Gbiota Blog

fruit-vegetables-lifestyle-modern-health-diet-gbiota
How Soil, Food Quality, and Lifestyle Shape Modern Health

This newsletter explains why some wicking beds fail, why they may smell, and how soil biology, water balance, and nutrients affect plant health. It shares the story behind the development of wicking beds, the mistakes early users made, and the importance of living...

read more
wheat-field-breeze-aeration-gbiota
Why Aeration Matters in Wicking Beds (and How to Improve It)

Healthy plant roots need both water and air. In wicking beds, water rises from a reservoir into the soil, but if the soil becomes too wet, roots can suffocate and the bed can become smelly or unhealthy. This article explains why good aeration — the movement of air...

read more
capillary-action-in-plant-tube-water-xylem-walls-gbiota
Understanding the Core Principles of Wicking Beds

Wicking beds work by keeping soil at a consistently moist level through capillary action, using an underground water reservoir instead of frequent surface watering. This improves the water-holding capacity of the soil, supports soil biology (especially fungi), and can...

read more
fine-soil-sample-glass-vial-gbiota
Why Fine Soil Outperforms Stones in Wicking Beds

Using stones or coarse materials in wicking beds is often counterproductive. This guide explains why fine, organic-rich soils perform better, how proper soil structure and biology improve water distribution, nutrient availability, and root health, and how gardeners...

read more
Diebetes_Illustration_Gbiota
Changing the Diabetes Paradigm

Colin argues that diabetes is not caused by genetics or fate, but by a modern food system that overwhelms our intelligent control system — our “head brain”, our “gut brain”, and the trillions of microbes that run our internal fuel management. The Real Problem Behind...

read more
soil-bugs-worms-regeneration-gbiota
Soil Regeneration for Healthy and Sustainable Wicking Beds

This article argues that human health and soil health are intimately linked: modern food often lacks essential minerals and phytochemicals because soils are depleted. By growing our own food using biologically active soils — for example in wicking beds — we can...

read more

Sign up to the Free Gbiota Newsletter

colin-austin-gbiota

Colin Austin

Quisque velit nisi, pretium ut lacinia in, elementum id enim. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Donec velit neque

Copyright © 2026 Divi. All Rights Reserved.

Loading