Enzymes?

[Scrappy4]

Is there a role for adding enzymes, either home made or store bought, in our organic gardens?

If, so please provide some particulars, if not, why not?

I ask because I had bought some cannazyme to help break down some used soil a while back. When i went to use it, the old root fragments that were worrying me, were gone a couple of weeks after adding EWC to the mix. So now i have that container of enzymes without much of an idea on how or why to use in an organic soil grow..........scrappy

 

[descivii]

Naturally occuring enzymes are produced by the bacterias we breed in our soils and teas, store brands try to mimic this with engineered enzymes that are put to sleep (dormant) then bottled in a neutral suspension. If your own worms are producing then you haven't a need for the Cannazyme. Though I'm sure some will swear by it.

J.

 

[Clackamas Coot]

Is there a role for adding enzymes, either home made or store bought, in our organic gardens?

If, so please provide some particulars, if not, why not?

I ask because I had bought some cannazyme to help break down some used soil a while back. When i went to use it, the old root fragments that were worrying me, were gone a couple of weeks after adding EWC to the mix. So now i have that container of enzymes without much of an idea on how or why to use in an organic soil grow..........scrappy

Scrappy4

Thank you for starting this thread - I'd like to know more about enzymes (amino acids) myself.

I recently made a fermented concoction by taking organic barley seeds and sprouting them like you would with alfalfa seeds. I let the the shoots grow out to about 6" and then covered the sprouted seeds with water, kelp meal, glacial rock dust and the EM-1 lactobacillus culture product.

I let it ferment down < 3.0 pH and then strained out the fermented liquid and applied it to the roots at 2 oz. per gallon of water and 1/2 that as a foliar application.

I choose barley specifically because it's the grain with the highest levels of enzyme activity - beer, bread, etc.

The plants showed a positive response but I'm still unclear what it was exactly that I accomplished, i.e. the how and why it seemed to be a benefit.

BTW - aloe vera juice and gel contains 22 amino acids in a balanced form and for cheap, cheap money.

CC

 

[jaykush]

check out these threads

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=107990

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=67488

 

[Clackamas Coot]

check out these threads

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=107990

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=67488

Thanks!

The 2nd link answered almost every question that I had. In particular the use of malted barley from the homebrew store, diastatic malt from the bakery supplier and in particular pepain from certain tropical fruits.

Good thread and it's much appreciated!

CC

 

[jaykush]

old ass thread somehow i remembered it lol( and they say stoners have bad memory)

 

[Clackamas Coot]

Jaykush

The diastatic malt is an interesting product to consider perhaps. It's simply sprouted barley seeds which are then roasted and ground to a powder. It's used by bakers to maximize the action of the wild or commercial yeasts added for leavening. The enzyme levels of this form of malted barley is extremely high - higher than the malted barley powders and liquids used by brewers.

It's certainly cheap enough - 5 lbs. is less than $15.00 from Sysco or other food service suppliers.

CC

 

[jaykush]

sprouted and then roasted huh. ill have to look into that stuff, for growing and for baking. did you check that pm i sent you about the sprouted rice.

 

[MrFista]

Enzymes are not amino acids. Amino acids are singular molecules (of many atoms) that link together to form proteins. a string of amino acids is the primary structure of proteins. When you get beta pleated sheets and alpha helix coils it is a secondary structure, adding disulfide bonds and various foldings you get a tertiary structure. A string of aminos or primary structure is also termed a polypeptide, two or more polypeptides folded together make a proteins quarternary structure.

All of these are proteins. OK...

Enzymes are made of proteins which are in turn made of amino acids. They are in no way shape or form the same thing. All proteins are made from amino acids.

Enzymes seems to be the new organic catchcry and in my opinion a load of bunk though I've jumped on the same bandwagon in the past.

Enzymes are produced by plants insects worms fungi bacteria nematodes collembola etc etc etc. Why would you have some biological molecule dismantling your organic matter unless you know it was directly where it was useful ie: in the rhizosphere or next to something that can use the products the enzyme is creating. If you want enzymes get some worm rum, some bokashi runoff, a decent fungal innoculant or some compost tea.

Enzymes are catalysts. Some increasing reaction speeds by millions of times. Enzymes do not get used up in a reaction they are recycled to be used again and again. Fungi and bacteria direct their enzymes onto substrates where it is needed. A microherd from good compost tea is a seriously superior replacement for an enzyme supplement as you are adding vast numbers of species each with the capability of producing differing enzymes.

Enzymes in washing powder = great. Enzymes in soil = partially digested crap everywhere and most often nothing there to utilise it.

 

[Scrappy4]

Thanks for the links, guys. I'm learning.

So I take it enzymes are not living things, but used by bacteria/fungi and other things to break down organic particles for their use. So using these products in the presence of our own bacteria/fungi would be redundant. Did I get this right?

So if this is correct, there should no advantage to using enzyme products in an organic grow?

Is this what folks who have used these found? Scrappy

 

[maryanne3087]

I'm not disagreeing with you as I'm not very schooled in the soil interactions of microbes, plants, dead matter, and enzymes. Nutrient companies basically tell us that enzymes break down dead roots to provide available nutrition to our microherd/rhizosphere or plants.

It sounds like from what you posted that this is 100% accurate however the context is misleading? The most interesting part of your post to me was your mention of stuff being broken down just to not be used.

Thanks for the informative post.

 

[CannaExists]

So if this is correct, there should no advantage to using enzyme products in an organic grow?

I would put it more like, no predictable, promised advantage. If you're the kind of total MadMan like Clackamas Coot and brew up insane enzyme concoctions and feed it to your plants without being able to tell whether or not it did anything beneficial, then by golly give it a whirl. I personally think it sounds like some crazy fun.

 

[MrFista]

Enzymes are ubiquitous. Making an enzyme brew involves the organisms that make the enzymes - enzymes will not reproduce they are not alive. Like I said, a compost tea or similar. To break down roots fast use EM. This is a bacterial concoction and the bacteria all consume stuff - using enzymes.

Any brew with one lonely bacteria in it contains 'enzymes' too if the bacteria isn't dead.

Ubiquitous I say!