Frequently Asked Questions

Biocyclic Humus Soil is not ordinary compost. It is created when plants actively build the microbiome of their soil and obtain nutrients through symbiotic processes from air and soil minerals – without any fertilizer. The core are so-called Micro-Carbon-Clusters (MCC): tiny, stable carbon structures formed by plant roots in the soil. Soils with Biocyclic Humus Soil deliver yields 30–150% above conventional systems – and permanently, without external inputs.

No. 'Vegan' here refers exclusively to the production of the substrate: no animal manure (dung, slurry, liquid manure) and no slaughterhouse waste is used. In nature, animal droppings only occur randomly and in small amounts. Concentrated animal manure brings different soil life, contains much water-soluble nitrogen and may contain medication residues from animal husbandry – all of which disturbs the natural cycle we want to build.

PCS® stands for 'Phytoponic Culture Substrate'. It is a particularly mature, purely plant-based special compost produced in a multi-stage process: first, plant material is processed into crumbly, nutrient-stabilized quality compost, then a multi-month post-ripening follows until absolute root-friendliness. This maturity stage is not included in the usual compost quality categories (RAL I–V). PCS® is the foundation on which Biocyclic Humus Soil is created – normal garden compost cannot achieve this.

Yes – with some limitations. In pots and raised beds you can use finished Biocyclic Humus Soil (not PCS®!). The mini-ecosystem needs a certain minimum size though: a pallet raised bed with at least 60 cm depth would be the lower limit. Best to put Biocyclic Humus Soil directly into the planting hole – 15–20 cm deep. This way the seedling learns from the start to feed naturally. Trees also benefit: about 30 kg of humus soil in the planting hole gives the tree a developmental head start of 1–2 years.

As a soil improver: yes, absolutely. But normal garden compost will very likely not become Biocyclic Humus Soil. That requires the special PCS® with its particular composition and maturity as well as the right planting over several years. That's why there is the network of licensed PCS® providers in the terra plena project – they ensure the substrate has the necessary quality.

Less and less! Nature knows no crop rotation, but plant communities. On Biocyclic Humus Soil, mixed and polycultures thrive particularly well. Plants that feed symbiotically support each other through soil life. Dense, diverse planting is the best protection – also against pests like slugs, which are mainly attracted by immature compost and fertilized soil.

On PCS® raised beds: No. EM are 'decomposition specialists' – but decomposition of organic matter in PCS® is already well advanced or complete. Other, stabilizing processes cause the formation of humus soil. EM would disturb this process. The same applies to Bokashi: it is in a completely different maturity phase and must not be buried on PCS® raised beds. On normal garden soils, both agents can be helpful.

With normal fertilization, pH is very important. On Biocyclic Humus Soil it apparently no longer matters. Plants that feed symbiotically cope with any pH value – even blueberries, which normally need acidic soil, thrive magnificently in humus soil. This is because the plant no longer dissolves its nutrients from soil water, but receives them directly through microorganisms and fungal networks.

A terra plena Hub is a local network of six actor groups: Raw material suppliers (food processing, agriculture, landscape management). PCS® providers (also called 'incubators') produce the substrate. Refiners – gardeners and farmers – plant the raised beds for 5 years (Humus Oases). terra plena vegetable buyers (gastronomy, farm shops, retail, households). Soil curators pre-finance the process. Hub coordinators hold everything together. terra plena Hubs emerge where people come together who want to heal soil. Currently there are PCS® providers in Seeheim-Jugenheim (Hesse), Singen am Bodensee and Steyerberg (Lower Saxony), Repau (Southern Saxony-Anhalt) and Switzerland.

At the microbial level, the building of humus soil involves a process that could be described in human terms as 'peaceful coexistence': instead of the usual 'eat and be eaten' in the decomposition of organic matter, a network emerges where organisms pass on nutrients and release them alive again. Dr. Eisenbach puts it this way: plants could be our great role models in creating a peaceful world. At the societal level, the terra plena project creates an economy based on building rather than exploitation.