Our microbial products

 

Eden Institute has partnered with a small group of microbial soil scientists who do things a bit differently. In fact, the products that we provide are unique in this market. Backed by several decades of experience, these products have successfully overcome all of the limitations of other soil microbe products. Our scientists are willing to compare the results of these products against any other comparable product on the market. They’re that good.

Soil Fertility Accelerator and the other similar microbial products that we offer here at Eden Institute are concentrated microbe consortiums combined with critical enzymes, bio-stimulants, and the most effective microbe food sources available. They are formulated to support the population growth of indigenous beneficial soil microbes and inoculate soil with diverse populations of bacteria and fungi beneficial to soil and plant life. 100% of the ingredients in these products have an active purpose for your soil and plants and contain absolutely no pathogens or fillers. Learn more about soil microbes HERE!

We are very excited to be able to offer this product line to you to empower nature’s complex adaptive systems, increase biodiversity, and create the edible dreamscape you’ve always wanted.

Soil Fertility Accelerator (SFA) is a natural consortium of microbes and their food sources especially designed for trees, shrubs, lawns, flowers and vegetables. This product contains a formulation that emphasizes and supports the population of endomycorrhizal fungi and their microbial relationships. 85% of all plant species have relationships with endomycorrhizal fungi, which is mutually exclusive with ectomycorrhizal fungi. This product comes in two sizes: 17 oz bag and a 1 oz pouch.

Benefits

• Has been proven to stimulate the growth and reproduction of indigenous microorganisms.
• Enhances plant resistance to drought, pests, disease, toxins, and other environmental extremes.
• Improves seed germination rates. Invigorates root growth and ensures healthy root structure.
• Improves plant health and development. Increases nutrient density and quality of plants.
• Builds higher plant proteins and Brix levels.
• Improves photosynthetic efficiency and performance (converting more sunlight to plant sugars).
• Helps break up soil compaction and improve percolation.
• Results in increased organic soil carbon.

Additional Anecdotal Benefits

• Has been reported to increase Brix (°Br) sugar content up to 250% for two consecutive years in a row.
• Has been reported to increase crop productivity (as much as double in already healthy crops).
• Has been reported to increase soil moisture and nutrient retention, reducing water use, runoff, and leaching.
• Has been reported to increase nutritional and mineral density of food crops.
• Has been reported to increase humus creation from limited organic carbon availability- may be able to turn desert gravel to soil.

The Mix

Soil Fertility Accelerator is not merely a blended recipe of specific microbes, but rather is a microbe “concentrate” of natural microbial consortiums derived from soils all over the world. The product is made through initiating and observing very specific interactions in order to develop a new biodiverse “consortium” of microbes and their beneficial companions, and also contains the most powerful microbial food sources on the market to support the populations of indigenous beneficial microorganisms.

The industry standard process in the production of preserved microbial products is through the use of freeze-drying. While this process is relatively simple, the negative result of using this process is that the microbes have been stunned and their energy reserves are low. Once reconstituted with water it usually takes weeks for them to reactivate and begin repopulation. Our product is not made with freeze-dried microbes in a dry mix recipe. Rather it is made through the use of a proprietary culture batch and dehydration process.

During manufacture the microbial interactions are under constant observation. When it is determined that the organism interactions in the liquid batch are just right, the liquid is propelled as a mist into a dehydration chamber, and then dehydrated in mid-air. This basically coerces the microbes into a natural hibernation state called “suspended animation.” During periods of drought microbes will intentionally create a “shell” of sorts around themselves and enter a state of hibernation of their own accord in order to preserve themselves until situations are again suitable for normal activity. Unlike standard freeze-dried microbial products, once Soil Fertility Accelerator is reconstituted with water the microbes begin populating within seconds.

Our scientists have developed a proprietary method over the course of 40 years to completely eliminate all pathogens. That is saying something, because even good compost contains pathogens. Through the process of careful blending and batch control of microbial groups they also have the ability to “feed” the mix with beneficial predatory microorganisms until potential pathogens are completely consumed or eliminated. That process of pathogen predation and defense will continue in your soil through continued application.

What results from this process is a blended mix of very carefully crafted groups of highly adaptive microbes that is free of pathogens. To be completely correct, there are specific concentrations of microbes actually added to the product in order for us to get a label that we can put on the package. The rest of the organisms contained in the mix cannot be listed because the populations and specific species are in fact somewhat variable. Based on some testing, the actual number of species in the mix may be in the hundreds of millions. But our scientists know exactly what they are looking for, and have been able to create something that can truly revolutionize the agriculture, gardening, and landscaping industries, and we believe, ultimately has the power to heal the planet.

Adapts to Any Climate

SFA and the other products carried by Eden Institute are designed for adaptation to any soil type and climate. Not all of the microbes in the microbial mix will survive, but that is partially the point. it creates an adaptive capacity that is always moving towards increased fertility. The native beneficial soil microbes are nourished by the microorganisms and other ingredients contained in these products. Those organisms that are not able to thrive become food sources for those that are.

Some of the beneficial microorganisms found in your native soil maintain a scant survival population until a food source comes along. In nature this may happen during a flood, or following an insect plague or fire. For example, in the eastern half of the United States there are cicada cycles that occur every 11-14 years. These population booms leave a massive amount of proteins and other nutrients in the soil that increase fertility for many seasons. Populations of certain organisms thrive in the months and years following a devastating wildfire, or after nutrients are deposited during floods. These are normal fluctuations in microbial food sources, but imagine if we could harness the power of those events consistently without the devastation! That is what you get with Soil Fertility Accelerator!

