Don't BUY into making EM4 or any other EM...

Discussion in 'Planting, growing, nurturing Plants' started by Pakanohida, Aug 19, 2013.

  1. Pakanohida

    Pakanohida Junior Member

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    ...instead make it yourself like the Permaculturalist inside of you is pining for you to do. (OK, its early, so what if I screwed up my title and its joke.)

    [h=2]Make your own EM (Effective Microorganisms)[/h]

    [​IMG]

    EM is a blend of beneficial microorganisms developed by Teruo Higa, a professor at the University of the Ryukyu in Japan. These microorganisms improve the health of the soil, the plants, water and humans by breaking down organic matter in the soil, fixing nitrogen from the air, and feeding and protecting plants and animals. The organisms included are primarily yeast and pro-biotic photosynthetic bacteria and lactic acid bacteria. Buying EM is quite expensive, and you actually can make yourself at very minimal cost.

    In Asia, they even further process the EM into 4 types of EM (EM1, EM2, EM3 and EM4) and become much more effective and best depending what you will use the EM for. Here is simple way to make your own EM.
    EM1 is the original trademark product and contains a group of bacteria primarily lactic acid bacteria (lactic acid produced in metabolism), yeast, and photosynthetic bacteria. EM1 contains only three types of microorganisms in ideal proportions.
    EM2 is a mixture of more microorganisms, which is about 10 types and 80 species. Microorganisms, like many in EM1, also exist together as a consortium. The main microbes that exist in the EM2 is a photosynthetic bacteria, fungi, yeasts or molds, and so on. Made in liquid culture medium with pH 7 and stored at pH 8.5. The population of microorganisms in the solution is about 10 (9) or 1 billion cells per gram of fluid.
    EM3 consists of approximately 90% of bacteria photosynthesis and the rest are of other microorganisms. EM3 was cultured and stored at pH 8.5. Microorganism population in the fluid is also about 10 (9) or 1 billion cells per gram of fluid.
    EM4 consisted of 90% Lactobacillus spp. and microorganisms that produce lactic acid more. EM is made by culture in liquid medium was acidic pH of 4.5. The number of microorganisms retained the same as above, ie 1 billion per gram of fluid.
    That’s the main difference between EM1, EM2, EM3, and EM4. So in principle, the differences caused by the content of microorganisms of each type of EM is. The one that mostly used in Asia to boost farming and fisheries is the EM4.
    Materials:
    - Vegetables waste, especially beans
    - Fruit skin peels (papaya, banana, rambutan, mango, etc..)
    - Cheap Bran
    - Brown sugar
    - Rice water (the water you use to wash rice before you cook it)
    Method:
    - Mixed vegetable waste, fruit peels and bran. Place the instance in a bucket or container. Close and stir occasionally, leave for one week to rot and then it become EM (EM1). EM stands for Effective microorganisms that will accelerate the composting process.
    - EM1 liquid waste is mixed with vegetable and fruit peels. Then keep again for a week. It will develop a new liquid called EM2.
    - EM2 fluid mixed with bran, brown sugar and rice water and keep for about a week, it will become EM3.
    - Lets stand for about another week without adding anything. It will be EM4.

    (Source https://boboy.net/2012/01/make-your-own-em-effective-microorganisms/ )


    Now stop buying stuff, and using peak oil for the bottles, shipping, etc.


    Don't get me started on the solutions for Bio-Dynamics garden preps either for they are equally easy to make.
     
    Bryant RedHawk and chamni like this.
  2. Rick Larson

    Rick Larson Junior Member

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    Oh. That is important info. How do I get you started then? :)
     
  3. matto

    matto Junior Member

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    You can start by making your own EM1 by following this blog https://www.hawaiihealingtree.org/how-to-make-your-own-em-1-inoculant-and-bokashi/

    "EM-5, also known in Japan as Stochu (or Sutochu). It is used to directly apply to plants (not
    while it's flowering though) to deter (make unpalatable to) pests, it is a non toxic chemical free
    insect repellant that prevents pest and disease problems in crops. It is made with EM-1, molasses,
    vinegar, and spirits (40% alcohol, such as vodka or tequila). Sometimes spices are also added,
    such as garlic and hot pepper. Standard materials are for example, 600ml water, 100ml molasses,
    100ml vinegar, 100ml distilled spirit and 100ml EM-1. It is sprayed to wet the crop before
    incidence of pests and diseases at regular intervals normally morning time or after heavy rains."

    https://orgprints.org/19472/1/EFFECTIVE_MICROORGANISMS_IN_AGRIC_Saidia_et_al_2010.pdf

    EM FPE is another step in the Korean Natural Farming tradition, although im interested to try some of the bio-pesticides for use i larger cropping situations. Si se puede leer en castellano, buenas cosas a dentro https://api.ning.com/files/*qPxUJIA...araelaborararinsecticidasmanual_organico1.pdf
     
  4. Pakanohida

    Pakanohida Junior Member

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    Method:
    - Mixed vegetable waste, fruit peels and bran. Place the instance in a bucket or container. Close and stir occasionally, leave for one week to rot and then it become EM (EM1). EM stands for Effective microorganisms that will accelerate the composting process.

