ClosedCircuit
New Member
Do you mean efficient because they give off very little heat while consuming food in soil?
Building A Better Soil: Demonstrations & Discussions Of Organic Soil Recipes
- Thread starter SweetSue
- Start date
Do you mean efficient because they give off very little heat while consuming food in soil?
TheRoach
Well-Known Member
Sorry, I meant effective microorganisms!
From the web:
EM consists of many different kinds of effective, disease-suppressing micro-organisms. Each of these effective micro-organisms has a specific task. In addition, these micro-organisms enhance each otherâ€s working. This means that synergy occurs!
The micro-organisms are naturally existing and are not modified or manipulated in any way and are cultured according to a specific method. Some of which are known to produce bioactive substances such as vitamins, hormones, enzymes, antioxidants and antibiotics that can directly, or indirectly enhance plant growth and protection.
EM consists of the following five families of micro-organisms:
1.Lactic acid bacteria: these bacteria are differentiated by their powerful sterilising properties. They suppress harmful micro-organisms and encourage quick breakdown of organic substances. In addition, they can suppress the reproduction of Fusarium, a harmful fungus.
2.Yeasts: these manufacture anti-microbial and useful substances for plant growth. Their metabolites are food for other bacteria such as the lactic acid and actinomycete groups.
3.Actinomycetes: these suppress harmful fungi and bacteria and can live together with photosynthetic bacteria.
4.Photosynthetic bacteria: these bacteria play the leading role in the activity of EM. They synthesize useful substances from secretions of roots, organic matter and/or harmful gases (e.g. hydrogen sulphide) by using sunlight and the heat of soil as sources of energy. They contribute to a better use of sunlight or, in other words, better photosynthesis. The metabolites developed by these micro-organisms are directly absorbed into plants. In addition, these bacteria increase the number of other bacteria and act as nitrogen binders.
5.Fungi that bring about fermentation these break down the organic substances quickly. This suppresses smell and prevents damage that could be caused by harmful insects
From the web:
EM consists of many different kinds of effective, disease-suppressing micro-organisms. Each of these effective micro-organisms has a specific task. In addition, these micro-organisms enhance each otherâ€s working. This means that synergy occurs!
The micro-organisms are naturally existing and are not modified or manipulated in any way and are cultured according to a specific method. Some of which are known to produce bioactive substances such as vitamins, hormones, enzymes, antioxidants and antibiotics that can directly, or indirectly enhance plant growth and protection.
EM consists of the following five families of micro-organisms:
1.Lactic acid bacteria: these bacteria are differentiated by their powerful sterilising properties. They suppress harmful micro-organisms and encourage quick breakdown of organic substances. In addition, they can suppress the reproduction of Fusarium, a harmful fungus.
2.Yeasts: these manufacture anti-microbial and useful substances for plant growth. Their metabolites are food for other bacteria such as the lactic acid and actinomycete groups.
3.Actinomycetes: these suppress harmful fungi and bacteria and can live together with photosynthetic bacteria.
4.Photosynthetic bacteria: these bacteria play the leading role in the activity of EM. They synthesize useful substances from secretions of roots, organic matter and/or harmful gases (e.g. hydrogen sulphide) by using sunlight and the heat of soil as sources of energy. They contribute to a better use of sunlight or, in other words, better photosynthesis. The metabolites developed by these micro-organisms are directly absorbed into plants. In addition, these bacteria increase the number of other bacteria and act as nitrogen binders.
5.Fungi that bring about fermentation these break down the organic substances quickly. This suppresses smell and prevents damage that could be caused by harmful insects
ClosedCircuit
New Member
I know nothing about wild yeast, but the idea is fascinating to me. Did you know that some beers are only made with wild yeast in the air?!
Thanks Roach, I've learned a lot from you. I admire your technique. Plus ya got a big brain!
TheRoach
Well-Known Member
You are welcome bro, Im glad it has been of help for you!
