Busting the Myth: Creating the Perfect Organic Living Soil Is Easy
Introduction
There’s a common misconception floating around the gardening world that organic living soils are all the same, or that you can just throw some compost, peat, and aeration together, throw in some amendments and call it a high-performance mix. This is the first in a series of myth-busting articles designed to take you behind the scenes of our journey in crafting a certified organic living soil that performs under pressure. Whether you're a medicinal home grower, organic veggie gardener, or simply someone passionate about organic cultivation, this series will shed light on the rigorous science behind the soil and why not all mixes are created equal.
From Backyard Blends to Agronomic Precision
The story of Easy As Organics has always been rooted in experimentation, education, and evidence. Over the years, we’ve tested many soil formulas using both microscopy and comprehensive soil chemistry analyses as well as growth trials. We set a goal to formulate a mix that supports vigorous plant growth through natural, biological processes of nutrient mineralisation with a high nutrient and water holding capacity but still containing excellent drainage and air filled porosity.
But Australia presents unique challenges. Resources for organic growing media are limited. Access to raw materials to formulate a quality living soil growing media are also limited. Local expertise in biological soil management and regenerative agriculture are definitely here and growing and there is some impressive work being done for broad acre regenerative farming. However when it comes to organic cultivation in engineered, mixed organic growing media, especially in protected cropping environments, the available information and supporting businesses are scarce. To push our soil to the next level, we needed to look beyond borders.
Enter KiS Organics.
In 2023, at the Soil Life Summit in Nevada City, California, we connected with the team at KiS Organics. Their reputation for data-driven soil science and a shared commitment to sustainable solutions for organic controlled environment agriculture made the collaboration a natural fit. I was already well acquainted with their vision and brand trust, having followed their journey from before the founding of Easy As Organics. Their reputation for evidence-based organic cultivation products and services became known around the world and I saw a great opportunity to associate Easy As Organics with this brand.
Though our businesses operate on opposite sides of the world, our values aligned:
- Simple organic cultivation practice, centred around high quality living soil with minimal inputs needed
- High quality food and medicine production with minimal inputs and low ongoing cost of production.
- Transparency, testing, and continuous improvement
The idea to co-develop a soil mix custom made for Australian conditions using the combined agronomic insights of both teams was born.
The Dirty Work: Lab Tests, Field Trials, and Amendments
This collaboration wasn’t a rushed product launch. We committed to a full R&D process, investing thousands into testing and formulations.
We began by building a new base mix from:
- Coarse Lithuanian peat moss
- Medium-grade perlite
- Volcanic scoria
- Biochar (5% by volume)
- Certified organic pine bark-based compost for horticulture
During this initial phase, every input was tested for heavy metals and nutrients to ensure purity and efficacy. This guided our ingredient selection so we could choose the highest quality inputs based on real data. From this, we sent samples of each test batch by testing through Logan Labs and EAL, refining mineral balances until the lab results started to look really good. This process was repeated many times over the course of 2 years until we finally achieved satisfactory results. This was a result of trying a few different composts. The more traditional, nutrient dense composts available turned out to be unsuitable for container growing due to consistently high sodium, chloride, overall salinity and heavy metals. These composts made formulation very difficult to achieve any kind of precision around fertility. As soon as we began formulating around a much lighter composted pine bark, fertility became easier to steer and dial in as we were able to add a lot of mineral and organic amendments to get close to target levels and achieve a well balanced mix. A multi-strain Bacillus consortium was incorporated at batching to enhance early nutrient mineralisation, particularly the nitrification of ammonium to plant-available nitrate, thereby supporting optimal nutrient availability during the critical establishment phase of plant growth.
Certifying Quality: AS3743 Compliance, SXC Certified Organic & National Transportability
After two years of formulation, field performance, and lab analysis, we had a product we were proud of. But to truly serve the Australian market—especially commercial growers—we needed to go one step further. We pursued and achieved AS3743 certification, making the soil compliant for commercial potting mix standards in Australia.
Australia has strict biosecurity regulations to prevent the spread of plant pests, diseases, and invasive species between states. Moving untested soil or compost across borders can be restricted and in some cases prohibited unless the material meets specific cleanliness and safety standards.
AS3743 certification helps address these requirements because the standard includes controls on raw material sourcing, compost maturity, and the absence of viable weed seeds and plant pathogens. By meeting these criteria, our living soil can be transported into most states without additional quarantine treatment, saving growers from delays, inspection fees, or the risk of having material refused at the border.
We have also maintained organic certification since 2020. NASAA has unfortunately gone into administration so we have transferred our certification to Southern Cross Certified.
Consistent particle size and structure: In an engineered living soil, the physical structure is just as important as the nutrient profile. Particle size distribution directly affects air filled porosity (AFP), which is the volume of air in the root zone after watering, and water holding capacity (WHC), which is the soil’s ability to store moisture for plant use.
