Which Korean Natural Farming input would you use for small nursery plants?

I guess what we want is to make them strong with big leaves and good root structure?
Would you use LAB and FPJ applies as a foliar spray?In this case do you alternate weekly between these?
Like week 1 FPJ ,then week 2 LAB or do you mix them and apply weekly?
I am really confused with the knf system.

ΕDIT- LAB stands for Lactic Acid Bacteria
FPJ for Fermented Plant Juice

water soluble calcium is important during the seedling stage. Baby plants do not want Nitrogen so as far as nutrient just hive them WSC. it helps them to become strong and develop the ability to photosynthisize and for photosynthesis to guide N uptake instead of N uptake forcing photosynthesis.

Treat the soil and seedlings with LAB. Seedlings will not get damping off syndrome if the soil is treated and the plants are misted with LAB which also protect the plant from a variety of pests and stresses.

OHN is also an input that you can give to seedlings or plants at any stage.

FPJ is OK for seedling stage too. You can make FPJ out of weed seedlings and give that to your seedlings.

You'd also want to pretreat your soil with IMO before planting.

The handbook has all this info and more. There is also a seedling treatment input in the handbook that is,made of other inputs.

How to use the inputs and when to use them is all in the handbook. You feed the plants according to their nutritive cycle which changes through out the life cycle giving them the right dose of the right input at the right time.

When you understand the philosophy and the nutritive cycle you'll know what, and when to use

The handbook has all this info and more.  

Adam.... what is this handbook you refer to?

Can someone expand these acronyms?

LAB?  FPJ?  KNF?  OHN?  WSC?

At least I know OK and IMO

WS-Ca (aka WSC) is not used during the seedling stage as it will stop growth.

IMO, FPJ, OHN, FAA and LAB can be used.

Prepare an SSES solution to wash the seeds first.

Prepare a seedling soil with IMO, OHN, FPJ and LAB

Once you see 3rd leaf, start using FAA

Jean Paul, download the slides I prepared.

Jean-Paul Calderone wrote:Can someone expand these acronyms?

LAB?  FPJ?  KNF?  OHN?  WSC?

At least I know OK and IMO

Exactly. I'm tired of googling them. I finally got IMHO. Although none of my opinions are humble, I'm too stubborn for that kind of behavior. Maybe that's why I couldn't get it. Hmmmm...or at least lead us to this mysterious handbook.

Yes, can someone please explain the abbreviations for the uninitiated?

From Gurkan's slides:

KNF - (Something?) Natural Farming (maybe, not given explicitly)

IMO - Indigenous Micro-Organisms
LAB - Lactic Acid Bacteria
FJP - Fermented Plant Juice
OHN - Oriental Herbal Nutrient

WSC is not given there but I am guessing ... Water Soluble Calcium?

Gurkan Yeniceri wrote:WS-Ca (aka WSC) is not used during the seedling stage as it will stop growth.

IMO, FPJ, OHN, FAA and LAB can be used.

Prepare an SSES solution to wash the seeds first.

Prepare a seedling soil with IMO, OHN, FPJ and LAB

Once you see 3rd leaf, start using FAA

Jean Paul, download the slides I prepared.

WSCa is certainly given during the seedling stage up until the plant starts receiving N.

read the handbook in th section on the nutritive cycle.

The manual is "Korean Natural Farming"

The handbook s, Cho's Global Natural Farming PDF f anyone wants it.

When I started learning KNF almost a decade ago I was given the "blue book" by an advanced practitioner. The blue book was the original printing of th handbook. In that book on the section of the nutriative cycle Cho does infact say to feed seedlings WSCa. That is seedings not sprouts.

Checking the newer handbook it does not say that in that section.

One of the instructors at CGNF sent me something to check over on the nutritive cycle several months ago which I just checked now, and this is what it says about seedlings and clones.