I will look around for a guide I have regarding effective microorganisms, that may come handy as well.
I will look around for a guide I have regarding effective microorganisms, that may come handy as well.
I'd say Glomus Intraradices, the world most effective and prevalent mycorrhizal fungi, plus whatever is in your EWC is plenty.
Add more stuff and your soil critters will be fighting and dying - which is good if you REALLY know what you are doing, - but otherwise seems pointless.
Add more stuff and your soil critters will be fighting and dying - which is good if you REALLY know what you are doing, - but otherwise seems pointless.
TheRoach
Well-Known Member
Yeast is ubiquitous, in the past bakers relied on wild yeasts to ferment the bread and make it grow.
I figured you would be interested in the effective microorganisms (EM)
TheRoach
Well-Known Member
Hello Rado, I agree with you. The earth worm castings contain all the microorganisms required for a good soil.
The EM may be attractive to those without access to WC, or those wishing to increase the soil diversity of a store bought mix.
The main inputs for the Effective microorganisms inoculum are molasses, milk (or lactobacillus serum), bakers yeast and some topsoil from a forest, but a bunch of EWC will do. I will post the full guide here later. I'm cooking some sopa Azteca for my wife and tortilla making doesn't go well with forum posting.
Regards.
- Thread starter
- #189
Comfrey can be a godsend John. Even better, Stinging Nettle. Both plants can be used as a tea or drench, either bubbled or not. If you can bubble, an aerated compost tea (ACT) with Some earthworm castings added will beef up micro herds. Comfrey can be used to great effect by simply tossing leaves around the plant like mulch. It breaks down super quick.
iwltfum
New Member
Seems like alot on experts of this thread. Anyone mind looking over this recipe for a bloom soil that I built (on paper) last night?
The Bloom soil (24.8gallons total) The ratio should be close to 4-7-3 if my calculations are right.
castings (1-0-0) 11cups (0.69gal)
fish meal (4-0-0) 0.75cups
rock phos (0-3-0) 2cups
kelp (1-0-10) 0.4cups
bone meal (3-15-0) 0.25cups
seaweed (1-1-16) 0.5cups
P guano (.5-12-.2) 1.5cups
lime 0.5cups
inoculant mix 45cc
perlite 80cups (5gal)
recycled soil 300cups (18.75gal) (it's an pile of soil in the yard that I've been adding to for several years. coco/perlite mostly, with the occasional watermelon rind or pile of corn husks that has been tossed in now and then)
EDIT: my apologies if you have already seen this
I posted a bunch of spreadsheets and pie charts on my own thread (I got bored and made a soil recipe), but they are really small pictures. If you know how to use the zoom function on your browser, a run over and opinion from anyone would be much appreciated!
Catching up on the rest of this thread right now
The Bloom soil (24.8gallons total) The ratio should be close to 4-7-3 if my calculations are right.
castings (1-0-0) 11cups (0.69gal)
fish meal (4-0-0) 0.75cups
rock phos (0-3-0) 2cups
kelp (1-0-10) 0.4cups
bone meal (3-15-0) 0.25cups
seaweed (1-1-16) 0.5cups
P guano (.5-12-.2) 1.5cups
lime 0.5cups
inoculant mix 45cc
perlite 80cups (5gal)
recycled soil 300cups (18.75gal) (it's an pile of soil in the yard that I've been adding to for several years. coco/perlite mostly, with the occasional watermelon rind or pile of corn husks that has been tossed in now and then)
EDIT: my apologies if you have already seen this
I posted a bunch of spreadsheets and pie charts on my own thread (I got bored and made a soil recipe), but they are really small pictures. If you know how to use the zoom function on your browser, a run over and opinion from anyone would be much appreciated!
Catching up on the rest of this thread right now
"The earth worm castings contain all the microorganisms required for a good soil".
THE sentence I've been looking for. Thanks Roach.
