EM1 - effective microbial....anyone use it?

MrFista · Dec 30, 2008

Bump!

OK, this stuff is amazing.

The price.... 1 litre EM1 makes 20 litres EM-A which is then diluted for soil 1:1000.

that's an awful lot of soil drench. 20 000 litres in fact.

I've cleaned my pond, desmellied several things, got sick plants back on track, my pets have it in their water and are acting like youngsters again. My sister has some from me, the local organic deli, the permaculture neighbours got some and I showed em how to use it on their chooks bedding and for the milking goats. They all love it too. Getting some bokashi starter going now too so we can ferment fish and chicken manure etc with leftover garden waste.

I still want to brew that non smelly fish emulsion, with em this might be possible.

Worm bin is working faster. Aquaponic system seems to be ironing it's problems out with pH coming down to the range plants prefer, plants are taking off again.

Kelp bucket got some too, doesn't stink half as much.

So many applications, the one bottle, I'm glad it goes so far.

ThaiPhoon · Dec 31, 2008

Hey Fista, this stuff is awesome! I'm glad to see more using it. I have a small rice farm now, and I am teaching the locals all about it.
I have made the EM-FFE (fermented fish extract). It was still kinda smelly, but I imagine it would have been a lot worse without EM!
So now I am using 3 things that seems to be working very well.
I use garbage enzymes (basically fruit fermented for 3+ months) EM and compost/composted elephant/Thai bat guano teas...things keep getting better!

Peace

sophisto · Dec 31, 2008

Awesome thread....

I have been really curious as to how EM can be made DIY as well...In Feb I am going to the World Ag Show, I will be asking some of the organic heads around to see if any one has a dial on this yet??

I would imagine that a controlled environment( temps, humidity etc) is the best place to produce consistent results if it were to be done DIY....Just a guess though...

MrFista · Dec 31, 2008

The microbe consortium in EM can be found in several places in nature. Me short term memories naff, it'll come back to me in a week hehe.

Ahah! Pitcher plants, the ones that trap insects and digest them in the liquid. That liquid is said to be rich in the microbial life sought however how do you dissect the EM microbes from everything else, rotting insects may not be a desirable mother culture at all.

In pond systems underneath siltation, not sure at what depth, where it is anaerobic, these bacteria living symbiotically as a consortium there as well, other places, but I just don't recall where I read it or the rest, was yesterday...

It will come back.

Enzyme extraction, I am interested in this can you tell me more about the length of time, pH sought, details... plants used etc? Please.

Fishy smells they said if the FFE is smelly add some EM-A to it before application. I do not like to foliar with EM-A, it must be my brews a bit young it seems to promote powdery mildew (humid conditions plus undigested sugar from molasses?).

I'm thinking to produce your own EM you'd need a fairly large project to justify the time, study, equipment, but if you just got to do it for shits and giggles, that's different.

The price doesn't seem so bad in the link posted. It goes a long way. There's a lot of EM-A products out there, that's where you'll get stung for your money.

But if you get EM 1 you can make things so you wont need

drain cleaners
deodorisers
bio-bugs
insecticides
plant tonics
fertilisers

You'll also decrease your vets bill, your plumbing maintenance, your animals feed bills, your compost turnover time

Halve your need for soap and detergents

And EM waste water helps to clean up the systems it enters.

I'd like to see people using this en masse. Or is that em masse.

If enough people used EM in polluted built up areas (most everyplace) we may see some radical changes for the good in our own backyards.

Check it out

Microbeman · Dec 31, 2008

Hello Mr Fista,

I'm so glad you like EM and have had good results. I'm not sure whether you got the human consumption stuff from SCD but if not, I like to ferment it for 40 to 60 days prior to drinking it or giving it to my dogs.

Funny enough I was doing research into creating an EM like substance years ago when a scientist in Norway emailed me about Dr. Higa and I dropped my research for EM. I put in my septic system in 1987 and have not pumped it out once. I attribute this to the AEM I've dumped down there.

I built a simple fermentor by screwing a light fixture into the lid of a plastic cooler with a 60 watt bulb. I place a thermometer to monitor the heat and regulate it around 100 degrees F by propping the lid open accordingly. I use clear 2 litre pop bottles to ferment and can do at least 6 at a time.

ThaiPhoon · Jan 1, 2009

For enzyme extraction have a look at google or yahoo for "garbage enzyme". A doctor in Rayong Thailand has a farm that promotes the use of this stuff. Basically its fruit peels water and molasses set in an anaerobic condition for about 3 months...
I have found a neat page about urea (powerful N source) replacement by fermenting coconut meat in water for 2 months...the source is in Thai, I am in the process of translating!
Peace

MrFista · Jan 2, 2009

Thanks Thaiphoon.

