Dr Forest
Organic Grow-Kashi Bokashi UK | EM-Fermented Soil Conditioner
Organic Grow-Kashi Bokashi UK | EM-Fermented Soil Conditioner
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Grow-Kashi — live probiotic soil conditioner with fermented biochar, bokashi & mycorrhizal fungi
Fertiliser feeds the plant. Grow-Kashi feeds the soil. It is a live probiotic soil conditioner — a concentrated blend of beneficial bacteria, fungi, and biostimulant compounds designed to inoculate your growing medium with the microbial communities that drive nutrient cycling, disease suppression, and root health. This is not a fertiliser in the NPK sense. It is the biological infrastructure that makes fertiliser work properly.
Grow-Kashi is made fresh to order because it contains living organisms. Each batch is built from seven premium ingredients: Dr Higa's Bokashi Bran (EM lactic acid bacteria, yeasts, and photosynthetic bacteria), fermented biochar (a slow-fermented substrate colonised by a custom blend of bacteria and fungi), diastatic malted barley (a source of enzymes and readily available sugars), organic Indian neem meal (a natural pest suppressant and soil conditioner), Scottish seaweed (growth hormones and trace minerals), humic and fulvic acid (chelation and root membrane transport), and mycorrhizal fungi (the symbiotic root network that extends nutrient and water uptake by orders of magnitude).
A single application to the soil surface introduces billions of beneficial organisms into your growing medium. The result — visible within days as a white bacterial bloom on the soil surface — is the beginning of a living soil ecosystem that improves nutrient availability, suppresses pathogenic organisms, and produces the secondary metabolites responsible for the flavour, aroma, and nutritional quality of your crops.
What Grow-Kashi is used for
- Inoculating new potting soil and growing media — fresh compost and bagged potting mixes are often biologically sterile or impoverished; Grow-Kashi introduces the bacterial and fungal communities that a living soil needs to cycle nutrients effectively
- Reviving tired or re-used soil in containers and raised beds — soil that has been cropped repeatedly loses microbial diversity; a top-dressing of Grow-Kashi re-establishes the biology and restores the nutrient-cycling capacity of exhausted media
- Boosting nutrient breakdown from organic fertilisers — organic fertilisers rely on soil micro-organisms to mineralise their nutrients into plant-available forms; Grow-Kashi accelerates this process by introducing the bacteria and fungi that do the work
- Supporting mycorrhizal colonisation in root zones — the mycorrhizal fungi in Grow-Kashi form symbiotic networks with plant roots, dramatically extending the root system's effective reach for water and mineral nutrients
- Natural pest and disease suppression — neem meal provides natural pest-repellent compounds; the diverse microbial community outcompetes pathogenic organisms for space and resources in the root zone
- Improving flavour and aroma in fruit, vegetables and herbs — the secondary metabolites produced by microbial nutrient processing are directly responsible for the complex flavours, aromas, and nutritional quality that distinguish organically grown produce
- Houseplant and indoor container soil health — indoor growing media are particularly prone to biological decline; regular Grow-Kashi applications maintain a healthy microbiome in pots and containers year-round
- Living soil and no-till systems — Grow-Kashi is a core component of any living soil or no-till growing system, providing the microbial inoculant that these systems depend on for nutrient cycling without synthetic inputs
Why your soil needs biology, not just fertiliser
Soil with active biology (what Grow-Kashi builds)
- Organic fertiliser nutrients are mineralised efficiently — the biology does the conversion work
- Mycorrhizal networks extend root reach for water and mineral uptake
- Pathogenic organisms are suppressed by competition from beneficial microbes
- Secondary metabolites (flavour, aroma compounds) are produced during microbial processing
- Soil structure improves over time as microbial activity produces organic glues that bind aggregates
- Nutrient retention increases — biology prevents leaching by holding nutrients in the microbial biomass
Soil without active biology
- Organic fertilisers sit in the soil without being converted to plant-available forms
- No mycorrhizal network — roots must find all water and nutrients alone
- Pathogenic organisms face no competition and can proliferate unchecked
- Flavour and aroma development is poor — the microbial metabolites are missing
- Soil structure declines — no biological glues, no aggregate formation
- Common in fresh potting mixes, re-used container soil, and synthetic-fertiliser-dependent systems
The science of living soil: how Grow-Kashi's seven ingredients build a functional microbiome
A soil is only as productive as its biology
Plants do not absorb most nutrients directly from soil minerals or organic fertilisers. They absorb them from the microbial intermediaries that process, mineralise, and transport those nutrients into plant-available forms. A teaspoon of healthy soil contains billions of bacteria, metres of fungal hyphae, and thousands of species of micro-organisms — each playing a role in the nutrient cycle. When this biology is absent or impoverished — as it is in fresh potting mixes, re-used container soil, and soils degraded by years of synthetic fertiliser use — even the best organic fertiliser will underperform because there is nothing there to break it down.