- Air Filled Porosity (AFP): Roots require oxygen for respiration, and a lack of air in the rhizosphere can quickly lead to anaerobic conditions, root stress, and disease. By using a carefully graded combination of coarse and fine particles, our mix maintains an optimal AFP that supports healthy root metabolism and microbial activity, even in high moisture environments.
- Water Holding Capacity (WHC): Adequate WHC ensures plants have access to water between irrigations without the mix becoming waterlogged. This is particularly important in living soil systems, where moisture also supports microbial life and nutrient mineralisation. A balance of moisture retention and drainage is achieved through the combination of peat moss, biochar, scoria, and perlite, allowing for both consistent hydration and rapid removal of excess water.
By engineering the mix with a consistent particle size range, we avoid compaction over time, maintain predictable aeration and moisture dynamics, and provide a stable environment for both roots and the soil food web. This structural consistency is essential for reproducible performance from batch to batch, which is critical for growers seeking reliability across multiple crop cycles.
Nitrogen Drawdown Index (NDI) in Living Soil
The Nitrogen Drawdown Index (NDI) is part of the AS3743 standard and is used to assess whether the organic component of a potting mix will immobilise nitrogen as it decomposes. When composted materials are not fully stabilised, soil microbes can consume large amounts of nitrogen to break down the remaining carbon, leaving less nitrogen available to plants.
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An NDI below 0 indicates that nitrogen will likely be immobilised (drawn down), which can cause deficiency in young plants.
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An NDI above 0 indicates that nitrogen is less likely to be tied up, and the mix will provide sufficient available nitrogen for early growth.
For living soil, this measurement is critical. Our mix is designed to achieve an NDI within the premium-grade range, meaning the compost fraction is mature and stable. This ensures plants have access to nitrogen immediately after transplant, while the soil food web continues to cycle and mineralise nutrients for sustained growth throughout the crop cycle.
Electrical conductivity (EC) and pH: Electrical conductivity (EC) measures the concentration of soluble salts in the mix, which is important for avoiding nutrient burn or osmotic stress. In living soil, much of the nutrient reserve is in slow-release organic and mineral forms, so EC reflects only the fraction immediately available to plants at the time of testing. Our mix is formulated to fall within AS3743 premium-grade EC limits. The EC is high enough to support vigorous early growth, but low enough to protect seedlings and salt-sensitive crops.
pH is equally important, as it influences how available each nutrient is to plants and microbes. A pH that is too low can limit calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus uptake, while a pH that is too high can lock out iron, manganese, and other micronutrients. Our living soil is buffered within the ideal range for both nutrient availability and microbial activity, ensuring stable chemistry even as biological processes release nutrients over time.
Why This Matters for Growers
This formulation has been developed to provide consistent, measurable performance in a wide range of cultivation scenarios. Balanced mineral composition and optimised physical structure promote steady nutrient uptake and sustained crop vigour throughout the growth cycle. The mix supports high microbial diversity and includes beneficial Bacillus species, which contribute to accelerated nutrient mineralisation, particularly nitrogen transformation, enhancing early root development and canopy establishment. Particle size distribution is engineered to deliver both excellent drainage and optimal water holding capacity, maintaining root zone aeration while reducing irrigation frequency. This balance makes the mix suitable for applications ranging from seedling establishment to full term cropping in raised beds or containers. Designed as a complete water only medium, it supports low input organic cultivation while maintaining nutrient availability and biological activity, with only minimal supplementation required during a crop cycle or targeted amendments between cycles when reusing the media.
Stay Tuned: Soil Science Without the Sales Pitch
This blog series is about bringing transparency and depth to the soil conversation. We’ll continue to explore misunderstood topics around living soil cultivation—breaking down common myths while sharing what really works (and what doesn’t) based on years of research and growing experience.
Want to know more about what makes a soil “living”? Or why biochar, peat, and compost ratios matter more than you think? Subscribe to our newsletter or follow us on Instagram @easyasorganics to stay informed.
Final Thoughts
The launch of our collaborative soil mix with KiS Organics marks a major milestone, but it’s just the beginning. For growers who care about clean inputs, consistent performance, and the health of their soil food web, we’ve built this mix for you. You can visit your nearest stockist or buy directly online.
Potting Mix Trials Update
- Easy As Organics Water Only Soil vs Commercially Available Certified Organic Potting Mix
Plants grown in biologically active soils exude compounds from their roots via photosynthesis to attract microbes into the rhizosphere in exchange for the nutrients it needs. The more diverse a soil microbiome, the more effective this natural process is. This is very different to a conventional approach where the grower will be the one responsible for providing nutrients in ionic form to the plant directly via a liquid solution. I hope that this trial will demonstrate clearly the true nature of living soils in action when compared with a regular organic potting mix that can be found in any local nursery or department store.
The hypothesis:
Plants grown in Easy As Organics Water Only Soil will out-perform a commercially available certified organic, certified to meet Australian standards for compost (AS4454) potting mix. The performance will be noticeable in the later stages of vegetative growth towards flowering and especially in yield and quality.
