Sourced. Applied. Or made from scratch.
32 inputs. Real vendors. Real application rates.
Where we can teach you to make it for free, we do.
Build the biology. The biology builds the soil. The soil holds the water. Plants are downstream of microbes.
What. Decomposed organic matter, biologically alive. Not fertilizer; infrastructure.
Source. SAWS bulk compost program (cubic yard, ~$25). Garden-Ville bulk (Austin/SA). Nature's Way Resources (Conroe). Vital Earth.
Apply. 1-2 inches top-dressed annually, fall ideal. Never till in. Let the worms work it down.
Pairs with Worm castings · Biochar · Mycorrhizae
Read the article →What. Living microbial extract. 24h brew can multiply soil biology 100-1000×.
Source. MicroLife compost tea bags ($14, brews 5 gal). Or brew from your own compost.
Apply. Drench or foliar within 4h of finishing brew. 1 gal / 100 sq ft. Predawn or dusk.
Make it yourself →Pairs with Biochar (for charging) · Worm castings · Fish hydrolysate
What. Earthworm digestion concentrates microbes + plant-available nutrients. Highest biology per volume.
Source. Texas Worm Ranch (Garland, ships statewide). MicroLife Multi-Purpose 6-2-4.
Apply. 5-10% by volume in planting mix. Top-dress 1/2 cup per perennial seasonally.
Make it from a tote →What. Pyrolyzed wood. 1000-year carbon storage + microbial housing. Raw biochar steals nitrogen; must be charged.
Source. Nature's Way Resources bulk. Or make from mesquite clearings.
Apply. Charged biochar at 5-10% by volume in planting holes. Once, lasts a millennium.
Make it from mesquite →Pairs with Compost tea (to charge) · Compost · Mycorrhizae
What. Fungal spores that fuse with roots. Extends effective root area 10×. Critical in caliche.
Source. MycoApply Endo (Mycorrhizal Applications). Plant Success Granular. ~$25/lb.
Apply. 1 tsp in planting hole, directly on root ball. Must touch roots to inoculate.
Pairs with Worm castings · Compost at planting
What. Dried seaweed. Cytokinins (growth hormones) + 60+ trace minerals + alginates.
Source. Down to Earth Kelp Meal (5 lb, $22). Maxicrop liquid. Espoma Kelp Meal.
Apply. 1 cup per planting hole. Or 1 tbsp / gal water as foliar drench every 4 weeks growing season.
What. Cold-processed fish protein. Hydrolysate > emulsion — preserves enzymes + oils that feed soil fungi.
Source. Neptune's Harvest Fish Hydrolysate (gallon, $30). Coast of Maine Quoddy Lobster.
Apply. 2 oz / gal water. Foliar or drench. Every 2-3 weeks. Smells. Worth it.
What. Unsulphured blackstrap. Sugar + iron + magnesium. The food source for compost tea brewing.
Source. Feed-grade gallons at HEB / Tractor Supply (~$8/gal). Brer Rabbit at grocers.
Apply. 1 oz / gal as tea brewer feedstock. 1 cup / 5 gal on bare ground to wake dormant biology.
Pests are symptoms of imbalance. We treat the imbalance. Never the broadcast spray. Always the targeted intervention.
What. Azadirachtin from Azadirachta indica seed. Suffocates soft-body. Disrupts insect molting hormone.
Source. Dyna-Gro 100% Pure Neem (32 oz, $18). Bonide Captain Jack's. Insist cold-pressed — clarified neem has the active ingredient stripped.
Apply. 1 oz / gal + 1 tsp insecticidal soap (emulsifier). Foliar spray at dusk only. Never above 85°F — burns leaves.
Pairs with Insecticidal soap (required emulsifier)
What. Microscopic worms that hunt grubs, fleas, fire ants, weevils underground. S. feltiae for above-soil; H. bacteriophora for grubs.
Source. Arbico Organics (live, shipped overnight). BioLogic Company. ~$30 per 5M nematodes (1000 sq ft).
Apply. Apply at dusk to moist soil. Water in immediately. Soil temp 55-85°F. Use within 2 weeks of arrival.
What. Phytoseiulus persimilis hunts spider mites 5×/day. The cure for two-spotted spider mites in greenhouses + dry foliage.
