The Horizon Europe project Hort2theFuture (H2F) and the gardening app Fryd are joining forces to mobilise home gardeners and gardening communities around better soil management through simple, guided experiments.

In early November, Fryd Lab will introduce new ways for gardeners to become citizen scientists and transform their gardens and planting pots into horticultural laboratories. Fryd will launch a set of experiments starting in the spring 2026, along with a new Garden Organic feature and an in-app soil quiz.

The Hort2theFuture project will contribute to this initiative through the Tea Bag Index experiment – a simple test that measures how quickly soil organisms decompose organic matter using an ordinary teabags. The experiment will be introduced in November and officially begin in spring 2026, once soils have warmed sufficiently.

Hort2theFuture project partner and designer of the Tea Bag Index experiment, Dr Steve Quarrie (European Training Academy – EUTA), emphasised the importance of this collaboration and the role of the gardening community in advancing sustainable horticulture:

“Our mission is to support the adoption of soil-friendly practices in horticulture. Working with Fryd brings together comparable citizen data and community insight, ensuring that advice reflects real-world conditions.”

The collaboration responds to a changing reality: as climates shift, planting times, soil moisture and nutrient cycles are becoming more unpredictable. Traditional seed-packet instructions no longer match many local realities. H2F’s goal is to accelerate the adoption of soil-friendly horticultural practices, while Fryd connects scientific knowledge with everyday gardening decisions.

About Hort2theFuture

Hort2theFuture is a Horizon Europe-funded innovation project advancing sustainable horticulture. By developing, testing and implementing innovative practices and products, it empowers growers, researchers and policymakers to adopt environmentally friendly approaches that benefit healthy growing media, food systems and local communities. The four-year project (2024–2028) brings together 28 partners from 12 European countries.

About the Fryd App

Fryd is a digital planning and advisory tool for gardeners who grow fruit and vegetables. It includes a vibrant community forum and has around 10,000 monthly active users across its English and German versions.