"Plant Maintenance Solution, Seed/Clone Soak
Dilute 20 ml per gallon
Optimal to spray light foliar every 7 – 10 days
Apply in low light or at sundown
If you can do nothing else – Do this!
Solution
TYPE 1
Per 250 ML(seed/clone soak)
Per Gallon
ADDITIONS
OHN
0.250ML
4ML

FPJ
0.5ML
8ML

BRV
0.5ML
8ML

FAA
0.125
2ML
Only if very weak
WCA
0.125
2ML
Only if spindly"

So according to him you'd only use FAA if very week, and you'd only use WSCa if very spindly.


I would not feed FAA to seedlings at all because as Cho explains It is better to allow the plant to develop strong photosynthesis first so that photosynthesis leads N uptake instead of the other way around. Not only that but forming associations with mycorrhizae is actually a delicate process that can easily be disturbed at that stage by N and P.

As soon as my plants are no longer sprouts,but have become actual seedlings with real leaves I start giving them WSCa and FPJ. Once they start growing faster on their own I give them FAA.

As far as the Ca stunting the growth; my cannabis plants reach over ten feet tall, and yield several pounds each. That is planted small and late, they are getting that large in about 3.5 months.

Moderator note.

Just a reminder everyone, people from all over the world and all levels of experience use this site.

Please, if you are going to use an abbreviation or acronym for something, please say what it stands for.  

Throwing letters around leads to, at best, frustration on the readers part and at worst, miscommunication and strife.


Please be courteous to your readers.  

I only know a little bit about Korean Natural Farming, and from what I've learned, it's an effective way to produce beneficial microorganisms to your soil. In Bryant RedHawk's soil series, he talked about different preparations one can do to breed certain beneficial bacteria (here's one thread and another on how he makes his preparations). The different acronyms in this thread, like LAB and IMOH and FJP refer to different types of preperations (at least, I think they do--like I said, I'm not very knowledgeable yet about this, though would love to know more!)

I think we have some threads here on permies about Korean Natural Farming, but not many yet. I'd love to see more! But, as many permies are not yet familiar with Korean Natural Farming, I think it would be wonderful to have some base knowledge for those of us that don't know much/anything. I think supplying this information might get even more people interested in how they can introduce beneficial microorganisms to their soil to help thier soil ecosystems and plants thrive.

EDIT: as a related side-note, here on permies, we generally refrain from using abbreviations, whether they be IMHO (in my humble opinion) or BRB (be right back) or THX (thanks) or abbreviation for techniques unless they were defined.Many people here on permies are new to gardening and permaculture, and abbreviation can be be very confusing for them. And, many members speak English as a second language, which makes deciphering abbreviations even more difficult. So, asking for definitions isn't something we do for just Korean Natural Farming, it's a site-wide policy to help everyone be able to learn from each other.

Wendy Smith Novick wrote:Here is a link to the book  https://ilcasia.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/chos-global-natural-farming-sarra.pdf

Here's a snip from the index of this pdf...

Well, in light of the above comments, and as a natural farming instructor, my suggestion would be to take a class, and get a Basic Manual.  An understanding of the system a a whole key, as well as the nutritive cycle.  Without this, one will get less than satisfactory results, and may even cause harm.  Vist: choglobalnaturalfarminghawaii.org 😊

Okay, everyone.  moderator note here.

This thread has become a nightmare to moderate.  This thread is now locked!

Posts to permies must be written in English or if written in another language, they must have a full English translation.

This is important because it makes the site welcoming to people who are new to permaculture.  Once we start talking in code, it turns people off and we fail in our mandate "to infect more brains with permaculture"


This is a good topic and one we want to encourage in a friendly and accessible way.  If you feel you can talk about this subject in a way that is understandable to someone new to Korean Natural Farming, feel free to start a new thread.

To complain about this decision or my OHN (obvious hygiene neglect) feel free to start a thread in the tinkering forum.  

I went and tried to get some definitions and brief summaries of the various acronyms in this thread, as I figure I'm not the only one who wants to know more.

