- Home
- Field studies
- Growth studies 2026
- Growth studies 2025
- Almond tree growth study
- Almond tree leaf study
- Almond tree root study
- Tomatoes
- Common bittercress
- Giant pumpkins
- Peppers
- Mexican lavender
- Strawberries
- Cucumbers
- Various flowers
- Corn
- Corn
- Grapevines
- Plant Nurseries
- Tilled Applications
- No-till Applications
- Livestock Feed Additives
- Contact
Catnip
Plant name: Catnip (Nepeta cataria)
Date: Planted in spring 2024, the photos where taken in June, 2024
Location: Residence in Woodside, California.
Application method:
Catnip has its name derived from the intense attraction cats have toward the plant. We planted 2 plants, with 2 different treatments on 22 April 2024. Control is native soil, with a 16-16-16 fertilizer granules. The other plant was planted with JB and a water retention ingredient that we have experimented with in 2024.
Results:
The JB treated plants exhibited the same overall results that we seen in nearly all of the other fields trials in 2024: the JB plants grew taller, with a wider canopy- increased plant volume, and with larger leaves.
Photo left: Following a massive heat dome (July), this is what the 4 plants looked. At that time, the JBarea + BG treated plant (back right) had a plant volume 4.6x greater (height * width * length) than the control plant (back left). The JB treated plant also had 1.6x more flowering stalks than the control plant, with more flowering shoots/stalk. You can see by the color (darker green) of the leaves, that this plant suffered much less during the heat dome, than the other 3 plants.
Photo 2: shows the difference in the size of the largest leaf of the control plant (l) and the JB plant (r). The JBarea + BG largest leaf was 3.3x larger at that time.
Photo 1: control (l), treated (r)
Photo 2 control (l), treated (r).
Catnip root developments:
Photo 3: At end of season, following the first frost and then rains to loosen the soil, the plants were dug up (50% away from the leaf farthest from the each plant center), and the root balls were rinsed to wash away most of the soil. The control plant is shown top left, while the JBarea + BG plant is shown top right. There’s a massive difference in root ball size, both depth and width.
Photo 3: control (l), treated (r)
Zinnias
Plant name: Zinnia
Date: Planted in spring 2024, the photos where taken in June, 2024
Location: Residence in Woodside, California.
Application method:
These zinnias were planted on 28 April 2024. The three “control” plants received a 16-16-16 fertilizer, as did the three treated zinnias. The SAI treated plants used John’s Blend (‘JB’). These zinnias were planted at a 4:1 ratio, soil to JB. This planting was our first of four cycles of learning in 2024. We subsequently identified the 4:1 ratio as “too hot”, and we will not use this ratio again.
Results:
Note that we did measure taller plants with wider canopies, producing more flowers/plant, and larger root balls, on these JB treated plants, but over the 4 cycles of learning, we achieved significantly better results with other plants and ratios of soil:JB.
Photo showing flowers: The JB treated plants were running 1.63x larger, with 1.5x more flowers/plant (control plants on left, JB treated plants on right). The JB treated plant has a plant volume ~2x greater than the plant volume of the control plant (control on left, JB treated plant on right).
Photo showing roots: The JB plant had a root ball volume that was 5.5x larger.
We revised the “formula” throughout 2024, and further widened the plant response gap, between JB treated annuals, and control annuals.
Flowers: control (l), treated (r)
Roots: control (l), treated (r).
Vinca rosea
Plant name: Vinca rosea
Date: Planted on June 14, 2024
Location: Residence in Woodside, California.
Application method:
These flowers were planted at a 6:1 ratio, soil to JB. We performed 4 “cycles of learning” over 2024; this was the 2nd cycle of potted annuals. We subsequently identified the 6:1 ratio as “too hot”, and will not use this ratio again.
Results:
Note that we did measure the JB treated plants with greater plant volume, larger leaves, larger root balls, and more flowers than the control plants. The JB treated plant produced a plant volume 13.6x larger than the plant volume of the control plant. We look forward to repeating this experiment in 2025, further extending the differences in plant enhancements.
