My mission
To scientifically demonstrate and share how the living soil microbiology maintains, sustains and restores soil health, plant health and ultimately human health, whilst saving the grower time and resources, creating efficiency!
There is so much scientific evidence now pointing towards how essential it is for soil to be teaming with microbes in order for it to function how nature intended, which is effortlessly I believe. However due to mal soil practices, growing food has become hard work and less nutritious.
When I learnt this information I knew straight away that microbes were the key to successful growing, sounds cheesy but my heart started racing with excitement - it was like a whole new world opened up.
I now assess soil samples with the compound microscope - with this tool I can clearly observe which organisms from the soil food web (SFW) are present or missing, giving me details of how your soil is performing.
I’ve assessed 100’s of samples over the last few years with some clients showing fantastic results, and other samples that are unfortunately lifeless, either way, the information from the assessments can be used to help the client understand their soil and practices allowing for amendments to reach the best results.
Time is limited, and I want to help more people with their soil, so I’ve made space in my week to allow for 3 samples to be assed each week, you can simply post them to me, full instructions given. I run my business on a donation basis so I do charge a fixed fee for the assessments, there are few reasons why chosen this model, which I can go into another time.
If you’d like to learn more, feel free to get in touch and I can talk you through the process or visit my website, link in bio for more details
Thanks for reading
Perry
If you work with soil, then a biological soil lab report may help you grow the crops you need naturally
I offer certified soil microbiology assessments so that you can understand how the biology in your soil is effecting the plants you desire to grow
Your assessment will include 🔬Estimated biomass of fungi, bacteria.
🔬 Estimated counts of nematodes and Protozoa
🔬Fungus to bacteria ratios chart
📈An interpretation of your results
📸Pictures of the microbes
📹Videos of the microbes
To learn more about the assessments or the soil food web, visit my website: link in bio
It’s almost time to get tomatoes in the ground if you were sowing mid February time. With that said I’m seeing a lot of amateur gardening questions being posted online asking “Are my tomato plants too leggy?” … invariably I see that they are indeed to too leggy. This happens when the plant doesn’t have enough light, or if grown under light panels, the light source is too high, either way, the plant is reaching for light, hence they become leggy.
Here are some immediate things you can do to help your leggy tomato plants
1) Increase light exposure either by putting them into more natural light, or lift them up closer to the artificial light source.
2) Reduce heat - heat above 20C will def boost the growth of your tom plants, after all they are heat loving. To reduce their growth decrease the temp to about 15/16C … this will help the plant focus on root and stem growth instead of height.
3)Pot on - the great thing about tomatoes is that you can gently replant the leggy seedlings into a deep pot and bury the leggy stem up to the first set of leaves or cotyledons - roots will then anchor from the buried stem, helping it to stabilise.
You can execute all of the tips above for maximum rescue for leggy tomato plants.
If the plants are almost ready to plant out but are still leggy and spindly, the best thing you can do is too plant them deep - same technique as potting on, bury the stems up to the first set of leaves. If you can’t dig deep enough, you can actually lay the stem horizontal and bury it that way.
One thing I’ve learnt about tomatoes is that they are super forgiving, and you’ll almost certainly get a crop by implementing these tips.
Home grown tomato’s have the best flavour and even better flavour if your soil is microbe rich - so don’t forget to get the microbes in your soil too 🍅
Capturing Autumn @keythorpe_hall … Flower season slowly transitioning into winter, so we get to store and dry the summer harvests to extend their beauty!
Had some compost under the microscope earlier for a client asking me if it had life. It had a ton of Protozoa which are the predators of bacteria, I didn’t see any nematodes but I did stumble across a weft of fungal hypha and it was a nice surprise, never seen it like this before - this is at a 400x magnification. So yes, the clients compost has life in it 🔬🙏🏻
“Take care of the small things” says soil biologist Perry Haldenby @soilredemption .
Perry’s deep knowledge of soil ecology is matched by his passion for care, for earth, for biology, and for the quiet systems that sustain life.
As part of the research for Into the Seeds of Time, @vivienneschadinsky invited a range of voices rooted in ecological thinking and practice to share their lived experiences with beans, cultivation, and regeneration.
Visit the exhibition this weekend to watch the documentary in full and follow the link in bio to watch Perry’s interview in full.
Video by @willhearlephoto
#omvedgardens #soilhealth #soilscience #growyourownveggies #intotheseedsoftime
Companion Planting for Stronger, Healthier Plants
Although companion planting can help with pests and diseases, I haven’t experimented enough to feel totally safe or confident in not using safe guards at all like netting to keep off cabbage butterflies etc. Caterpillars can totally decimate your cabbage family crops very easily, so I’ll be sure to still use netting. However I do feel companion planting is still very helpful.
With the season upon us, here is a list of some useful companion plants for immunity and growth
✅ Marigolds – Repel pests & improve root health (Best with: tomatoes, peppers, leafy greens)
✅ Yarrow – Boosts plant immunity & warns plants of disease (Best with: herbs, fruit trees, flowers)
✅ Willow Trees – Natural source of salicylic acid (Best with: any garden plants)
✅ Garlic & Onions – Fight fungi & deter pests (Best with: strawberries, tomatoes, lettuce)
✅ Basil – Repels aphids & improves plant health (Best with: tomatoes, peppers, beans)
✅ Nasturtiums – Attract pests away from crops (Best with: squash, cucumbers, beans)
Instead of relying on chemical sprays, let plants help each other for a healthier, more resilient garden!
