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When you’re planting a bunch of new trees there’s nothing more disheartening than coming back a few months later to find most of them dead. Or perhaps you’ve had the experience of planting a fruit tree that you’re excited about, only to have it under-produce then...

At the coming of her retirement, we would like to honour the incredible career of Dr Christine Jones by sharing some of the things we have learned from her over the past decade or so. For those not familiar with her, her CV describes her: “Dr Christine Jones is an...

    There are heaps of different terms out there to describe the liquids produced as a result of some sort of worm composting process - largely because there are so many different ways vermiculture can be done! They can be broken into four categories. These...

Get more with multi-species planting As we look around our island at the moment, we see it becoming brown, and our neighbours are struggling to have feed for their animals. Yes, lack of rain is starting to bite; but we’re also in the time of awkwardness that happens...

Say you’re wanting to improve your soil (well, you get these emails so you probably are!). And you know you need to change things up, because you can see that what’s been happening on your land has been leading to some undesirable symptoms. Maybe compacted soils that...

Are you ready for low rain? Perhaps you're already experiencing it? Within the lifetime of our 5 year old, we have had severe drought, the black summer fires, and some of the worst flooding on record. Just how is one expected to farm productively in this highly...

Soaking the roots of your new plant in Biocast just before planting or repotting is a great way to help your plant sail through transplant shock. What is seedling, or root inoculation? Inoculation simply means that your seedling or plant roots are being populated with...

Lee caught up with special guest David Hardwick, argoecologist from Soil Land Food to discuss the different types of farming inputs on the market today. David demystefies inputs by breaking them into four categories: Fertilisers, soil amendments, biostimulants, and...

This article was originally published in 'An Artist, a Farmer and a Scientist Walk into a Bar' in 2021 by the Kandos School of Cultural Adaptation. You can download the full publication here. Worm Power! By Lee Fieldhouse and Kirsty Hughes from Island Biologicals. We...

Biocast bottles have had a makeover, with a brand new, beautiful design for our labels. Check it out! Original artwork of the plants by Carolyn Brooks Mushroom, microbes and layout by our very own Kirsty Hughes Colour, label layout and design consultation by Ashley...

In June 2021 Lee did a couple of in-person workshops with Bruce Maynard and Michelle Miller for the 'Compost for Conservation Cropping Project'. His talks were titled "Vermicomposting for soil health and function". That was followed up with a Facebook Live event. In...

Biological seed inoculation If you are putting out seed, and want it to germinate into a robust and healthy seedling in a cost-effective way, then a biological seed inoculation with a living product such as Biocast is a great option. This post gives some background on...

Not interested in reading the blog? Get the printable one page summary complete with soil fire recovery recipe here. Firstly, if bushfire has happened to you, our condolences. It surrounded our town and rampaged through our valley in November. Thankfully we emerged...

Let’s talk dreadlocks. Not for you, for your plants! Why does the hair style of your plant’s roots matter? When you dig up a plant your want to see dreadlocks along the full length of the roots because it means that the plant has a beneficial connection to soil...

PRESS RELEASE. 20 September 2019 Global Climate Strike. In an unprecedented move, millions of workers at Island Biologicals have gone on strike this morning, to highlight the need for humans to act on global heating. "We're doing all we can" said spokesworm Alex...

If being able to see what is happening underground is the gateway to great management of your plants, then the humble shovel is the key. Don't leave home without one!  If you're only looking above the ground, you're only looking at half the story. We have a patch...

Whether your water's coming from rain or irrigation, you want it getting where it counts - down to the root zone of your plant; and, ideally, deep into the soil to keep things ticking on later too. We don't want to waste that light sprinkle with it all evaporating...

A soil's ability to soak up water quickly is a sign of its health, and good news for you with regards to water efficiency. The simple water infiltration test we describe here will allow you to see what will likely happen on any spot next time it rains or you use...