Grow-Kashi is designed to solve this specific problem. It is not a fertiliser — it is the biological workforce that makes fertiliser effective. Each of its seven ingredients contributes a different functional group of organisms or a substrate that supports microbial establishment and activity. Together they create a complete, self-sustaining soil microbiome from a single application.
Seven ingredients — seven functions
Dr Higa's Bokashi Bran — Lactic Acid Bacteria, Yeasts & Photosynthetic Bacteria
The foundation of the microbial blend. Rice bran inoculated with Dr Higa's original EM-1 culture containing lactic acid bacteria (the same group that produces yoghurt and sauerkraut), yeasts (the same species used in bread-making and brewing), and photosynthetic bacteria (purple non-sulphur bacteria that metabolise hydrogen sulphide and ammonia). These three groups work synergistically — each produces substrates the others use — creating a stable, self-reinforcing microbial community that suppresses pathogens and drives fermentative nutrient cycling.
Fermented Biochar — a Permanent Microbial Habitat
Biochar is a highly porous, carbon-stable material with an enormous internal surface area — one gram can contain the equivalent of hundreds of square metres of surface. In Grow-Kashi, the biochar is not raw — it is pre-colonised through a slow fermentation process with volcanic rock dust, diastatic malted barley, worm castings, humic acid, and a premium compost extract containing mycorrhizal fungi. The result is a living substrate: a permanent housing structure for bacteria and fungi that protects them from desiccation, predation, and environmental stress. The biochar persists in soil for decades, providing a long-term microbial reservoir.
Diastatic Malted Barley — Enzymes & Microbial Food
Diastatic malted barley is barley that has been germinated and dried at low temperature, preserving its enzyme content. It contains active amylase, protease, and phosphatase enzymes that begin breaking down complex organic molecules on contact with soil moisture — effectively pre-digesting organic matter for the microbial community. The readily available sugars and amino acids in the malt also serve as an immediate food source for the introduced organisms, fuelling their rapid establishment in the new environment.
Organic Indian Neem Meal — Pest Suppression & Soil Conditioning
Neem meal is the residue left after oil extraction from the seeds of the neem tree (Azadirachta indica). It contains azadirachtin and other limonoids that act as natural insect deterrents, suppressing soil-dwelling pests including fungus gnats, root aphids, and nematodes. Beyond pest control, neem meal is a rich source of organic matter and nitrogen that feeds soil biology as it decomposes. It also has documented nitrification-inhibiting properties — slowing the conversion of ammonium to nitrate, which reduces nitrogen leaching and keeps nitrogen plant-available for longer.
Scottish Seaweed — Growth Hormones & Trace Minerals
Seaweed (Ascophyllum nodosum) provides natural cytokinins, auxins, and gibberellins — plant growth hormones that stimulate root development and cell division. The trace mineral content (over 60 elements from the marine source) addresses micronutrient gaps that can limit microbial and plant performance. The alginic acid in seaweed also acts as a soil conditioner, improving aggregate stability and water retention in the growing medium.
Humic & Fulvic Acid — Chelation & Root Uptake Enhancement
Humic acid increases the cation exchange capacity (CEC) of the growing medium — its ability to hold positively charged nutrient ions (calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, manganese) and prevent them from leaching. Fulvic acid is the smaller, more biologically active fraction: it chelates mineral nutrients into plant-available complexes and increases root cell membrane permeability, improving the rate at which nutrients are transported into the plant. Together they amplify the effectiveness of every other nutrient input.
Mycorrhizal Fungi — the Symbiotic Root Network
Mycorrhizal fungi form a physical connection with plant roots, extending thread-like hyphae into soil far beyond the root zone's reach. A single plant can be connected to metres of fungal hyphae that function as an auxiliary root system — absorbing water and phosphorus from soil volumes the roots could never access alone. In exchange, the plant provides the fungi with carbon (sugars). This symbiosis is one of the most important biological relationships in soil and is particularly critical in container growing where root volume is limited. The mycorrhizal inoculant in Grow-Kashi establishes this network from the first application.
Scientific References
- Higa, T. & Parr, J.F. (1994). Beneficial and Effective Microorganisms for a Sustainable Agriculture and Environment. International Nature Farming Research Center, Atami, Japan.
- Lehmann, J. & Joseph, S. (2015). Biochar for Environmental Management (2nd ed.). Routledge. [Biochar as microbial habitat]
- Smith, S.E. & Read, D.J. (2008). Mycorrhizal Symbiosis (3rd ed.). Academic Press.
- Canellas, L.P. & Olivares, F.L. (2014). Physiological responses to humic substances. Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture, 1(1), 3.