Would love to know of your favourite companion planting ideas?
Ever wondered how your plants bend towards the light, or how plants save water in droughts or perhaps how they ripen their fruit, well, plants have ‘hormones’ just like humans, although they do work differently.
Here’s a list of 5 interesting hormones that plants utilise
1️⃣ Auxin → Bends stems toward light & grows roots down
🔬 How?
Auxin moves to the shady side of a plant.
It makes cells on that side grow longer, bending the stem toward the light.
In roots, auxin slows cell growth, so the root grows down into the soil.
📌 Think of it like: A plant stretching toward the sun, when they are partly in the shade!
2️⃣ Gibberellins → Makes plants taller & wakes up seeds
🔬 How?
Gibberellins tell cells to divide and expand, making the plant grow taller.
They break seed dormancy, waking seeds up to start sprouting.
📌 Think of it like: A “wake-up” signal for seeds & a height booster!
3️⃣ Abscisic Acid (ABA) → Slows growth & saves water
🔬 How?
ABA tells stomata (tiny holes in leaves) to close, stopping water loss.
It pauses seed germination, keeping seeds from sprouting too early (like in winter).
📌 Think of it like: A survival switch—“Stop growing! Save energy!”
4️⃣ Ethylene → Ripens fruit & makes leaves fall
🔬 How?
Ethylene is a gas, so it spreads through the plant fast.
It breaks down cell walls & starches, making fruit softer and sweeter.
It weakens leaf stems, making leaves fall in autumn.
📌 Think of it like: A ripening signal—“Time to soften up!”
5️⃣ Cytokinins → Helps cells divide & slows aging
🔬 How?
Cytokinins tell cells to divide, helping plants grow new leaves and roots.
They slow aging, keeping leaves green for longer.
That’s all for plant hormones today, perhaps when you see your plants getting leggy, you’ll think ‘ahhh that’s the auxin hormone kicking in, my plants need more light to grow better’
Interesting stuff eh?!
Are you getting the most out of your soil? How do you know the biological profile of your soil?
A compound microscope can help you understand all of this if you know what to look for!
Had a great day yesterday teaching the team @omvedgardens an introductory level to soil microscopy.
They learned;
1) How to set up a microscope safely and keep it clean
2) How to collect samples
3) How to make varying sample dilutions and create a sample slide for viewing
4) Basic microbe morphology of fungi, bacteria, protozoa and nematodes
5) How to scan their soil samples for the organisms
they are desiring to grow, organisms that help cycle nutrients, build soil structure and prevent pests, disease. Not to mention sequestering carbon, water retention and growing larger yields.
The OmVed team are dedicated growers, educators, landscapers and seed savers creating an amazing hub of activities in the suburbs of North London. Definitely check them out @omvedgardens - Thanks OmVed for inviting me!
If you as in individual or team would also like to learn the basics of soil microscopy to get the best out of your soil projects, please get in touch and we can discuss things further. Website in bio or dm me.
Many thanks. Perry
Fruits, vegetables, and flowers aren’t just beautiful—they’re packed with essential ‘colour pigments that contribute to health, sustainability, and vitality.
From chlorophyll in leafy greens to carotenoids in oranges and anthocyanins in berries, these pigments not only give plants their stunning colours but also offer powerful benefits for your body and the planet.
Chlorophyll helps with energy production and supports detoxification. Carotenoids like beta-carotene boost vision and immunity. Anthocyanins from berries improve brain function and fight inflammation. Flavonoids offer antioxidant protection and support heart health.
Pigmented plants attract pollinators, enhance soil health, and even play a role in reducing carbon emissions.
Check out my latest blog on my website (link in bio)for a deeper understanding of this subject that really fascinates me. It’s a 5 minute that I think you’ll find interesting
Adding composting worms to your maturing compost pile is a great way to speed up the composting process and to help build up the biomass of microbes faster and more thoroughly.
Please note DO NOT put worms into a HOT compost pile, you must wait until your thermophilic pile has cooled down to ambient temperatures. This pile was about 20C.
Also note that worms are strictly aerobic and so will die or try to leave the pile if it is anaerobic, so be careful to have your pile too wet, on the contrary, they like a moist pile, so don’t let it dry out either
Try not to have your pile too compact, as you want the air spaces for worms to journey through.
I placed a 250 grams mix of red worms (also called Tiger Worms) and dendrobaenas (red wigglers) (Eisenia fetida and Eisenia hortensis) They do reproduce so I’ll hoping to see more than I bought in a few weeks. However cold temperatures slow worms down, this week it’s cold AF ❄️
The worms will release ‘castings’ (poo) covered in mucus, and the castings will be inoculated with extreme beneficial organisms, which I’m excited about!
I’m really looking forward to see the results of adding worms to the compost.