Direction & Rates

LIQUID APPLICATION: Add 4 to 8 fluid ounces of water to each 1 weight measured ounce of SFA in a container and agitate until the powder goes into full suspension. Next add water and other liquid fertilizers as directed. Then add the pre-mixed solution of SFA to the tank and top the tank with water to disperse SFA throughout the tank. Apply directly after adding to the tank.

HYDROSEED APPLICATION: Add measured quantity of SFA directly into a hydroseed slurry and mix thoroughly until SFA is fully dispersed throughout the slurry. Apply immediately after adding to the slurry.  

DRY APPLICATION: Mix a measured quantity of SFA into a small amount of water and mix into a slurry. Add slurry to dry fertilizers and tumble thoroughly to evenly disperse the slurry. Make sure the product is not tacky to the touch before applying through a spreader.

ROW CROP AGRICULTURE: Apply in furrow at a rate of 1.7 oz per acre; or broadcast 3.4 oz per acre. 

TURF, GARDENS, FRUIT TREES & ORNAMENTALS: Apply at a rate of 3.4 to 6.8 oz per acre, or approx 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp per gallon of water per 1,000 sf.

GRASS SEED/ HYDROSEED: Apply at a rate of 3.4 to 6.8 oz per acre, or approximately 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp per 1,000 sf.

INLINE FERTIGATION: Mix in the tank approximately 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp per 1,000 square feet of area to be treated, flushed through the system on the “fast” setting leaving none in the tank when complete. 

NOTE: Rates and concentrations will vary based on plant needs and soil conditions. Recommended application schedule is every 4 to 6 weeks.

Application

SFA and related products may be used as a dry additive to other powdered or granular fertilizer mixes, or as an inoculant to coat seeds before sprouting. For example peas and many legumes benefit greatly from inoculation by various species of fungi to thrive. 

The preferred method of use is as a liquid application in order to get the microbes to their destination quickly and populating. Every microorganism in the mix either will consume or serve as a food source for a consuming microbe. The more quickly the product is able to make contact with your native soil the better it can adapt to your specific soil environment. 

It is recommended that the product is first mixed at a rate of 1 ounce of product into 8-12 ounces of water, until the product is completely dissolved as a slurry. Then you will add your slurry concentrate to your quantity of water that you’re going to apply. The most common application method is a garden pump sprayer, or a hose-end sprayer, but an inline fertigation system is also highly recommended. Learn how to use SFA in an inline fertigation system HERE.

When using it as an additive to your standard application fertilizer mixes it may be combined dry or semi dry, but must entirely dry before application because the product will become tacky when wet. 

Most of the organisms in the product thrive in a soil environment in the root zone of a plant, so while SFA may be used beneficially as a foliar application or as a soil preparation prior to planting, it will have its greatest effect as a soil drench around existing plants.

Storage & Handling

SFA and related products will need to be stored at temperatures between 40° F and 85° F in a dark place protected from direct sunlight or high heat. Do not allow moisture to come in contact with any product that is not being used. When not in use, remove excess air from the pouch and seal to avoid clumping. Do not inhale. Use only as directed. If clumping occurs, crush clumps into usable sized particles and mix with water as needed. After mixing some powder may remain in suspension. 

Conclusion

The microbial soil network is not sufficiently understood by most agriculturists, and yet it is essential. When we just study NPK and take a soil test to determine those levels it’s insufficient to determine the true health of our plants. It is possible to have sufficient NPK to grow plants, but simultaneously have a plant that is highly susceptible to disease or lacking other essential nutrients and thereby not have everything it needs to perform all its functions. Our modern food sources are grown with sufficient NPK, but are rapidly losing nutrients and flavor over just a few decades. 

Microbes are an essential component of healthy soil and crops. Many of our agricultural soils are currently degrading, yet we have the resources to heal them. Microbially active soil amendments are an essential tool in the horticultural tool belt. When beneficial microbes are supplemented, and existing beneficial microbes are nourished in your native soil they have the ability to provide that plant with everything that it needs. And if the plant is healthy, the food it produces will be healthy too.

Most soil amendments, while not altogether devoid of microbial life, are severely lacking in bacteria and fungi that live in symbiosis with plants. Store-bought bagged products are produced by saprophytes living in a compost environment where the only plants that are there are dead plants. Commercial bagged composts are often not only made only from tree chippings and inputs of nitrogen fertilizer (limiting the diversity of inputs into compost limits the outputs), but are produced in a less-than-ideal environment then allowed to be sun-leached in order to reduce the odors. Ultimately, those products are often as, or more sterile than, your own native soil.

Standard microbial products available on the market today are weak, isolated recipes limiting their effectiveness in every environment, slow to activate, or contaminated with pathogens or fast acting fillers that are detrimental to the mycorrhizal fungi population. Soil Fertility Accelerator is a powerful solution for gardeners, maintenance crews, or commercial producers alike.

With a regular application of Soil Fertility Accelerator we now have one of the most important interventions to soil degradation, desertification, and limiting nutrients. We are very excited to be able to offer you this incredible product! Welcome to Eden Institute!

~Jason Tibbetts

Edible Landscape Artist & Ecological Gardening Educator