Many thanks to Jason Riessland, who sent me on facebook the links to articles about Korean Natural Farming from the University of Hawaii (there are even more links here).

KNF=Korean Natural Faming: "Korean Natural Farming (KNF) is a sustainable system developed by Master Han Kyu Cho of the Janong Natural Farming Institute in South Korea, based on generations of sustainable farming methods practiced in Japan, China, and Korea. KNF optimizes the production of plants or livestock through farming methods that maintain a balance in nutrient input and output, thus minimizing any detrimental effects on the environment. The balance is maintained by encouraging the growth of naturally occurring indigenous microorganisms (IMO), which in turn produce nutrients that are used in the production of crops and livestock." (https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/SA-7.pdf)

FPJ=Fermented Plant Juice: "FPJ is used in solutions for seed and soil treatments and plant nutrition. It consists of the young shoots of vigorously growing plants that are allowed to ferment for approximately 7 days with the aid of brown sugar. The brown sugar draws the juices out of the plant material via osmosis and also serves as a food source for the microbes carrying out the fermentation process" (https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/SA-7.pdf)

IMO= Indigenous Microorganisms: These are microorganisms harvested from a natural environment, such as a forest. A box is filled with rice, partially buried in the soil, covered with leaves, and left in the area for 4-5 days. The rice gets covered with the microorganisms (it starts to mold and decompose) and is then mixed with sugar to culture those microorganisms even further (https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/BIO-9.pdf)

LAB= Lactic Acid Bacteria: "“Lactic acid bacteria” (LAB) refers to a large group of bacteria, rather than a single species or strain, that produce lactic acid as a by-product of digesting their food source (usually carbohydrates). The lactic acid accumulates to ferment or “pickle” the food." THis is generally made by adding water to white rice, letting it ferment naturally as one would make lactofermented pickles or saurcraut. The Lactic Acid Bacteria is used for both plants and animals. "LAB culture is diluted at a 1:1,000 ratio with water (Table 1), mixed with a plant nutrient solution such as fermented plant juice (FPJ) " It is often used for starting seeds. For animals, it can be added to their water as a probiotic, or their feed can be fermented, which aids in digestion. (https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/SA-8.pdf) In chicken feed, if the feed is fermented, the birds require less feed and are more productive layers.

FAA=Fish Amino Acids: This is a specific type of fish emulsion (ground up fish), that is is produced by fermenting fresh fishby-products (bones, head, skin, and other tankage parts) with brown sugar. "FAA is applied as a source of nitrogen during the early or vegetative stage of development to boost growth and size. Do not apply FAA if plants are at the reproductive stages of their production cycle when flowering or fruiting is desired."(https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/SA-12.pdf)

WCA=Water-Soluble Calcium: "Water-soluble calcium is a source of available calcium that can be made from commonly used household items, eggshells and vinegar. When applied as a foliar spray, WCA provides available calcium to plants for normal cell processes, root growth, and fruiting" (https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/SA-10.pdf)

DSW=Diluted Seawater: "DSW is prepared by mixing the seawater with fresh water at a 1:30 dilution or as a component of a “cocktail” with other Natural Farming inputs" "Apply DSW onto plants with a watering can, sprayer, or irrigation system to encourage ripening, ideally early in the morning or, if that is not possible, in the evening....Seawater combined with other inputs stimulates the growth of beneficial microorganisms that can help to suppress disease" (https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/SA-9.pdf)

OHN=Oriental Herbal Nutrient: "OHN is a mixture of edible, aromatic herbs extracted with alcohol and fermented with brown sugar. It is used to discourage the growth of anaerobic, potentially pathogenic microbes and encourage beneficial aerobic microbes in the soil and on plants" (https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/SA-11.pdf)

-----------------------
Here, also, is a link to Korean Natural Farming frequently asked questions and general support.
-----------------------

Also on facebook, someone had some advice for the original poster. I'll post it here, as here on permies we want to help everyone learn more and get their questions answered:

Jeff Merryman wrote:I would use the maintenance solution with FAA added to it once true leaves are produced.