    - EM1 liquid waste is mixed with vegetable and fruit peels. Then keep again for a week. It will develop a new liquid called EM2.

    - EM2 fluid mixed with bran, brown sugar and rice water and keep for about a week, it will become EM3.

    - Lets stand for about another week without adding anything. It will be EM4.
     
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  5. Matis

    Matis Junior Member

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    Thank you very much, it is indeed quite expensive.
    Thank you alot for this.
     
  6. Rick Larson

    Rick Larson Junior Member

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    I agree, thanks!
     
  7. pebble

    pebble Junior Member

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    Location:
    inland Otago, NZ
    Climate:
    Inland maritime/hot/dry/frosty
    Not really following that.

    Is this right? Mix veges scraps, fruit peels and bran in a bucket. Cover and stir for a week. Liquid separates out. So there are two things here now: the vege mess, and the liquid. The liquid gets used for the next kind of EM making. How does the vege mess get used?

    Would be interesting to convert the recipe to our local climates too. I'm guessing the fruit peels have yeasts on them, so lically I could use grapes, fejoia skins, plums (excess of those) etc. I don't have an easy source of bran, can anyone figure what the role of bran is in the mix? (dry bulking agent?).
     
  8. Unmutual

    Unmutual Junior Member

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    I understand the not buying part, but wouldn't you just get the same affect with a good compost used in brewing some compost tea? If not, then how is it different? Wouldn't EM5 be worm compost tea(worm compost purportedly has anti-insect properties)?
     
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  9. pebble

    pebble Junior Member

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    Location:
    inland Otago, NZ
    Climate:
    Inland maritime/hot/dry/frosty
    It looks like a ferment to me, which is somewhat different than worm composting.
     
  10. heftzwecke

    heftzwecke Junior Member

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    Never heard of EM. Sounds interesting though, but I cannot follow the recipe:
    How many fruit peels do I need for the vegetables (we don't eat that many bananas, let alone the more exotic stuff) and how much bran to the vegetables? In the materials list there is rice water, but it does not appear in the how to section, so my guess is that you dump it with the fruit and veggie mix. And what is the sugar for and if you add it how much?
     
  11. pebble

    pebble Junior Member

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    Location:
    inland Otago, NZ
    Climate:
    Inland maritime/hot/dry/frosty
    The sugar etc, come in the later batches.
     
  12. heftzwecke

    heftzwecke Junior Member

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    And what are the quantities of the peel to vegetables? And do I add the rice water (I must start washing my rice) right away?
    I get to the greeengrocer's bin daily there are a lot of vegetables but no peel and it is not organic, could I use that?
     
  13. Peter

    Peter Junior Member

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    EM is cheap. Don't get people thinking it is easy to create something that can compare.
     
  14. Unmutual

    Unmutual Junior Member

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    LOL

    (I'm assuming this is a sarcastic statement..it can be difficult to tell sometimes).
     
  15. Peter

    Peter Junior Member

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    What is the price?
     
  16. Grasshopper

    Grasshopper Senior Member

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    [video=youtube;hF04Edp_FHQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hF04Edp_FHQ[/video]
     
  17. Pakanohida

    Pakanohida Junior Member

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    LMAO
    I am hoping he was.


    Grasshopper,

    Thank you. :D
     
  18. Unmutual

    Unmutual Junior Member

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    Okay, so Lactic Acid Bacteria(LAB) are anaerobic. Outside of using their little bodies as nutrient for soil building(bacteria compost applied in a liquid), how exactly do they work in regards to gardening? Apparently you can even make a battery with LAB(though I didn't actually look in to that part). I found this document about making an antibacterial out of it. Is this what the brouhaha is all about? Assuming that it is, should we really be using it unless a plant has a bacterial infection? Obviously, it has its merits for a possible treatment of phytopathogenic(yes, I learned a big word today, and damn right I'm proud!) bacteria, but I'm sure we all know how well abuse of antibiotics has gone.
     
  19. Pakanohida

    Pakanohida Junior Member

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    I think it is more about feeding the soil micro-organisms.

    However, with worm tea made from a working and happy worm farm seems to do better & adds worms to the garden.
     
  20. matto

    matto Junior Member

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    The use of EM is considered a part of the whole that makes up the Natural Farming method, like BD Horn Manure is a part the Biodynamic method.

    EM can be used on fields mulched with the previous crops plant residues and helps to break down plant residues. Using EM as a foliar spray is a way to feed the plant and to activate plant responses such as phytoanticipines that act as inhibitors to plant pathogens and phytoalexins that respond to pathogen attack. EM work in the soil much like any other input, but their large numbers help the soil organisms metabolise nutrients, resulting in stronger root structure and increased biomass and flowering. Repeated doses will maintain the benefits of EM throught the plant growth cycle.
     

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