Last Updated on August 9, 2026 by Brian Beck
We were doing a good job of building the house.
But we were not doing enough to feed the people living inside it.
What Our Supercharge Program Was Designed to Do
Our Supercharge application was created to attack some of the deeper problems we routinely find in Colorado lawns.
Compaction
Low carbon
Poor structure
Mineral imbalance
Weak nutrient cycling
Low biological activity
Our focus has been on creating a better environment for soil biology to function.
Carbon is an enormous part of that.
Carbon helps build structure, supports aggregation, improves moisture relationships and creates habitat for microorganisms. Minerals help correct some of the imbalances that interfere with biological and plant function.
In other words, we were working hard to create a better home for biology.
But there was another question we needed to answer:
Once we wake the biology up, what are we feeding it?
That question is beginning to change how we think about the next stage of our program.
Microbes Need More Than a Place to Live
We talk constantly about soil bacteria and fungi.
But microbes are living organisms.
And living organisms require food.
One of the most interesting concepts we have been studying involves microalgae as a carbon and food source for the native microorganisms already living in the soil.
Not necessarily adding more organisms.
Feeding the organisms that are already there.
That distinction matters.
A soil may contain enormous numbers of microorganisms, but many can become relatively inactive when the conditions around them are poor or when adequate food sources are unavailable.
So simply adding biology does not guarantee biological function.
We need three things working together:
Habitat. Food. Time.
Our Supercharge program has been heavily focused on improving habitat.
Now we are putting more emphasis on the nurturing side of biology.
The Difference Between Carbon and Food
This is an important distinction.
When we talk about adding carbon to soil, not every carbon source behaves the same way.
Some carbon materials help build long-term soil structure.
Others are more readily consumed by microorganisms.
And different carbon compounds feed different organisms.
Microalgae is especially interesting because the whole biomass can contain a mixture of:
Carbohydrates
Proteins
Lipids
Complex carbon compounds
Think of it this way.
Simple sugar can be like giving the soil biology a handful of candy.
You can get a burst of activity.
But it may not last very long.
A more diverse food source is closer to giving the microbiome a complete meal.
That potentially allows a wider range of organisms to become active and remain active longer.
And diversity matters.
Different organisms perform different jobs.
Then Something Very Important Happens
When bacteria and fungi become more active, they begin changing the physical soil around them.
Bacteria produce sticky compounds sometimes referred to as biological “glues.”
Fungi produce microscopic strands that act more like biological “nets.”
Together, these materials help bind small soil particles into larger aggregates.
That can create:
Better soil structure
More pore space
Improved water infiltration
Better moisture retention
Improved oxygen movement
Better root development
More efficient nutrient cycling
This is where biological lawn care becomes very different from simply fertilizing grass.
We are not just trying to feed the plant.
We are trying to improve the system that feeds the plant.
This Fills an Important Void for Us
This is where the lesson becomes personal to our program.
We were concentrating heavily on adding carbon and correcting soil structure.
That was necessary.
It still is.
But we were expecting microorganisms to become active and begin rebuilding the soil without paying enough attention to their ongoing nutritional needs.
We were creating habitat.
We were introducing and activating biology.
But we were missing part of the nurturing process.
We needed to feed the workforce.
That realization is helping us further develop our biological program.
Instead of looking at a soil application as simply something we put down to make the lawn respond, we are looking at a chain of events:
Build the habitat → activate the biology → feed the biology → build aggregation → improve water and nutrient movement → strengthen the root system → allow the plant to increasingly support the biology itself.
That is a much more complete biological cycle.
This Is Why Our Program Keeps Changing
Some people may wonder why we continue adjusting our program.
The answer is simple.
Because we are still learning.
Soil biology is incredibly complex.
Anyone who tells you they have every answer probably does not understand how complicated the system really is.
Our responsibility is to keep asking questions.
When we discover a weakness, we improve it.
When we discover a missing piece, we add it.
And when new information helps us understand why something worked—or why something did not—we use it.
That is exactly what is happening here.
We are moving from simply adding biological products toward intentionally building, feeding and managing a biological ecosystem.
And that may be one of the most important advancements we have made in our program yet.
Because ultimately, our objective has never been to make your lawn temporarily greener.
Our objective is to create soil that becomes increasingly capable of supporting the lawn itself.
That is the difference between treating symptoms… and rebuilding the system.
Ready to Learn What Is Really Happening in Your Soil?
A soil test gives us the information we need to identify the obstacles below the surface and determine whether our biological program can help your lawn become more efficient and resilient.
Start here: Request a soil test or consultation