Citizen Science Kit

Description

Citizen Science

ONfungi fungal dominant compost (fdc) is a new way to improve soils by increasing the amount of carbon based life in the soil. This kit comes with instructions, reporting and 150g of ONfdc!

We need your help

While we and many others have learned a lot about fdc; there’s much still to learn. So we’ve developed a unique test kit, a variety of tests, and a reporting function (okay the reporting is still coming along). With your help we will increase the world’s knowledge.

We’re local and interested in what happens in Eastern Ontario.

We’re looking at

• How do soils respond?
• How much carbon is created?
• Do plants thrive?

And we’re measuring these results. We use microbiometers to test for soil carbon. And for 2022 (thanks to the 2021 supporters) we’ve been able to add a  Brix Refractometer. Which is a fancy way of saying we measure sugar in plant leaves which is an effective measure of plant nutritional health.

Citizen science is helping us determine the best ways to make, apply and use ONfdc to create richer soils, improve plant health and save the planet. Thanks for joining up!

Our ONfdc (fungal dominant compost) works in three ways

1. as a seed starter inoculate
2. as a lawn soak
3. as a garden soil enhancement

Fungal dominant enhancements are a new way to improve garden soils. They work by supporting fungal network growth. This network is made up of many carbon based life forms like protozoa, nematodes, bacteria as well as fungi of many kinds. By enriching the soil with carbon based life forms you help your garden plants grow.

Though the process of making the amendment is through composting (long slow composting with some but not to much air and water), ONfdc is not used like a regular compost. You use it more like you would a fertilizer. Small amounts go a long way.

Common methods of use

• Seed starter
  • for improved early root development
• Tree root soak
  • when transplanting or in the event of declining tree health
• Added to lawn watering replacing fertilizers
  • improves lawn water holding, root mass, lawn colour
• Worked lightly into garden soil
  • for improved harvest and nutrient density

Who benefits most

ONfdc appears to work across a wide range of plant life.

1. Trees
2. Garden vegetables
3. Lawns

Why fungi are important and indeed miraculous

Fungi have the ability to go into the earth at a level and with a productivity that plants can’t match. In fact, while fungi came first ; they have coevolved with plants for 450 million years. Fungi do two great things for plants; one, they trade the minerals the plant needs to prosper for simple sugars (carbon) the fungi needs. Fungi are excellent at extracting nutrient from soil. And two, in times of water stress, fungi will extract water from the soil that the plant can’t access and transfer it the plant roots. Fungi are pretty cool friends for plants to have.

What’s still to learn *

Fungal dominant compost is a new method of composting. The plant benefits and compost making techniques are still in development. Much has been done, great research from around the world is being reported; we have a process for making it (bioreactors!). The proviso being, the peer review process of the system is not complete on the science side. Indeed, this is why we also sell citizen science kits. We have good early evidence of a verifiable and repeatable fdc use response. That response is very encouraging. We have seen very good soil carbon expansion in multiple tests. But our work here is not done. That’s why we ask for your help. Please report the results of your use. We have experiment report forms here. (ok. soon to be here)