Healthy soil is alive. Beneath the surface is a vast, invisible world of bacteria, fungi, protozoa, nematodes, and microorganisms that quietly drive plant health, nutrient cycling, and resilience. This living network is the true foundation of any thriving garden, farm, or landscape.
Yet for a long time, testing soil biology was something only researchers or well-funded farms could afford. Sending a sample to a lab often costs hundreds of dollars and takes weeks to return results. That’s where the microbiometer comes in.
Mother Magnolia’s Soil Obsession
We have been obsessed with soil biology for the past 10 years on our farm. Testing microbiology was always expensive. We discovered the microbiometer about a year ago, and it gave us a phenomenal tool to measure the biomass in our soil and understand if our soil was bacterial or fungal dominant. It changed our ability to steer the biology in the soil because the microbiometer allows you to test your soil biology in real time. Not sure I’m an expert on this tech, but we have been using it for a year, and it is so useful that I think anyone who is cultivating in soil should have one.
When we first started sending our soil samples out for microbiology testing, the price tag was close to $300 per test. The reports were fascinating – detailing protozoa, amoeba, ciliates, fungi, and bacteria counts – but the cost meant testing was something we could only do sparingly. While valuable, those reports sometimes felt like looking in the rearview mirror rather than getting timely feedback we could use in the moment.
So why bother testing at all? Why should anyone care about soil biology?
The answer is simple: soil microbes are your most important allies in the game of nutrient cycling and plant health. You could have all the fertilizer in the world sitting in your soil, but if the microbial community is absent or out of balance, those nutrients stay locked up. Without microbes to make nutrients bioavailable, your plants will never express their full health, vigor, or genetic potential.
The Microbiometer Difference
That’s where the Microbiometer comes in. For under $200, you can purchase a test kit that gives you real-time insight into your soil’s living community. Instead of one expensive lab report per season, you can run dozens of tests right in your garden or farm, any time you want feedback.
The kit measures two things: the total microbial biomass (how much life is present) and the fungal-to-bacterial ratio (F:B ratio). These two numbers alone tell you a great deal about the condition of your soil.
We are not paid sponsors of the Microbiometer, nor do we have any financial tie to the company. We are simply big fans. After using it for over a year, it has become a tool we rely on for decision-making. It has given us clarity and confidence about when to amend, when to back off, and how our soil practices are shaping life underground. Prior to using the microbiometer, we were spending way more money testing the biology at a lab; it was just not a sustainable model.
Why Microbial Biomass Matters
The microbial biomass score tells you how alive your soil is. A higher score means more organisms are present to break down organic matter, unlock nutrients, and build soil structure. Think of biomass as the size of your soil’s workforce: the more workers, the more jobs get done.
Why the Fungal-to-Bacterial Ratio Matters
The F:B ratio reveals the balance between fungi and bacteria. Fungal-dominant soils favor perennials, shrubs, and trees, while bacterial-dominant soils are better suited for annual vegetables and grasses. Knowing this ratio helps you match soil conditions to the crops you’re growing—or adjust your practices if the balance is off.
How the Microbiometer Test Works
The process is surprisingly simple. You take a small soil sample, mix it with a solution, and after a brief settling period, load it onto a test card. With the free smartphone app, you scan the card and see your results instantly. In about 20 minutes, you have a clear snapshot of your soil biology. No lab coats or mailing envelopes required.
Why Test Soil Regularly?
Soil biology is dynamic – it shifts with the seasons, rainfall, temperature, and the inputs you provide. Compost, mulching, cover crops, or even a change in tillage practices all influence the microbial community. Testing quarterly, or even monthly, during an active growing season, allows you to see trends. Over time, you can track whether your soil is moving toward greater health and balance.
We still rely on Logan Labs for chemical nutrient testing every time we mix a new batch of soil, and we highly recommend that piece. But pairing Logan Labs’ mineral analysis with the Microbiometer’s biology snapshot gives us a one-two punch: we know what nutrients are present and whether the microbes are ready to cycle them into plant-available form.
In short, the Microbiometer has given us a way to see the living heartbeat of our soil. It’s quick, affordable, and empowering for anyone who cares about soil health.
Watch our YouTube video on the microbiometer here.
About the Author
Tom Scoble grew up in Yosemite National Park, where his father managed the Ansel Adams Gallery. Surrounded by wilderness and the High Sierra, he learned early respect for nature’s rhythms. That lesson has guided nearly three decades of entrepreneurship. From founding his first business at 14 to launching multiple businesses since, Tom has applied the same principles of cultivation to plants, people, and ideas: build the right conditions, and growth follows.
In 2015, Tom and his family moved to Oregon’s Willamette Valley, where he founded Mother Magnolia Cannabis Co., transforming 32 acres into a pioneering sustainable farm. His soil work led to the founding of his nutrient company, Flowerbird and Soil Love, an organic fertilizer blend born from his patient observation of soil biology and optimal conditions for plants to thrive. Today, through his online platform, Mother Magnolia Cultivation, he shares these lessons in growing not just plants, but resilience and community.
Away from the farm, Tom chases twilight on golf courses, skis mountain powder, writes songs, and recharges in wild places—always returning to the landscapes that fuel his creativity and vision.