Compost tea and worm casings sound like the gold standard.
What's more impressive than a talking dog? A spelling bee.
Thanks SweetSue
, tea for two?
THE sentence I've been looking for. Thanks Roach.
Compost tea and worm casings sound like the gold standard.
What's more impressive than a talking dog? A spelling bee.
Thanks SweetSue
, tea for two?
TheRoach
Well-Known Member
"The earth worm castings contain all the microorganisms required for a good soil".
THE sentence I've been looking for. Thanks Roach.
Compost tea and worm casings sound like the gold standard.
What's more impressive than a talking dog? A spelling bee.
Thanks SweetSue
Well, now that I think of it, they contain many good microorganisms but not all. I read once that the castings contain fungal spores too, but I wouldn't count on them alone either. Mycorrhizae like glomus intraradices and glomus mossae must be present in the soil, along with many other life forms that may not be present in the castings. Increasing diversity in your soil micro population will better emulate the conditions of soil in nature. I have been reading about the many interactions of different inhabitants of soil and I continue to be awed by the complexity of life's web.
It truly makes me consider, all this complexity... My being is linked to all other beings in this cosmic brotherhood, this struggle of life. I am a link in an unbroken chain of reproduction and evolution, from my being into the past, down to the first life form in our world or another...and from my being into my descendants, up to the differentiation of new species in the distant future.
It kind of touches me. So much for the subject of soil ecology.
After reading 'A Simple method....' I found myself trying to explain Mycos to 2 friends! Amazing symbiosis.
TheRoach
Well-Known Member
Making effective microorganisms
The effective microorganisms (EM) are a microbial inoculant that help reestablish the microbiological equilibrium of soil. They improve the physical and chemical conditions of soil, boosting the performance of our plants.
The EM suppress or control the populations of pathogenic microorganisms by outcompeting them.
Ingredients
1 liter of milk
2 liters of molasses
1 liter of lactobacillus serum (recipe below)
100 grams of yeast
1/2 cup of sifted topsoil from a forest or worm castings. Topsoil is preferred, better if collected from an undisturbed natural setting.
Instructions
Put your topsoil or castings in a panty hose and tie it to keep the contents inside. Mix all the other ingredients and put the panty hose with the topsoil/castings inside. Cover the recipient with a cloth so gasses can escape and let it sit for 10-15 days.
How to use
Discard the pantyhose and strain the mix.
1 liter of EM for 5 gal of water as a soil drench every 15 days
1 cc of EM for 1 liter of water as a foliar spray every 15 days (except during flowering)
I hope this will be help to somebody. Below I will add a simple recipe for making lactobacillus serum.
The effective microorganisms (EM) are a microbial inoculant that help reestablish the microbiological equilibrium of soil. They improve the physical and chemical conditions of soil, boosting the performance of our plants.
The EM suppress or control the populations of pathogenic microorganisms by outcompeting them.
Ingredients
1 liter of milk
2 liters of molasses
1 liter of lactobacillus serum (recipe below)
100 grams of yeast
1/2 cup of sifted topsoil from a forest or worm castings. Topsoil is preferred, better if collected from an undisturbed natural setting.
Instructions
Put your topsoil or castings in a panty hose and tie it to keep the contents inside. Mix all the other ingredients and put the panty hose with the topsoil/castings inside. Cover the recipient with a cloth so gasses can escape and let it sit for 10-15 days.
How to use
Discard the pantyhose and strain the mix.
1 liter of EM for 5 gal of water as a soil drench every 15 days
1 cc of EM for 1 liter of water as a foliar spray every 15 days (except during flowering)
I hope this will be help to somebody. Below I will add a simple recipe for making lactobacillus serum.
