Ferments are currently considered one of the "most advanced hacks" in Living Soil.

Faster growth.
More vitality.
More active plants.

But that's precisely where the problem lies.

👉 Most of the effects that ferments produce should already be present in a functioning Living Soil system.

And that's exactly why they are often used for the wrong reasons.

What Ferments Really Are

Ferments are microbially pre-digested organic substances.

They contain:

• active microorganisms
• organic acids
• enzymes
• plant signaling compounds (e.g., auxins, cytokinins)

➡️ As a result, they often act quickly and directly on the plant.

This is why many growers perceive them as a "game changer."

Why Ferments Work

The effect is real – but it is often misinterpreted.

Ferments provide short-term:

• microbial life to weak systems
• readily available nutrients
• growth signals for the plant

👉 They act like an external impulse.

And that is precisely the crucial point.

The Difference Most Overlook

A functioning Living Soil does not work with external impulses.

It generates these processes itself.

In a stable system:

• microorganisms continuously produce plant hormones
• organic matter is constantly being converted
• soil life independently regulates growth and stress responses

➡️ The plant gets exactly what it needs – without external intervention.

Ferments supply externally
what a functioning soil produces internally.

Why Ferments Are Often Overestimated

In practice, ferments are often used where the system is not stable:

• pots too small
• weak or depleted soil
• insufficient microbial activity
• imbalances in the system

👉 In such cases, ferments can visibly help.

But:

They don't solve the cause.
They mask it.

The Most Common Misconception

Many growers experience:

"Things run better after the ferment."

And draw the wrong conclusion:

👉 "Ferments are necessary."

The reality is often different:

👉 "The system wasn't in balance before."

Plant Hormones: The Great Myth

A common argument for ferments is the plant hormones they contain.

This is correct.

What is overlooked:

👉 A healthy Living Soil produces these substances itself.

Through:

• rhizobacteria
• fungal networks (e.g., mycorrhizae)
• active decomposition processes

➡️ not sporadically, but continuously and on demand

The Difference:

• Ferments → short-term external stimulus
• Living Soil → permanent internal balance

When Ferments Can Be Useful

A clear classification is essential for authority.

Ferments can be useful:

• during transition phases to Living Soil
• for severely weakened or degraded soils
• in reuse systems with imbalances
• as a targeted, temporary intervention

👉 But always as a tool – not as a foundation.

When They Are Not Necessary

In a properly established system with:

• sufficient soil volume
• active microbiology
• functioning organic matter

👉 ferments simply become superfluous.

Our Clear Stance

We do not consider ferments a permanent component of a functioning Living Soil system.

Not because they don't work.

But because a stable system generates these effects itself.

If your system works, you don't need ferments.
If you need them, it's worth questioning your system.

Conclusion

Ferments are not a myth.
But they are often misunderstood.

They are not a foundation.
They are a tool.

And in many cases, an indication
that the actual system is not yet where it should be.

Our approach is not to add effects.
But to build systems that generate them themselves.