The label on the commercially available potting soil product claims to be a rich organic potting mix with enough nutrients for 3 months of healthy plant growth.
The methodology consists of 4 plants, each growing in a 45L container inside a 1.2 x 1.2m growing tent. An extraction fan was installed to pull fresh air via a centrally located vent at the bottom. A single 315w ceramic metal halide lamp mounted in a reflector at the top of the tent with a light cycle of 15 hours on and 9 hours off will provide wide spectrum lighting.
Plant variety is Purple Ghost Chilli from a renowned chilli breeder. Seeds were propagated in a seed raising mix containing 80% peat, 10% aeration, 10% worm castings and amended with lime and kelp meal. 4 seedlings with the most similar characteristics were planted in each 45L container. The 2 growing on the left is growing in Water Only Soil and 2 on the right is Certified Organic Potting Mix (un-named)
An automatic, gravity fed Blumat system was installed. Rather than introducing a variable by hand watering, plants are only taking what they needed based on soil requirements.
It should be noted that temperatures have been very cold and are contributing to the slower rate of growth. I placed a gentle greenhouse bar heater to take the chill off.
Living soil on the left is clearly ahead. I was not expecting this dramatic of a result so soon in the trial. Both potting soils and leaf tissue samples will be sent to a lab for analysis at the end so we can have more data to help make sense of the results. Hopefully the experiment can help those looking for higher performing soils containing better ingredients but are perhaps hesitant to spend extra money. Stay tuned for updates and a time lapse video at the end of the trial!
Living organic soil vs standard organic potting mix
Grow trial
For this trial I have 3x 45L fabric pots with our Water Only Soil and a single 45L fabric pot with the most expensive organic potting soil available from Bunnings.
Organic purple ghost chillies have been propagated from seed and I'll pick 4 of the most similar look seedlings for the trial. The seeds were coated in a mycorrhizal inoculant and will get a second dusting of mycorrhizae when transplanted into their containers.
Blumats will be taking care of watering automatically so all pots will get a steady supply of water based on its individual needs.
Worm castings, soil gold
Vermicompost is the key to successful organic crop production
Earth worms have been studied by philosophers, pharaohs and scientists for thousands of years. Cleopatra VII, the last Egyptian Pharaoh sentenced to death anyone attempting to smuggle worms out of Egypt. Aristotle called worms "intestines of the earth". The productive role of earth worms in the cultivation of crops have only been properly researched in recent decades. Vermicomposting helps solve waste problems by digesting raw organic food scraps, manures and other organic materials through biological decomposition and excreting a perfect fertiliser called worm castings or vermicast. It is a fertiliser rich in NPK, micronutrients, plant growth regulators and an incredible diversity of highly beneficial soil microbes. Effectively, compost worms transforms organic waste into soil gold.
Worm castings are the richest source of humus
Vermicompost contain a high level of humus, rich in humic acid. This improves air porosity and water holding capacity which dramatically increases health and vigour of young seedlings and mature plants. Humic acid contained in worm castings have many cation exchange sites that hold plant available nutrients such as calcium, iron, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and sulfur. It holds onto these plant available nutrients in solution and releases them to plants when they need them. The humic acid in worm castings dissolves organic minerals, stimulates root growth and reduces plant stress while enhancing nutrient uptake.
The high humus content in worm castings provides disease and pathogen prevention from unwanted organisms such as root rot. Worm castings contain beneficial microorganisms and are many times higher than populations found in most soils and thermophilic composts. Earthworms stimulate these soil microbes such as nitrogen fixing and phosphate solubilising bacteria as well as actinomycetes and mycorrhizal fungi. Worm castings are the most important input in your soil due to the high content of humus and slow release, plant available nutrients.
Natural plant growth promoting hormones
Worm castings promote incredible growth and plant health beyond what simple nutrient uptake could ever achieve. This comes from the many forms of natural growth hormones contained in the vermicast. Studies have shown worm castings to contain cytokinins, auxins and flowering hormones, gibberellins. Plants grown in soil that contains worm castings show faster flower development than without worm castings.
Pest and disease prevention
Vermicompost has the ability to ward off and prevent pest attacks from hard bodied insects such as spider mites and aphids. This is due to the chitinase enzyme produced by the worms which destroys the insect bodies made of chitin. The addition of chitin inputs in your soil like malted barley or crustacean shells will further stimulate chitinase enzyme-producing microbes. The diverse polulations of microbes have the ability to out-compete pathogenic organisms, drastically reducing fungal disease and root knot nematodes.
Vermicompost in your soil mixes
Studies show undoubted benefits from the addition of worm castings to your potting mixes and garden beds. Vermicompost can be used by topdressing soil and watered in or blending into a potting mix at 20% of total volume for maxium benefit. Worm castings are the key to successful organic crops and eliminates the need for harmful chemical fertilisers.