TheRoach
Well-Known Member
making lactobacillus serum
From the web
How to Make:
1.Get container, fill halfway with rice-wash. Rice wash is the water leftover when you rinse fresh rice. For example, go buy rice, whatever kind, bring it home, put it in a pot with warm water, swirl it a bit and then drain the [now milky colored] water. The water is now a rich source of carbohydrates. In this step, you can substitute rice with another carbohydrate source if you don't have rice, as long as it is complex (don't use simple carbohydrates like sugar, honey, syrup, molasses, etc). You can use wheat, barley, kinoa, other carbohydrates as the base to make your carbohydrate wash. This wash will attract microbes from the air, among them lacto bacilli.
2.Cover loosely and let stand for a couple days to a week ◦When is it done? When you see a light film on top (molds) and it smells a little sour and forms 3 layers. This is indicating the rice wash is infected with various microbes. This happens more quickly in warm temperatures because microbes are more active. Thus it is all relative since we don't do this in controlled laboratory conditions.
3.The layers are distinct ◦Top layer: floating carbohydrates leftover from fermentation and possibly molds
◦Middle layer: Lactic Acid and other bacteria (cheese buffs will recognize this as a makeshift "rennet"). We will use this layer.
◦Bottom layer: Starch, byproduct of fermentation
4.Extract the middle layer using a siphon. This layer contains the highest concentration of lactic acid bacteria and lowest concentration of the unneeded byproducts
5.Get a new container, larger than the first. Take the extracted serum from the last step and mix it with 10 parts milk. By saturating with milk (lactose), we dissuade other microbes from proliferating, leaving L. bacilli. E.G. if you have 1cup of the serum, mix it with 10cups milk.
TIP: The best milk to use in unpasteurized natural milk. However, any milk will do, even powdered milk. In our experience, the best is unpasteurized natural but just use what is available. We just want to saturate with lactose to promote L. bacilli bacteria.
6.You want to keep this stage anaerobic as much as possible. You can use something like rice bran, barley bran, wheat bran, etc sprinkled on top of the milk. I use a sealed container with a one-way valve. Note: Beware of bubbling during this phase. It can lead to overflows if you filled to near the top. It can go through the one-way valves so keep an eye on it and don't do this step around nice things.
7.After about 1 week (temp dependent), you'll see curds (made of carbohydrate, protein, and fat) on top of the milk. The water below will be yellow colored — this is whey, enriched with lactic acid bacteria from the fermentation of the milk.
NOTE: Microbes like L. bacilli are more active in warmer temperatures. The curds you see are a byproduct of the fermentation process. Fermentation is generally associated with microbial processes under anaerobic(no oxygen) conditions. Now, L. bacilli is a facultative anaerobe, that is it can live and work with or without oxygen, but less competition in anaerobic conditions.
8.The water below(whey+lacto) is the good stuff. You want to extract this. You can either skim the curds off the top, pour through a strainer, or whatever other methods to accomplish that
NOTE: Remember the curds, or byproduct of milk fermentation by L. bacilli, are great food. They are full of beneficial microbes like L. bacilli. Feed the curds to the soil, compost pile, plants, animals, humans — whoever wants them! They are full of good nutrients/microbes. No waste in natural farming.
9.To preserve at room temperature, add an equal part sugar/molasses to the serum. So, if you have 1L of serum, add 1kilo sugar or 1L molasses. Otherwise store in fridge to keep.
Sorry if this is too long of a post. Lactobacillus serum has a lot of applications, you may be surprised!
Regards
From the web
How to Make:
1.Get container, fill halfway with rice-wash. Rice wash is the water leftover when you rinse fresh rice. For example, go buy rice, whatever kind, bring it home, put it in a pot with warm water, swirl it a bit and then drain the [now milky colored] water. The water is now a rich source of carbohydrates. In this step, you can substitute rice with another carbohydrate source if you don't have rice, as long as it is complex (don't use simple carbohydrates like sugar, honey, syrup, molasses, etc). You can use wheat, barley, kinoa, other carbohydrates as the base to make your carbohydrate wash. This wash will attract microbes from the air, among them lacto bacilli.