Wonder if bokashi is allowed to sit for a few months if it will have a similar effect.

I just made very simple bokashi starter so thought I'd do a walkthrough (and I don't have a life till ten).

Bokashi is compost made with em that does not resemble compost. It looks and smells like pickled veggies. When the compost is put into the soil however, it breaks down and is ready to use in weeks.

Bokashi Starter is an em concoction you sprinkle on your compost to make the process work.

MrFistas Bokashi Starter

10 mls em 1
10 mls molasses (organic unsulfured)
1 kilo wheatbran (or other bran, or sawdust and bran...)
300 mls water

Dilute molasses and em in water.
Add wheatbran and mixed to even consistency.
At this ratio the mix should be able to be squeezed into clods but easily flakes away. Like you could almost squeeze water out of it.

Pack - PACK down into a container. If it's still spongy you aint packed it hard enough. I got the whole bag of bran mix into a container half the size.

Seal with airtight lid. Cover with black bag (I used a pillowcase)
leave in a warm place out of direct sunlight for 2-3 weeks.

When it is ready it should have no mold - or just a white mold - on it. Green black or grey mold are not desired and point out a contamination.

So it's ready, and it's not contaminated, what now?

Drying.

Sieve the contents to loosen them up well and dry on paper or smooth surface.

Usage.

Fresh food scraps (including dairy citrus onions meat and fish) are placed in a bucket. Half a tsp of bokashi starter is sprinkled on top, the food is packed down, the lid replaced. Repeat till the bucket is full.

When the bucket is full put aside out of direct sunlight for a fortnight. Then add it to a piece of garden that needs attention.

MrFista · Jan 2, 2009

ps - people are adding a tsp ceramic x powder and azomite to this recipe - I don't have either. you can though, and it'd only improve the end results.

MrFista · Jan 11, 2009

Bump again -

if you are spending money on nutes, spending money on this will makes your nutes go further.

if you are recycling soil, this will make it recycle faster.

if you are building soil, this will give the microherd a kickstart.

if you want more bud - try this!

No product I've seen in many years comes close to what you will get from a bottle of EM.

Neighbours comment on my outdoors garden - "It's amazing, it literally glows".

marali · Feb 4, 2009

You mentioned sawdust. Can i use only sawdust when making bokashi starter? Can't get bran in the moment. Any other bran alternative comes to mind?

Clackamas Coot · Feb 4, 2009

MrFista

I've been using a bokashi composter for about a year or so. Best investment I've made for creating compost though I love my worms. I put some of the finished bokashi into a worm bin I set up for the experiment and they made quick work of it. It's probably a bit too hot for container gardening. Outside in the raised bed gardens it works very well.

There are some really good bokashi brew kits out there with the ceramic addition that you mentioned but your recipe certainly gets the job done.

CC

K.J · Feb 4, 2009

I checked out the website. Pretty interesting stuff. I bet it works well. Here's the mico product we're using in our current grow:

MycoGrow™ Soluble
for Potting Soils & Rooting Media

MycoGrow™ Soluble is similar to Plant Success™ Tabs but is more concentrated, containing more spores and more species, plus other beneficial organisms. Consisting of powdered spore mass rather than tablets, MycoGrow™ Soluble is great for adding to rooting media or commercial potting soils. Sold in one pound and one ounce increments. An ounce is sufficient to treat 125–250 plants covering approximately 250 square feet.
One ounce MGS100 $5.95 Buy
One pound MGS110 $79.95 Buy
Note: this product cannot be shipped to Hawaii.

Contains concentrated spore mass of the following:

Endomycorrhizal fungi
Glomus intraradices, Glomus mosseae, Glomus aggregatum, Glomus clarum, Glomus deserticola, Glomus etunicatum, Gigaspora margarita, Gigaspora brasilianum, Gigaspora monosporum

Ectomycorrhizal fungi
Rhizopogon villosullus, Rhizopogon luteolus, Rhizopogon amylopogon, Rhizopogon fulvigleba, Pisolithus tinctorius, Laccaria bicolor, Laccaria laccata, Scleroderma cepa, Scleroderma citrinum, Suillus granulatas, Suillus punctatapies

Trichoderma
Trichoderma harzianum, Trichoderma konigii

Beneficial Bacteria
Bacillus subtillus, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus azotoformans, Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus coagulans, Bacillus pumlis, Bacillus thuringiensis, Bacillus stearothermiphilis, Paenibacillus polymyxa, Paenibacillus durum, Paenibacillus florescence, Paenibacillus gordonae, Azotobacter polymyxa, Azotobacter chroococcum, Sacchromyces cervisiae, Streptomyces griseues, Streptomyces lydicus, Pseudomonas aureofaceans, Deinococcus erythromyxa

Clackamas Coot · Feb 4, 2009

KJ

It's certainly affordable enough. A local retailer was given permission by the manufacturer to break the product down into 1 lb. bags which retail for $11.50 up and down a $1.00 depending on whether or not you want Endo or Endo/Ecto or granular or micronized, blah, blah, blah.

