Lennon and McCartney. Saturdays and sleeping in. Buzz and Woody. Some things just belong together. Like this mix of biochar and frass. Frass is an all-natural fertiliser made from insect manure and bursting with nutrients and good microbes. Biochar is a charcoal-like substance that comes from heating raw materials without oxygen. Can be stirred through new potting mix when repotting, or sprinkled around the root ball to bring life to old mixes. Also great to add to composts to speed up decomposition. Here are a few reasons to add this double act to your Plant Care kit: You don’t have to be rich but your soil should be. Frass holds about 240 million microbial colony forming units per gram. It holds up to 200 times more nutrients than worm castings or compost with more diversity of microbes too. They bring life to your potting mix by improving the structure of the soil and providing nutrients to your plants as they break down organic matter. Biochar keeps plants kicking through dry spells and overwatering. It boosts the capacity of soil to hold nutrients and water, complementing the richness of frass. Frass is full of mainstream and indie hits. On its own, it boasts a nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium (NPK) ratio of 4:2:2. But it’s still full of those underrated trace nutrients to help your plants flourish: iron, copper, zinc and so much more. It’s got some good chitin; the insect exoskeletons that are a natural addition when making frass. This secret weapon activates your plant’s natural defences against pathogens, like the ones that cause root rot. It increases the availability of nitrogen to your plants. Both are sustainably sourced, carbon-negative and Australian-made. Separately, frass and biochar do good things. Together, they’re an iconic duo.
