As promised, this week I willl be giving some awesome recipes that you can make at home to incorporate into your fertigation regimint and start a full Korean Natural Farming Journey. Before I can just list down a bunch of recipes we need to continue some of the discussion on KNF, so if you havent checked out last weeks blog on Korean Natural Farming, I highly suggest you start there. And for those that haven’t been following along, these blogs are apart of a larger ‘How to Grow’ series in which I will be providing insightful concepts to consider during this growing season.
The first spring rain has fallen this week. Such an amazing time for us Growers. The first rain does more than just bring in the season’s grow metaphorically. The first rain for the season has been proven to activate life and the soil food web as a whole. Many bacteria and fungi will lay dormant and wait for the rain. So when people usually ask me when I plant I normally say after the first rain. When considering Soil conditioning as a whole. The first rain really produces and activates all that you have prepped in your soil prior. The mineral content from the rain is usually exactly what you were lacking… So embrace this first rain.
Fermented Plant & Fruit Juice (FPJ and FFJ)
FPJ and FFJ are natural fertilizers made from the fermentation of specific plant materials to feed growing plants during different stages of their life cycles. FPJs are made from young vigorous growing plants with lots of growth hormones and enzymes to feed vegging plants. While FFJs are made from the fruits of plants for their natural sugars, amino acids, and plant growth regulating enzymes and hormones to feed flowering plants. The process involves collecting fresh and healthy plant parts, such as leaves, stems, shoots and fruits, and fermenting them to extract the beneficial properties into a water-soluble plant available solution.
It is extremely simple yet so effective. All you need is brown sugar, a decent glass jar with a big opening(which makes things easier), a scale and some basic kitchen utensils. Oh, and a cloth or breathable towel to cover the glass with.
Collecting Plant Material
For FPJ gather fresh and healthy plants early in the morning when morning dew is still present. Look for things like weeds that grow big fast and are tolerant to a wide range of temperatures or weather patterns like floods or droughts. The enzymes, hormones and microbial life in and on these plants helping them thrive is what we are after. When collecting plant material, remember that young shoots have the highest levels of these plant growth hormones. A few plants that can be used here in South Africa, Alfalfa, comfrey, Gooseberry, and Banana. In the picture above I used clover, it was the over crop under the canopy that grew to thick. It’s essential to use plants that are free from diseases and pests and to not wash the microbial life off the plant material.
FFJs are made the same way as FPJs but it may be a little harder to come by natural growing fruit in your area. Do a little research on the nutrient density of different fruits to see what fruits or veggies you can grow in the garden that will make good natural fertilizers. Using craps of fruits are just as effective. Banana peels, watermelon rind etc… Ensure that you make your FFJ according to the nutrient boost you wish to give your plants. The doing your research part is so important. You will also be surprised how many veg and fruit you already have going to waste that could be used to ferment for your plants and garden as a whole.
Chopping and Mixing
Chop the collected plant material into smaller pieces for more surface area coverage then mix with equal parts by weight brown sugar. This helps in breaking down the cell wall of the plant material creating osmotic pressure and releasing juices packed full of the plants beneficial properties. I have seen a method, using a 20L plastic bucket a few holes at the bottom.You chop and mix your plant material or fruits and once you place it in the bucket you add a brick ontop of it. This will apply pressure and also allow the juices to separate out of the bucket.
Fermentation
Place the chopped plant material/brown sugar mix in a container and cover with a sugar cap. Then cover container loosely with something breathable like a clean shirt, rag or paper towel to keep bugs out. Allow it to undergo natural fermentation. This process encourages the growth of beneficial microorganisms and the breakdown of plant materials.
Here are some things I would recommend you ferment for your garden. Note, that there are different ways to skin a cat. Each one of these things have its own benefits but can also be used in synergy with other ferments.
Alfalfa – Unlocking nutrients and growth hormones such as Triacontanol which can improve growth, yield, root formation, photosynthesis, uptake of water and nutrients, nitrogen-fixation and enzyme activities.
Bamboo/young cannabis plants – rich in nutrients, can improve soil conditions and possess many medicinal properties. Due to the fast-growing nature of young plants, they are often high in auxins and cytokines, hormones involved with growth and vigour.
Lactic Acid Bacteria – Amazing for soil conditioning, plant health and overall immune of the plant.
Dilution and Application
Before using, dilute FPJ or FFJ with water. Typically, a dilution ratio of 1:500 or 1:1000 is recommended. This means mixing 1 part FPJ or FFJ with 500 or 1000 parts water (1ml per L / 3.7ml per gal or 2ml per L / 7.4 ml per gal). After 6 months use at a higher dilution rate. The diluted FPJ or FFJ can be applied as a foliar spray or added to the soil to provide readily available food to plants and microbial life.
Other Fermentations and Recipes.
Some ferments focus purely on fungal growth. Similar to our discussion last week on IMO. Cannabis thrives in both bacteria and fungal soil. So to have a balance is of utmost importance. Here are other things you can consider making to increase your fungal count in the soil. Corn Sprouted Tea, Bokashi Bran and Compost tea without molasses, also will increase your fungal count.
You can also make your own effective Microbes. Go to your compost heap. Dig out some from the middle section that is nice and warm. Place this in a breathable cloth or bag… Slowly run water through the bag. The slower you can trickle the water the stronger the collection of microbes will be. You want to only collect a small amount of dark liquid.
Do the following
Use L distilled water, and pour out double the amount you have collected from the the compost, the leach. Add the leach and an equal amount of molasses to the distilled water. Close the cap. Let it ferment and open the cap once a day to let gas out. In 4 days you will have EM-1, which can be used to quicker enhance your teas or fermentations. EM can also be used as part of the integrated pest management(IPM) something we will discuss very soon too.
In conclusion
It is important to note when you are adding your fertilizer to the plants. During the very early veg stages compost teas, fermented plant juices and fruit juices should not be necessary. If you find yourself having to ‘feed’ young plants, then you should consider taking extra time to prepare the soil first. In your first month of growing cannabis from seed or clone. It is easy to overfeed and give too much. Sometimes it’s better to wait. Less is always more.
But once you understand when and what to fertilise your plants with. Brewing and fermenting your own fertilizer seems like a no-brainer.
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