Master Cho says a hard life make a great plant.

He also says the seed contains enough food for the little plant to get started.

I also like to use FAA as a soil feed at a rate of 1:1000 because properly made FAA has mineral A in it which helps excite the microbes and helps develop roots.

Thank you Jeff and Jason!

Since R locked this thread, I will lock it again after posting this, and leave it up to her and Paul as to whether it ever gets unlocked. Please feel free to post more about KOrean Natural Farming. If there is enough interest and threads about it here on permies, we may even make it it's own forum, like Biodynamic has.


*******************************************************

EDIT: I wanted to add in Gurkan Yeniceri fantastic description of Korean Natural Farming and it's preparations (here's the link to where he origionally posted it, so you can ask questions and give him apples/thumb-up )

Gurkan Yeniceri wrote:Korean Natural Farming is established by Cho Han Kyu after he studied natural farming in Japan. He mixed the Korean cuisine with farming practices to come up with cheap solutions for farmers.
Later he and his son established JADAM (not an abbreviation) which means "People that resemble nature" to help farmers to produce high yield without using corporate fertilizers.

Han Kyu talks about nutritive cycle of a plant which when observed we can see that at different stages, it needs different kind of fertilizer
These cycles are:
Vegetative Growth Stage (from seed to first flowers or 3rd set of leaves)
Cross Over Period (first flower to visible fruit)
Reproductive Stage (fruit ripening stage)
Dormancy period (added by me)

The preparations in Korean Natural Farming are:
IMO - Indigenous Micro Organisms
Collecting healthy starter culture from a healthy area and inoculating your land with it. Rice or potato used.

FPJ - Fermented Plant Juice
A chosen plant is mixed with half its weight of sugar. Dry sugar does an osmosis affect rapturing the cell walls and releasing the nutrients.

FFJ - Fermented Fruit Juice
Fruits of a chosen plant mixed with same weight of dry sugar. Resulting liquid used on plants

OHN - Oriental Herbal Nutrients
Garlic, Angelica, ginger or turmeric, licorice and cinnamon tinctured using vodka. This is a strong antifungal and used as a medicine on plants

FAA - Fish Amino Acids
Wild caught fish pieces mixed with equal amount of dry sugar. Resulting nitrogen based fertilizer used on plants

LAB - Lactic Acid Bacteria
Rice wash cultured first to collect bacteria and inoculated with milk. LAB used on compost and gardens

WS-K or WP - Water soluble potassium
Potassium rich plants like tobacco, spinach, broccoli, cucumber, zucchini etc. dunked in water. Liquid then used on plants.

WS-PA or WPA - Water soluble Phosphoric Acid
Charred parsley or sesame stems dunked in water to extract phosphoric acid

WS-CA or WCA - Water Soluble Calcium
Slightly cooked egg shells mixed with vinegar which dissolves the calcium. Resulting liquid diluted and used on plants

WS-CaPo or WCAP - Water soluble calcium phosphate
200 grams of charred bones mixed with 2L of vinegar. It dissolves calcium phosphate into the liquid.

BMW - Bacterial Mineral Water
Granite, basalt, elvan, marble stones continuesly washed with IMO4 inoculated water. This process dissolves the minerals from rocks.

BRV or ACV - Brown rice or Apple cider vinegar
used diluted in other preperations

Yeast - Collected yeast used in preperations

SW - Sea water
Surface sea water collected and diluted to get the benefit of sea water micro-organisms

I have prepared a slide show with in-depth recipes, mixtures, when to use with links to Chris Trumps videos. I update the slides from time to time when a comment comes from the FB Korean Natural Farming Group.

JADAM later on established by Cho Han Kyu's son Youngsang Cho and eliminated sugar from its recipes. I see JADAM as a complimentary to KNF as the recipes are different but principles are pretty much same.