I mix a bit in water and hit the clones in Rapid Rooters once they show signs of rooting. Huge explosive roots come flying out.

CC

HinduKushed_423 · Feb 7, 2009

i was telling my buddy to go lightly when he used this stuff and he fried his palanst due to increased nutirnet release rate.

i liked it but had problem due to above mentioned effect.

Clackamas Coot · Feb 8, 2009

Bokashi

Bokashi

Here is a link to the analysis done by Dr. Ingham's organization, Soil Food Web, on EM Bokashi

In this sense the term bokashi refers to the bran that has been inoculated with EM-1 - the starter that's used in bokashi composting. This EM Bokashi is dried after the fermentation process is completed and then added to the soil at 1% ratio.

If you have a feed or farm store nearby you can buy 50 lb. bags of wheat bran or rice bran (preferred from what I understand) for around $15.00

Once the bran is fermented and dried it will last for several months if kept in a cool dry place.

One question I had is regarding the ceramic product that's added when fermenting the rice/wheat bran, would rock dust accomplish the same thing?

And one other question, I'm curious if the product 'Hydrozyme' isn't an EM spin-off. Just a thought.

CC

confused · Mar 16, 2009

Clackamas Coot said:
Here is a link to the analysis done by Dr. Ingham's organization, Soil Food Web, on EM Bokashi

In this sense the term bokashi refers to the bran that has been inoculated with EM-1 - the starter that's used in bokashi composting. This EM Bokashi is dried after the fermentation process is completed and then added to the soil at 1% ratio.

If you have a feed or farm store nearby you can buy 50 lb. bags of wheat bran or rice bran (preferred from what I understand) for around $15.00

Once the bran is fermented and dried it will last for several months if kept in a cool dry place.

One question I had is regarding the ceramic product that's added when fermenting the rice/wheat bran, would rock dust accomplish the same thing?

And one other question, I'm curious if the product 'Hydrozyme' isn't an EM spin-off. Just a thought.

CC

I'm about to make my first batch of bokashi. I'm not adding the ceramic product, just using bran - molasis - and em1. It is my first time so we will see what happens.

Do any of you add em1 to your guano tea's at any rate?

ripman · Aug 16, 2009

Hope Microbeman or somebody else can help me on this: I would like to buy some EM-plus to get the EM-1 which includes additional purple non-sulfur bacteria (PNSB).
The point is that for such product SCD writes that it is not suitable for human consumption and that instead I should buy EM Food Grade. In my country EM Food Grade is not distributed (I can get though EM-X or Xtra-EM, but they are very pricy, and I believe you can't "overdrive" them using the activation process).
The EM I'd buy would be mostly used for growing, but I would like to get something drinkable as well, as I already drink the lactobacilli I make with Jaykush's method and EM-1 is said to be even healtier.
I've seen Microbeman says it is possible to activate EM-1 for a longer period (about 60 days) to make it good for human consumption, and that at the beginning he used the first version of EM-1 which included all the PNSB. The question is then: is 60day activated-EM-plus as safe as 60day activated-EM-Farming or should I buy a bottle of each and use the plus for growing and the farming for drinking?

ThaiPhoon · Aug 16, 2009

here's something about collecting PNSB...Since I have a lot of rice paddy here, I would like to know what Larsen's medium is or how how to make it. Also any info about Van Niel's medium and Acetate Yeast Extract medium would be cool!
http://www.philjol.info/index.php/PJSB/article/viewArticle/1013

edit: from reading the PDF seems that PNSB only grew on the Acetate Yeast Extract. (AYE) Looking for info about making it...

ripman · Aug 16, 2009

Hey Thaiphoon nice discovery! By the way, what about your EM, do you consume it as well or do you use it only for crops?
Thanks
ripman

maryjohn · Aug 16, 2009

Ignore all the bullshit. EM is simply a very good motherculture. The ceramics an special salt are just ways to make money on hokey magic tricks. Been doing just fine without them.

WTF does "structuring water". Mean? Just a bunch of random unscientific crap. I almost fell off my chair reading about it.

Next we will all be using power amulets to channel our plant essences.

EM1 - effective microbial....anyone use it?

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