Organic Fertiliser

A bio-fertiliser can be broadly defined as preparations containing living or latent cells of microorganisms that, when applied to seed, plant surfaces, or soil, promote growth by several mechanisms such as increasing the supply of nutrients, increasing root biomass or root area and increasing nutrient uptake capacity of the plant.

The definition of bio-fertilisers can be close to bio-stimulants; another class of products that help plant growth. They too can be defined as “a substance or microorganism that, when applied to seeds, plants, or on the rhizosphere, stimulates natural processes to enhance or benefit nutrient uptake, nutrient use efficiency, tolerance to abiotic stress, or crop quality and yield.

The main difference is that bio-fertilisers are expected to contain sufficient levels of plant nutrients (e.g. Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, etc.)

We label Arktivate as a bio-fertiliser because it carries all the properties of both bio-stimulants and fertilisers, delivering a diverse microbial ecosystem needed for plants to thrive, while also containing the required plant nutrients for growth.

Arktivake is a “living” bio-fertiliser that delivers a diverse ecology of beneficial microorganisms that help plants thrive. It also contains all the macro and micro nutrients required for plant growth.

 

Our solid and liquid Arktivate mediums are purposefully designed to build and sustain microbial life. This thriving ecology in turn creates beneficial biological compounds for plants, physically improves the soil and provides means of defence against pests, diseases and environmental stress – resulting in vibrant, healthy and happy plant growth. All done without the use of harsh synthetic chemicals or harmful pesticides.

 

Unlike synthetic fertilisers which deliver nutrients in chemically derived forms, Arktivate uses gently extracted nutrients derived from organic sources, preserving all their natural and biological benefits. This nutrition is readily bio-available, resulting in an easy uptake of nutrients for plants.

 

In our solid Arktivate, we enhance the nutritional aspects even further, by adding vermicast and biochar to the product.

It is meant to be used as a fertiliser, but it can be used as either!

As a fertiliser, solid Arktivate contains slow release organic plant nutrients.

Adding to this, the ecosystem of microbiology in solid Arktivate naturally produces beneficial compounds that stimulate and aid healthier plant growth. They also mine and release any available nutrients in the soil that may have been locked away as unavailable or insoluble.

Due to this microbial action, solid Arktivate also makes an excellent potting mix, albeit a slightly more expensive one!

They are pretty much the same product, just in different mediums.

Both contain diverse and high counts of live microbiology in them, although Liquid Arktivate will have less – due to not having any solid surfaces within the liquid for microbes to attach themselves to and colonise.

However, Liquid Arktivate does have its advantages over the solid medium. It is quick and clean to use, contains soluble plant nutrients that can be quickly absorbed, and can penetrate the soil more deeply through watering.

Yes, and it is something we recommend!

Solid Arktivate contains slow release organic plant nutrients. We have also purposefully created it as a medium that houses and provides an environment for our unique ecology of beneficial microbes to thrive in and acts mostly around the root zone. With that in mind, Liquid Arktivate can be used together with our solid Arktivate product to bolster and strengthen the microbial population when watering. It can also reach places that solid Arktivate cannot. Spraying liquid Arktivate as a foliar application (spraying on the plant leaves and stem) can help create a microbiological “shield” to fend against pests and disease, in addition to other plant growth benefits that our microbes create.

Liquid Arktivate also contains soluble plant nutrients that are quickly absorbed, and provide a quick drink of nutrition for your plants when watering.

All nutrients in solid and liquid Arktivate are gently extracted from organic sources, and will never burn your plants, so there is no need to worry about over-fertilisation and overuse.

Yes! We are confident that your plant will receive 100% of its needs with either solid or liquid Arktivate.

Our fertilisers are derived through gentle enzymatic extraction from natural and organic sources. We keep nature’s best by ensuring we do not denature our ingredients through harsh chemical extractions in our production process and is part of the reason why the NPK numbers are lower. All the extracted plant nutrition and beneficial organic compounds in Arktivate are readily available to your plants upon application.

Additionally, the action of our beneficial microbial ecosystem creates beneficial organic compounds of their own. It will also hold and cycle nutrients biologically, including any that may have been locked up in your existing soil. This means Arktivate goes a longer way than other fertilisers, which may instead be washed out under heavy rain or watering conditions.

We have provided some general instructions for how much to use on our packaging. As further guidance, a good general rule of thumb to follow would be about 1 litre of solid Arktivate for 1 square metre of planted area. If you are planting in pots, an easy indication would be a loose handful for a pot 4 inches (10cm) in diameter; you can scale up or down accordingly based on the size of your pot.

For liquid Arktivate, we recommend a fortnightly application of 1:50 dilution for seedlings, young plants and smaller plants, and a 1:20 dilution for older and more mature plants, including shrubs and small trees – using the same amount of water as you would when usually watering.

We do know that some liquid fertilisers or chemical nutrients do have much higher dilution ratios such as 1:100 and some even as high as 1:500.

In Arktivate, we focus on delivering a diverse ecosystem of living microbes. This aspect of living microbes is important to us because latent or dormant microorganisms may not waken and be able to take hold in the soil or on the plant when applied.

Because of this, we do not try and force higher concentrations in our formulation at the expense of the live biodiversity of our microbes. Rest assured, that it is an equally, if not more effective product due to the “living” nature of the product.

If we are able to find new way and processes to raise the concentration of our formula, we will be sure to do so, and pass this on to our valued consumers.

Yes! We are confident that solid Arktivate will blend well with other potting mixes. The microbial ecosystem may in fact actually help to improve your existing potting mix, by forming micro and macro aggregates in your soil, creating better water and air channels.

See also – Is solid Arktivate a potting mix or a fertiliser?

Both are suitable, but we would tend to recommend our liquid Arktivate a bit more! Using liquid Arktivate delivers plant soluble nutrients as well as our diverse ecosystem of beneficial microbes into your planting media, without changing any of its physical characteristics.

Our solid Arktivate will do the same and possibly better, but if you are concerned with the physical properties of your planting media; e.g. Larger sized wood chips for orchids and aroids, or partially aquatic plants like lotuses or watercress, liquid Arktivate will be a better choice for you.

Yes! In fact, Arktivate was made with the agriculture industry in mind. Most of industrial agriculture uses large amounts of chemical fertiliser and pesticides for predictable yields and in the process has extensively damaged the fertility and health of the ground. We created Arktivate to address this, as a way to instead improve the fertility of land over time, regenerating the earth, all while providing nutrition and protection for the crop.