Photo 1: (taken on July 13, 2024) The largest leaf on a JB treated plant was 1.97x larger than the largest leaf on a control plant (1cm gridlines).
Photo 2 + 3: (taken on July 13, 2024) A control V. rosea showing 3 blooms/plant (Photo 2), while the JB treated plant (Photo 3) had 12 blooms, 4x more flowers/plant.
Photo 4: (taken on November 18, 2024) The JB treated V. rosea (r in photo) produced a root ball 5x larger than the root ball of the control plant.
You can see how we widened the gap on plant response, from the first cycle of learning, to the second cycle of learning, in 2024.
Photos 1 - 4
Coxcomb Celiosa
Plant name: Coxcomb Celiosa
Date: Planted on June 14, 2024
Location: Residence in Woodside, California.
Application method:
These coxcomb Celiosa flowers were planted on 14 June 2024. The control plants received a dose of 16-16-16 fertilizer, as did the treated plants. The SAI treated plants used 4 certified organic materials: biochar, plant compost, animal manure compost, and microbes; our internal name for this is John’s Blend (‘JB’). These flowers were planted at a 6:1 ratio, soil to JB. We performed 4 “cycles of learning” over 2024; this was the 2nd cycle of potted annuals. We subsequently identified the 6:1 ratio as “too hot”, and will not use this ratio again.
Results:
Note that we did measure the JB treated plants with greater plant volume, larger leaves, larger root balls, and greater flower volume and weight, than the control plants.
Photo 1: (taken on July 14, 2024) The largest leaf on the JB treated plant was 2.7x larger than the largest leaf on the control plant.
Photo 2: (taken on July 14, 2024) The JB treated plants produced flowers which had 2.8x greater volume, and 2x the weight, of the flowers from the control plants.
Photo 3: (taken on November 18, 2024) The JB treated plant (r in photo) produced a root ball 15.8x larger than the root ball of the control plant, and had a plant volume ~2x greater than the plant volume of the control plant.
You can see how we widened the gap on plant response, from the first cycle of learning, to the second cycle of learning, in 2024.
Photos 1 - 3
Narrowleaf milkweed
Plant name: Narrowleaf Milkweed (Asclepias fascicularis)
Date: June, 2024
Location: Residence in Woodside, California.
Application method:
Narrowleaf milkweed is a native plant in California, and the desired plant for the Monarch butterfly caterpillars to feed on. So the author planted two plants in March of 2024. Of the two narrowleaf milkweed plants planted in 2024, one received the SAI soil amendments called “John’s Blend”, the other was planted in the native soil.
Results:
The difference in plant growth has been dramatic. Photos below, and measurements, taken on 1 June 2024.
Height. Width Length Volume.
Control Plant 4 cm 3.2 cm 3 cm 38.4 qcm.
Treated Plant. 15 cm 15 cm 18 cm 4,050 qcm.
On the photo to the right, a comparison of the leaf sizes showed 7.2x larger leafs compared to the control plant.
Three months into this Narrowleaf milkweed experiment, we have shown that the plants treated with “John’s Blend” are growing faster than untreated plants: by volume: 59.x larger.
Height. Width Length Volume.
Control Plant 6 cm 3.5 cm 3.5 cm 73 qcm
Treated Plant. 18 cm 18 cm 18 cm 5,832 qcm.
Photos 1 - 3
Narrowleaf milkweed - observations
Plant name: Narrowleaf Milkweed (Asclepias eriocarpa)
Date: May 2025
Location: Residence in Woodside, California.
Application method:
These two plant were planted in 2024 and came back in 2025.
Results:
Much to our surprise, the treated plant grew back with much greater leaves this year.
The untreated plant showed an average leave size of 3cm, whereas the treated plant showed a leave size of 12 cm. (photo 5)
Photos 4 + 5
Photo to the right: Female Monarch butterfly
Imagine if each narrowleaf milkweed planted could support many times more Monarch caterpillars/butterflies?
Click for next trial.