Source. Arbico Organics. Koppert Biological. ~$45 per 2000 mites (covers 1500 sq ft).
Apply. Release at dusk near infestation. Humidity above 60%. Do not spray after release — kills mites.
What. Tiny stingless wasps that parasitize moth + caterpillar eggs before they hatch. Cabbage looper, hornworm, codling moth.
Source. Arbico Organics. ~$15 per 10,000 wasps (covers 4000 sq ft).
Apply. Hang cards near host plants at dusk. Weekly releases for 3-4 weeks during egg-laying season.
What. Bacillus thuringiensis bacterial spores. Caterpillar guts only — harmless to bees, birds, humans, beneficials.
Source. Bonide Thuricide. Monterey Bt. Safer Caterpillar Killer.
Apply. 1-4 tsp / gal water. Foliar spray when caterpillars active. Must be eaten to work. Reapply after rain.
Pairs with Trichogramma wasps (egg stage)
What. B. thuringiensis strain that kills mosquito + fungus gnat larvae in standing water. Specific. Will not harm dragonflies, fish, frogs.
Source. Mosquito Dunks (Summit). Mosquito Bits (granular).
Apply. 1 dunk per 100 sq ft standing water. Bits at 1 tbsp / gal in pots. Lasts 30 days.
What. Toxin from a soil bacterium (Saccharopolyspora spinosa). OMRI-listed. Effective on thrips, leafminers, fire ants, caterpillars.
Source. Monterey Garden Insect Spray. Captain Jack's Deadbug Brew. Bonide Captain Jack's.
Apply. 4 tsp / gal water. Evening only. Toxic to bees when wet — dry residue is safe.
What. Potassium salts of fatty acids. Disrupts soft-body insect cuticle. Direct contact only — no residual.
Source. Safer Insecticidal Soap. Bonide Insecticidal Soap. Or 2 tbsp Dr. Bronner's pure castile / gal water.
Apply. Spray directly on aphids, mealybugs, whitefly. Repeat every 3-5 days. Dawn or dusk only.
What. White clay particle film. Coats fruit + leaves. Confuses + irritates pests; reflects heat; prevents sunburn on fruit.
Source. Surround WP (Engelhard). 25 lb bag, $50. Treats acres.
Apply. 1/4 cup / gal water. Spray fruit trees against squash bugs, leafhoppers, fruit flies. Reapply after rain.
What. Fossil silica. Cuts insect exoskeleton — dehydrates on contact. Crawling pests, ants, roaches, fleas. Loses effect when wet.
Source. Harris Food Grade DE. Red Lake Earth. Tractor Supply.
Apply. Dust dry around plant base. Avoid blooming flowers — also kills pollinators that contact it.
Korean Natural Farming uses what is on the property to feed the property. The plants you cut. The eggshells from breakfast. The wild yeasts on the mulberry trees. Nothing imported. Nothing patented. Nothing expiring on a shelf.
It is the closest thing we have to a circular agriculture. We learned it at Master Cho Han Kyu's seminars. We use it on Johnson Ranch. Below: the four ferments to start with.
Korean Natural Farming + Indigenous Microorganisms. Free, hyper-local, anti-fragile. Made on the property, used on the property.
What. Vegetative growth tonic from spring-flush plant tips. Mugwort, mulberry, comfrey, dandelion. Free. Hyper-local microbes.
Source. Made. The plants are on your property. Brown sugar from any grocer.
Apply. 1:500 dilution. Foliar at dawn, weekly during growth phase. Smells like sweet wine.
Make FPJ + WCA →Pairs with OHN (vegetative-stage tank-mix)
What. Eggshell calcium dissolved in vinegar. Plant-available Ca for stem strength, blossom-end rot, fruit set.
Source. Made. Eggshells. Brown rice vinegar (Asian grocer, $5/bottle).
Apply. 1:1000 dilution. Foliar at flowering, weekly. Critical for tomatoes, peppers, squash.
Make FPJ + WCA →Pairs with OHN (flowering-stage tank-mix)
What. Wild fungi + bacteria collected from a healthy local forest. The richest microbial inoculant you can get — adapted to your climate, not someone else's lab.
Source. Made. Cooked rice in a wooden box, left under live oak duff 48h.
Apply. Mixed into compost piles to accelerate decomposition. Or dissolved 1:1000 and watered into beds.
