Korean Natural Farming Ferments For Homemade Fertilizer

Korean Natural Farming (KNF) offers an alternative growing method to those looking to reduce toxic chemical usage in their fields, by employing fermented plant inputs like FPJ and LAB made with indigenous microorganisms from your area and local plants that help increase nutrient availability, improve soil structure, and foster healthier plant growth.

KNF homemade fertilizer features fermented plant juice made with brown sugar and local plants (such as mugwort or seaweed). Here’s how to create it.

Fish Amino Acid

Fish Amino Acid (FAA) is an organic liquid fertilizer packed with proteins and other vital nutrients for improved plant health, made easily at home using upcycled containers instead of plastic bottles like commercial fertilizer products.

FAA can be created by mixing fish scraps with brown sugar in a clay jar or food-grade plastic container equipped with a spout at the bottom. After fermentation begins in an anaerobic process for months, breaking down and turning fish waste into liquid fertilizer.

FAA can be applied directly to soil before planting, to existing plants’ roots or as a foliar spray. When used directly it could damage sensitive plant foliage causing burns to appear on leaves. Diluting FAA before applying it directly is important. Otherwise it could damage or burn foliage of sensitive plants.

Fermented Fish Acid (FAA)

Fish waste (FAA) is an integral component of Master Cho’s Korean Natural Farming method (KNF), an organic form of organic farming developed in Korea. FAA contains an abundance of essential proteins, amino acids, and micronutrients which makes it a valuable addition to hydroponic Nutrient Film Technique systems; additionally it helps increase plant height and width while improving stress resilience.

Englander creates liquid fertilizer by cutting up mackerel fish and mixing the pieces in a bucket with brown sugar and local plants such as nettles, seaweed or comfrey – often adding hay or straw as a biofilter – before leaving it for three to six months before stirring again.

Researchers conducted a study in 2015 and discovered that mackerel fish waste-FAA-molasses increased the growth of Brassica rapa L. cv. Pak choi plants grown hydroponically using NFT systems. Their results suggested this organic fertilizer can stimulate vegetative growth while improving plant health and resilience by providing vital nutrients while strengthening soil structure.

Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB)

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB), an essential household staple that aids food fermentation processes such as yogurt and sauerkraut production, also work hard in gardens to cycle soil nutrients while supporting growth.

As biofertilizers, LAB accelerate the breakdown of organic matter in soil food webs, liberating bound nutrients that were previously unavailable to living plants. They also produce antimicrobial substances (bacteriocins) to inhibit harmful pathogen growth on plant and soil surfaces and thus helping decrease incidences of common cannabis diseases such as powdery mildew and root rot.

As a seed-soaking solution, LAB accelerate and improve rates of germination, acting as biostimulants to foster rapid root and shoot growth. According to research findings, they may even increase photosynthesis levels allowing plants to absorb more of the nutrients they take in.

Seawater

Seawater covers an enormous portion of Earth, comprising oceans and seas. According to Englander, KNF utilizes techniques that make nutrients more readily bioavailable to plants – essential components for healthy soil and resilient crops. KNF makes use of fermented fertilizers like fermented plant juice, fish amino acid and lactic acid bacteria; all can be created at home using locally available ingredients – the easiest being fermented plant juice from local leaves.