Effective microorganisms (EM)

[Tania]

Anyone tried this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGMxntms35k

The brew is supposed to be very effective for building soil and helping to reduce pathogens.

Tatiana

[Salsacharley]

This is intriguing. The video gets into a chain of other EM1 videos that explain the process and benefits more clearly. I have never heard of it until now. I wonder what happens when EM1 is mixed into compost tea. I see that EM1 is all bacteria and compost tea consists of bacteria, protozoa and fungi.

I also wonder what crop Clayton grows.

Thank you for sharing Tania!

[Tania]

From what I understood, EM is mostly anaerobic (like lactobacteria) and compost tea is aerobic.

Perhaps mixing them up may not be a good thing?

I am new to that, but I'd like to try it.

Tatiana

[Tania]

I also have read that in Russia they use to to control late blight by spraying a diluted solution on foliage.

Someone said it may help to control Fusarium.

[greenthumbomaha]

The video reminds me of my days as a preschool helping mother making stuff with the little ones. Nice simple cheap ingredients, have all the stuff in the cupboard. Maybe combining milk with rice water will be more effective on powdery mildew, a nemesis of my cucurbits. Would like to hear about any controlled studies on this concoction.

- Lisa

[RayR]

Originally Posted by Salsacharley

This is intriguing. The video gets into a chain of other EM1 videos that explain the process and benefits more clearly. I have never heard of it until now. I wonder what happens when EM1 is mixed into compost tea. I see that EM1 is all bacteria and compost tea consists of bacteria, protozoa and fungi.

I also wonder what crop Clayton grows.

Thank you for sharing Tania!

EM1 is mainly bacteria and yeasts, all facultative aneraobes so they can live in low oxygen environments like activated EM1 or in higher oxygen environments like soil or aerated compost tea. Read the article from the link below. They recommend adding a small amount of activated EM1 to compost tea at a rate of 1:50 only at the very end of the compost tea brew just before you use it. I think partly the reason is that the EM1 organisms can be highly competitive with the native organisms in the compost, Bacteria like the Lactobacilli from the EM1 can deplete a lot of the oxygen in the aerated compost tea during brewing which could harm the strict aerobes in the tea.

Compost Tea vs EM1 Microbial Inoculant

[ChrisK]

FWIW:

http://blogs.extension.org/gardenpro...uick-analysis/

[KarenO]

That article is interesting Chris, and the comments even more so
Seems a hot topic for debate.
KO

[Redbaron]

I think some people miss the point. EM and Bokashi composting isn't necessarily better than other compost done properly. Whether aged manure, vermicompost, AACT, thermal composting, slow fungal composting, you name it. All are good. But all also have situations when prefered to use one over another.

Bokashi is great when you don't have a big thermal compost pile, yet need to compost food scraps that are not appropriate or available for other types.

For example: Meat, Bones, Fish, Fats, Dairy, and things like that can be dangerous to compost. Worms prefer little to no Citrus, Onions, Garlic, oils; even too much grass clippings can be a problem. Things like leaves are great composted slow, but other things might turn toxic or foul smelling, or attracting pests...you name it. However, they all compost with EM quite effectively.

[mdvpc]

I have used it for years-EM is used in bokashi composting. I don't make my own, I buy a quart every once in a while.

[Tania]

Is EM=bokashi=garbage enzyme? Are they any different?

Garbage enzyme: http://www.o3enzyme.com/enzymeproduction.htm

http://www.o3enzyme.com/enzymeusage.htm

[Redbaron]

Originally Posted by Tania

Is EM=bokashi=garbage enzyme? Are they any different?

They are similar. One can be thought of as a homemade version of the other. But EM is trademarked and has supposedly been manufactured in a way that eliminates potential pathogen contamination while making sure that the beneficials are all there.

Think of it like sauerkraut for garbage.

See there is a potential, though small, for certain pathogenic microorganisms when composting anaerobically. Botulism is a good example. But there is also something called competitive exclusion, where if the beneficials are numerous enough and dominant, they themselves will fight off the pathogens. Botulism wouldn't have a chance to gain a foothold. Thats why properly made sauerkraut (just rotten cabbage) does not contain botulism or other harmful pathogens. This is a way to do a similar thing to your compost which isn't appropriate to compost in other ways. See above post 9.

[Tania]

Thank you Scott, this is so helpful!

Sounds like there is a simple way to create your own EM/bokashi at home without paying a lot for commercial products.

[ChrisK]

pH is too low for botulism in sauerkraut. same reason it cant live in beer.

[Redbaron]

Originally Posted by ChrisK

pH is too low for botulism in sauerkraut. same reason it cant live in beer.

Exactly! The beneficials create an environment that excludes the possibility for pathogens! As a result we get sauerkraut, beer, wine, yogurt, cheese ....and in this case...excellent bokashi compost!