So I Bought Some Effective Micro-Organisms... Now What?

[SundayAfternoon]

25 B, small bottle, conatinaing, it says: Effective Micro-Organisms. Can't read the rest as it's all in Thai. LOL

I've been surfing the net a bit, and most sites seem to be selling the stuff. I haven't actually come across anything that says it really works, yet.

Anyone with experience, care to comment, with pros or cons?

Can anyone also advise what I should do with it - in terms of what amounts, and with what frequency, soil drench or folar spray, that kind of thing.

Cheers.

[loong]

Hi Sunday,

there is a pinned topic here about EM, you should be able to find info there.

I've attached a PDF with some useful stuff

APNAN Manual.pdf

[IsaanAussie]

Most EM products are sold in a stabilised condition, that is the microbes are dormant. To activate it you add molasses in equal parts and then water at 20 times the combined volume. This you put in a bottle or can so it is nearly full the close the lid (gas tight is good). Leave it in a warm place (not direct sunlight) for a day or two, then open the lid a turn or two, there should be a gas escape. Monitor regularly and when it stops gasing you are good to go with your EMA (EM activated).

Dilution from that point depends on usage.

[SundayAfternoon]

Thank you both for the info.

I will have to get some molasses now (where will I find that? I wonder! LOL) and try to brew some.

(I really thought you used it straight out of the bottle, diluted, of course!)

Loong, I haven't read it yet, but I notice in the index a mention of 'Bokashi'. Is EM basically the same as the starter culture for Bokashi?

I've been reading up about it, to see if I can use it in my garden, but I was wondering where I'd get the starter culture from. So that would be great if it's the same thing.

Here's another question though...

I routinely add eggshells, banana peels, coffee grounds and other small bits of organic material to my containers, just to add in some 'compostable material', minerals, plus vermicompost... which still contains many little wriggling 'creatures' (not worms).

Would these amendments not do the same thing as EM? In other words, feed the soil, and the organisms in the soil?

[loong]

Yes, EM is a starter for Bokashi. I make a starter by fermenting Rice bran with EM and molasses.

Some of the micro organisms may not be present in quantity in the soil. Dosing with EM will do good and help break down organic material quicker to make food available to the plants.

The good micro organisms in EM can outcompete the bad ones.

As a foliar spray, it can outcompete fungii and help the plant resist disease.

With plenty of organic material, the EM micro organisms will thrive and so you will not have to dose so often.

You should be able to get molasses at any farm supply shop or where you bought the EM.

If you can't get it you can use water used to rinse rice. I don't see any reason why you couldn't use rice flour, but would be hit and miss with the quantities.

[IsaanAussie]

Would these amendments not do the same thing as EM? In other words, feed the soil, and the organisms in the soil?

No they do not do the same thing. The organic materials contain nutrients which the plant needs but they are not plant available until they are decomposed, that is the job of the bacteria and yeasts in EM. Other soil microbes form close associations with the roots of the plant and they actually feed on nutrients that the plant releases, that is where the disease and pest resistance comes from.

Molasses feeds the EM biology with simple sugars but starch will do the same thing so you could use cooked rice or cassava or any cereal meal for that matter. Using these you can culture natural soil biology as well. Place some in the leaf litter under trees and you will get a white fungal growth in the rice or bran. Those yeasts are what are used to innoculate seedlings. (Used to be called rooting powder in my youth) Remember moisture is important if you try to culture these microbes. Under about 40% nothing will happen. Once you have your culture you can then dry it down to about 10% and the microbes will fall dormant. If you look around you can buy cultures in a sachet of meal. Add moisture, soil and roots and you are away. Lots of different types around and really cheap here.

[SundayAfternoon]

Loong that was a very interesting PDF.

IA, I mixed up a batch as per instructions, using brown sugar solution.

Thanks.

So, is the white fungal growth basically what we are looking for? Is that yeast a sign that the EM are multiplying and doing their thing?

[IsaanAussie]

Loong that was a very interesting PDF.

IA, I mixed up a batch as per instructions, using brown sugar solution.

Thanks.

So, is the white fungal growth basically what we are looking for? Is that yeast a sign that the EM are multiplying and doing their thing?

EM commercial brews contains 3 primary microbe groups, lactic acid bacteria, a strain of photosynthetic bacteria and yeast. The only one you can see is the fungus or yeast. Basically if you extend EM or use it in damp conditions and see white fungus growing on whatever, you can be fairly sure things are going well. The next test is smell, should be sweet sour type of smell, not a bad odour though.