- Schmutterer, H. (1990). Properties and potential of natural pesticides from the neem tree. Annual Review of Entomology, 35, 271–297.
- Khan, W. et al. (2009). Seaweed extracts as biostimulants. J. Plant Growth Regul., 28, 386–399.
How to use Grow-Kashi: application, storage & what to expect
Grow-Kashi is made fresh to order and contains living bacteria and fungi. Use within 6 weeks of opening the vacuum-sealed bag, and within 3 months of purchase. When storing, minimise exposure to oxygen — keep in a sealed container out of direct sunlight. The organisms are alive and active; their potency declines over time once the seal is broken. Treat this product like a fresh food item, not a shelf-stable dry fertiliser.
Application
Standard application — all plants, containers & beds
Sprinkle Grow-Kashi evenly over the soil surface after watering — not before. The moist soil surface provides the ideal environment for the organisms to migrate downward into the root zone. Do not bury or mix in — surface application is the correct method. The organisms will colonise the growing medium naturally from the surface. Use the lower rate (1 ml/L) for regular maintenance and the higher rate (3 ml/L) for new or biologically depleted soil.
New potting soil or growing medium
Fresh potting mixes are often biologically sparse. Apply the higher rate at first potting to establish the microbial community from the outset. Follow with regular maintenance applications every 4–6 weeks to sustain the biology. This is particularly important for peat-free and coir-based media, which typically contain very little native biology.
Re-used or tired container soil
Soil that has been cropped through a full season has depleted its microbial diversity. Before re-planting, apply the full rate of Grow-Kashi to the surface, water gently, and allow 3–5 days for the biology to establish before transplanting. Continue with regular fortnightly or monthly applications throughout the growing season.
Houseplants and indoor containers
Indoor growing media are especially prone to biological decline. Regular low-rate applications of Grow-Kashi maintain a healthy microbiome in houseplant pots, reducing the risk of root rot, fungus gnat infestations, and the musty odour associated with biologically dead soil. Apply after watering and leave undisturbed.
Living soil and no-till systems
Grow-Kashi is a natural fit for living soil and no-till growing. Apply at the start of each crop cycle to re-inoculate the microbial community after harvest. The fermented biochar provides a permanent microbial habitat that persists between cycles, building cumulative biological diversity with each application.
Outdoor beds, vegetable plots & flower borders
Scatter a thin, even layer across the soil surface of outdoor beds after watering or rainfall. Outdoor soils typically have more native biology than container media, so lower rates and less frequent application are usually sufficient. Focus applications on beds that have been heavily cropped or that receive intensive fertiliser inputs.
What to expect after application
- White bacterial bloom on the soil surface. Within 2–7 days of application, you will very likely see a white, fuzzy growth appearing on the soil surface. This is a bacterial bloom — a visible sign that the introduced organisms are colonising the growing medium. It is perfectly natural, completely harmless to your plants, and indicates that the product is working. Do not remove it. It will subside on its own as the microbial community establishes equilibrium.
- Improved nutrient uptake from organic fertilisers. If you are using organic dry fertilisers (like Dr Forest Veg 4-4-4 or Bloom 2-8-4), you may notice faster and more complete nutrient release after Grow-Kashi inoculation. The organisms you have introduced are the workforce that mineralises organic nutrients into plant-available forms.
- Healthier root development over time. The mycorrhizal fungi will begin colonising plant roots within 1–2 weeks. The visible effect — stronger, more resilient plants with better drought tolerance — develops over successive weeks as the fungal network extends through the growing medium.
- Reduced pest and disease pressure. The neem meal and diverse microbial community create an environment less hospitable to root-zone pests and pathogenic organisms. Fungus gnat populations in particular tend to decline following regular Grow-Kashi applications.
After opening, transfer any unused Grow-Kashi to a sealed container and store in a cool place out of direct sunlight. Minimise exposure to oxygen — the organisms are facultative anaerobes that remain most stable in low-oxygen conditions. Use within 6 weeks of opening for best results. The vacuum-sealed bag preserves potency for up to 3 months from purchase. Do not refrigerate or freeze.
Grow-Kashi is the biological complement to all Dr Forest fertilisers. Use alongside Veg 4-4-4 or Bloom 2-8-4 granular feeds — the Grow-Kashi provides the organisms that break down the organic nutrients, and the fertiliser provides the nutrients those organisms mineralise. For liquid feeding, the biology from Grow-Kashi amplifies the effectiveness of Veg Booster 5-5-5 and Bloom Booster 2-10-5 by maintaining healthy root-zone conditions. Combine with Humic Acid Granules for maximum soil CEC building and microbial habitat support.
Frequently asked questions about Grow-Kashi
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