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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    Doesn't biodynamics have various solutions which can also be made readily without having to buy such as Comfrey tea?
     
  2. matto

    matto Junior Member

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    Biodynamics would say to hang the BD Preps (503-507) in their weed teas to bring the elements into the mix. I'd use charcoal. Things like the Cow Pat Pit can also be made, but still need the BD Preps. Of course you can make these yourself, but might not be worth the time to, And one or two cow horns would be enough for a small block of land.
     
  3. matto

    matto Junior Member

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  4. andrew curr

    andrew curr Moderator

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    This is good stuff guys! Free!
    there are a lot of expensive glossy brochure brands of this kinds of thing!
    would love to see some clinical trials
     
  5. matto

    matto Junior Member

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    More from Latin America. Cultivating Indigenous Microorganisms.

    https://www.ong-adg.be/spip/IMG/pdf/A2-02_ficha_microorganismos_VFB_OK.pdf

    Looking forward to RegenAg returning to Australia. They are over in Latin America doing a tour of farms successfully using these kind of home made biological fertilisers. They will be releasing a DVD and hopefully doing more courses. Sounds like this is already catching on in a big way up in FNQLD
     
  6. permasculptor

    permasculptor Junior Member

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    Last edited: Jun 19, 2017
  7. Pakanohida

    Pakanohida Junior Member

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    Sorry mates, but I personally won't use / can't endorse any product that uses peak oil methods for shipping when this is something that people at home can easily make for their own permaculture properties.

    Worm teas
    EM teas
    Comfrey tea biodynamic batch #3847309843094

    It doesn't matter what it is, we should ALL be able to make it cheaply without peak oil inputs for shipping.
     
  8. andrew curr

    andrew curr Moderator

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    Did Fukoaka use these addidions?
     
  9. songbird

    songbird Senior Member

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    i don't recall anything like that mentioned in his writings that i've read... he mentions having to use some repellents on some fruit trees and another oil solution for scale.
     
  10. Grasshopper

    Grasshopper Senior Member

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    zackly
    I can make some pretty good bacteria for freeish
    let nature sort the rest out.
     
  11. mouseinthehouse

    mouseinthehouse Junior Member

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    Totally agree. I thought the idea was reducing inputs from external sources. If you buy something packaged and transported from miles away, how is that 'care for the earth'? I'll keep cooking up my own brews.
     
  12. Pakanohida

    Pakanohida Junior Member

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    Not once.

    The five principles of Natural Farming are that:

    human cultivation of soil, plowing or tilling are unnecessary, as is the use of powered machines
    prepared fertilizers are unnecessary, as is the process of preparing compost
    weeding, either by cultivation or by herbicides, is unnecessary. Instead only minimal weed suppression with minimal disturbance
    applications of pesticides or herbicides are unnecessary
    pruning of fruit trees is unnecessary
     
  13. Eugene von Guerard

    Eugene von Guerard Junior Member

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    Sooo.....can anyone point me in the direction of some credible peer reviewed tests that show this stuff works?

    Not trying to be difficult. Love the idea and keen to make a brew, but before I start dealing with buckets of goop I need to see if it's actually going to do some good.
     
  14. wynot

    wynot Junior Member

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    A couple of weeks ago I had finished a batch of beet kvass. Rather than throw the beet chunks away I put them in the pots out on our balconies. The pots have all kinds of stuff growing in them, and I put the veg peelings, banana peels etc. . . as a mini mulching/composting effort. Within a couple of days the beet chunks were grey with fuzz, then melted away. I noticed a week later that mycelium threads had run around the surface of the pots in amongst the decomposing compost, and even up onto the rims of the clay pots. Two weeks later the first fruiting body appeared.

    The soil in the pots is the red clay that passes for soil here in the Bangalore, India area.
     
  15. Peter

    Peter Junior Member

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    I don't think your analysis is right mate. Expand on your statements.
     
  16. wynot

    wynot Junior Member

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    What analysis? That was the observed course of events. Notice that I did not draw a conclusion. I posted it here since I found it very curious. The pots have been on the balconies since August. None of the pots exhibited the mycelium until the beet chunks were added, then they all did in the same time frame.
     
  17. Pakanohida

    Pakanohida Junior Member

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    Eugene - Use google, you can find them, and videos

    Wynot - mycellium spores are always all around us. Keep up your observations, its an important tool in Permaculture.
     
  18. Eugene von Guerard

    Eugene von Guerard Junior Member

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    Compost tea can kill you and your loved ones stone cold dead.

    2011, May/June - 16 people died in Europe with the finger of death pointing to German organic sprouts. Escherichia coli O104:H4 was the culprit and after hours of googling, I won't be making any compost tea produced from non-aerated methods and you would be wise to never add any sugar or molasses to your brews either.

    Think about it. You are esssentially making blackwater.

    If do you insist on making it and putting it on your crops, observe a witholding period of at least 2/3 weeks and wash your produce well before consumption. Trouble is, the Escherichia coli O104:H4 strain endures for a much longer time in the environment and this witholding period may not be long enough.

    On a side note - I have exhausted myself looking for credible peer reviewed tests that back up the sometimes outrageous claims made for compost teas and my conclusion is you are better off using your compost as a mulch. This just happens to be the way nature intended it to be used. That said, I will be making some aerated tea from kelp and some mature compost.
     
  19. Unmutual

    Unmutual Junior Member

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    Any time you eat raw food, you're taking a risk. I thought most seeds sprout without any additions outside of water, so I'm not sure why they felt the need to add nutrients.
     
  20. helenlee

    helenlee Junior Member

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    Good grief! I make cow poop compost tea all the time & I don't have an aerator! And I'm pretty slap dash in my methods as well! I also use a lot of cow poop on the veggie garden - on all the gardens. I thought it was only human poop you had to be extra careful with :/
     

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