote new growth and increase resistance to disease by facilitating the movement of heavy macro-molecules around the plant.
Oyster Shell also contains Chitin which is beneficial to the plants immune system when converted into chitosan by an enzyme released from the plant (chitanase).
Bokashi - When used as a soil amendment Bokashi invites a galaxy of beneficial bacteria and fungi that result in increased yields and healthier plants via probiotic effects in the soil. In addition, they hasten the breakdown of amendments and transport them to the plant as part of a symbiotic relationship, and help to ward off nematodes and other invaders, among many other benefits.
BioChar - BioChar is a special type of agricultural charcoal that is high in carbon content. The mechanisms of action are not fully understood, however it is suspected that it works by increasing the amount of sequestered carbon available to the plant. BioChar assists in purifying toxic heavy metals in the water/soil, providing both water retention and aeration, as well as an environment for microbes to inoculate. For this reason, you'll see greater benefits from BioChar over time, making it an ideal amendment for NoTill conditions.
By using sustainably grown Australian hardwood the BioChar in our mixes routinely tests at 89 to 93% carbon, compared to cotton gin waste or sugarcane bagasse which can be as low as 10% (10% carbon is still allowed to be called BioChar by international standards). It is sourced from plantation waste, so in using our premium compost mixes you are ultimately sequestering carbon back into the soil once used.
Malted Barley Grain - Malted Barley Grains are an exceptionally rich source of microbes, with a wide range of bacteria, filamentous fungi and yeasts colonising the area between the husk and the pericarp which produce biologically significant levels of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), a hormone that promotes cell division and is essential for the proper development of plant organs. The grain functions in the mix as a source of growth hormone catalysts, facilitating explosive growth.
Kelp Meal - Kelp Meal is mild source of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium (1-0.5-3), whilst also being a source of trace minerals, amino acids, plant micro-nutrients and natural plant hormones. These hormones are specifically noted to reduce stress associated with transplant and heat shock, which in turn will allow your plants to grow quicker and transition more smoothly after transplants.
Neem Cake - Neem Cake provides a fantastic source of NPK with values of 4-2-2 respectively. Furthermore there are several molecules in Neem Cake such as Azadirachtin, Salannin and Nimbin which provide integrated pest management to your garden, acting as an antifeedant for over 200 species of insects.
Volcanic Rock Dust (Basalt) - Volcanic Rock Dust is beneficial for remineralizing soils and improving soil structure. It is a fantastic natural source of slow release N, P, K, S, Si, as well as numerous trace elements. It assists in the uptake of other nutrients, promotes microbial life and gives crops an unparalleled nutrient density.
Palagonite - Palagonite is another type of rock dust that serves as a soil balancing agent. It provides nutrients and trace elements, promotes microbial growth, improves soil aeration and Cationic Exchange Capacity (CEC). Palagonite improves the soils structure in terms of water infiltration and retention, as well as providing improved protection from insects and fungal diseases.
Gypsum - Gypsum is a natural source of both Calcium and Sulfur (CaS). Gypsum improves soil structure and improves water permeation, reduces surface crusting, increases yield and flavour as well as facilitating intensive transportation of macro-molecules around the plant during bloom.
What's in the Box
- [1] x Organic Gardening Solutions No Till Compost Mix (Coots) - 25L | Nutrient Kit Included