2.Cover loosely and let stand for a couple days to a week ◦When is it done? When you see a light film on top (molds) and it smells a little sour and forms 3 layers. This is indicating the rice wash is infected with various microbes. This happens more quickly in warm temperatures because microbes are more active. Thus it is all relative since we don't do this in controlled laboratory conditions.
3.The layers are distinct ◦Top layer: floating carbohydrates leftover from fermentation and possibly molds
◦Middle layer: Lactic Acid and other bacteria (cheese buffs will recognize this as a makeshift "rennet"). We will use this layer.
◦Bottom layer: Starch, byproduct of fermentation
4.Extract the middle layer using a siphon. This layer contains the highest concentration of lactic acid bacteria and lowest concentration of the unneeded byproducts
5.Get a new container, larger than the first. Take the extracted serum from the last step and mix it with 10 parts milk. By saturating with milk (lactose), we dissuade other microbes from proliferating, leaving L. bacilli. E.G. if you have 1cup of the serum, mix it with 10cups milk.
TIP: The best milk to use in unpasteurized natural milk. However, any milk will do, even powdered milk. In our experience, the best is unpasteurized natural but just use what is available. We just want to saturate with lactose to promote L. bacilli bacteria.
6.You want to keep this stage anaerobic as much as possible. You can use something like rice bran, barley bran, wheat bran, etc sprinkled on top of the milk. I use a sealed container with a one-way valve. Note: Beware of bubbling during this phase. It can lead to overflows if you filled to near the top. It can go through the one-way valves so keep an eye on it and don't do this step around nice things.
7.After about 1 week (temp dependent), you'll see curds (made of carbohydrate, protein, and fat) on top of the milk. The water below will be yellow colored — this is whey, enriched with lactic acid bacteria from the fermentation of the milk.
NOTE: Microbes like L. bacilli are more active in warmer temperatures. The curds you see are a byproduct of the fermentation process. Fermentation is generally associated with microbial processes under anaerobic(no oxygen) conditions. Now, L. bacilli is a facultative anaerobe, that is it can live and work with or without oxygen, but less competition in anaerobic conditions.
8.The water below(whey+lacto) is the good stuff. You want to extract this. You can either skim the curds off the top, pour through a strainer, or whatever other methods to accomplish that
NOTE: Remember the curds, or byproduct of milk fermentation by L. bacilli, are great food. They are full of beneficial microbes like L. bacilli. Feed the curds to the soil, compost pile, plants, animals, humans — whoever wants them! They are full of good nutrients/microbes. No waste in natural farming.
9.To preserve at room temperature, add an equal part sugar/molasses to the serum. So, if you have 1L of serum, add 1kilo sugar or 1L molasses. Otherwise store in fridge to keep.
Sorry if this is too long of a post. Lactobacillus serum has a lot of applications, you may be surprised!
Regards
Good night Roach. Thanks for all the good work! I'll focus better in the morn. Sleepy.
SmokesDaKush
New Member
Does anybody happen to know what properties would be in the left over water from steam distilling various mints?
I have been grabbing some essentials and I recall mints being an effective pest management so I saved the reservoir water and tossed it into my brewer, I just went with it and the plants responded very well. Grow room smells great too!
Subbed!
I have been grabbing some essentials and I recall mints being an effective pest management so I saved the reservoir water and tossed it into my brewer, I just went with it and the plants responded very well. Grow room smells great too!
Subbed!
- Thread starter
- #198
I would think it would be beneficial Smokey. Certainly can't hurt and, as you noticed, cleans the air.
SmokesDaKush
New Member
Ya, I was just curious what it may contain. Just put a question mark after reading through this thread. There is some dedicated and educated people in here!
- Thread starter
- #200
Ya, I was just curious what it may contain. Just put a question mark after reading through this thread. There is some dedicated and educated people in here!
Let me see if I can find out for you.