Make IMO 1-4 →What. Cultured from rice rinse water + raw milk. Decomposes organic matter; suppresses pathogens; controls odor in compost piles.
Source. Made. Raw milk from a local farm (Texas: Mill King, Way Back When).
Apply. 1:1000 dilution sprayed on compost, in chicken bedding, around drains. Reduces fly populations.
Make LAB from rice rinse →What. Effective Microorganisms. Commercial blend of LAB + yeast + phototrophic bacteria. For when you don't have time to ferment.
Source. TeraGanix EM-1 Microbial Inoculant (gallon, $40). Activated with molasses 1:1:20.
Apply. 1:500 dilution. Drench or foliar. Septic-tank dosing. Pet bedding. Endless uses.
What. Angelica + ginger + garlic + cinnamon + licorice extracted in vinegar then spirits. The KNF backbone foliar tonic — strengthens immunity across every growth stage.
Source. Made. Herbs from Asian grocer (~$25 total). Brown rice vinegar + cheap vodka.
Apply. 1:1000 dilution. Foliar weekly, dawn or dusk. Stacks with FPJ (vegetative) or WCA (flowering).
Make OHN →Slow-release deposits. Once, properly applied, they work for decades. The geologic register of the soil.
What. Volcanic ash from Utah. 70+ trace minerals. Refills the periodic table that conventional ag depleted.
Source. Azomite Mineral Products (44 lb bag, $30). Available bulk at feed stores.
Apply. 1 lb / 100 sq ft annually. Top-dressed with compost. Or 1 tbsp per planting hole.
What. Glauconite. Ancient marine deposit. K + iron + trace minerals. Releases over 5-10 years.
Source. Espoma Greensand (7.5 lb, $14). Down to Earth Greensand.
Apply. 5 lb / 100 sq ft, worked into top 4 inches. Once per planting bed lifetime.
What. Mined apatite. Slow-release phosphorus + calcium. Decade-long supply. Insist soft rock — hard rock won't break down.
Source. Down to Earth Rock Phosphate (5 lb, $18). Espoma Phosphate.
Apply. 5-10 lb / 100 sq ft, mixed into bed at establishment. Boosts root systems.
What. Calcium sulfate. Adds Ca + S without raising pH. Critical for caliche soils — flocculates clay to improve drainage.
Source. Espoma Garden Gypsum. Bulk ag-grade at feed stores (~$10 / 40 lb).
Apply. 20-40 lb / 1000 sq ft annually for clay/caliche. Water in. Won't burn anything.
What. Ground alfalfa. Triacontanol (growth stimulant) + 2-3% nitrogen + trace minerals. Especially good for roses.
Source. Down to Earth Alfalfa Meal (5 lb, $14). Or rabbit/horse pellets at Tractor Supply (~$15 / 50 lb).
Apply. 1 cup per shrub annually, scratched into surface. Top with mulch.
Last resort. Never first. Disease is the symptom of weak biology + poor airflow. Fix the cause; rarely treat the effect.
What. Bacterial biofungicide. Suppresses powdery mildew, fire blight, downy mildew, leaf spot. Out-competes pathogens; doesn't kill them.
Source. Bayer Serenade ASO (quart, $25). Garden Safe Brand Fungicide3.
Apply. 4 tbsp / gal water. Weekly during pressure. Foliar. Safe day-of-harvest.
Pairs with OHN (foliar disease duo)
What. Copper sulfate + slaked lime. The original organic fungicide (1880s, French vineyards). Last resort for severe disease. Copper accumulates in soil — use sparingly.
Source. Bonide Liquid Copper. Or mix from copper sulfate (4 oz) + hydrated lime (10 oz) + water (3 gal).
Apply. Dormant season only on fruit trees + grapes. Not during bloom — kills bees.
What. Soil fungus that parasitizes Pythium, Fusarium, Rhizoctonia root pathogens. Treats damping-off + root rot at the source.
Source. Plant Doctor (Southern Ag). RootShield (BioWorks). TerraGrow.
Apply. 1 tsp / gal as soil drench at planting + monthly. Soil temp 60°F+.
Pairs with Mycorrhizae · Compost at planting
We source anything in this catalog — and most everything not listed. Compost teas, custom blends, salvaged stone, fountain hardware. Inside the week.
Open the source-it intake →