How to use EM for gardening

An essential part of having healthy plants is to have plenty of beneficial microbes in your soil and lots of organic matter. EM helps set the stage for other beneficial microbes, worms, and insects already in your soil to grow, bringing nature back in balance. This balance of beneficial microbes, with the addition of plenty of organic matter, produces a disease-suppressive soil in which plants will grow more resistant to pests and disease. Since microbes also convert organic matter to a usable food source for plants, fruits and vegetables will not only taste better, they will be more nutritious, and last longer.

A simple way to increase the organic matter in your soil is by using lots of compost made with EM. Once you have some high quality compost, you can make a rich compost tea and inoculate it with EM-1/EM-A. Worm castings and castings teas have been receiving a tremendous amounts of attention lately and can also be made better with the addition of EM.

Once the soil is treated and foliage starts to appear, foliar applications will maintain the plants above ground. Whatever falls off the leaves will help inoculate the soil. EM-1/EM-A is sprayed on the leaves of plants throughout the growing season to help drop disease and pest pressure. In addition to spraying EM-1/EM-A directly onto plants, some other formulas can be made for natural pest and disease control. These formulas include EM-5 and EM Fermented Plant Extract (EM-FPE).

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EM·Bokashi method

Per 100 m²:

• Mix 50-200 kg of EM-Bokashi with 0.5 kg EM-X Super Cera C powder or Terra C
• Dilute with 0.3-1 l EM-A an 3-10 l water, spray on and lightly work into the upper soil layer
• Wait 14 days, as the pH value of EM-Bokashi is approx. 4 and is not yet plant compatible
• Subsequently, remove any weeds mechanically or with a hoe
• Then sow or plant

EM-A watering method

At the beginning of the growth period, water the plants weekly with a 1:200 (50 ml EM-A:10 l water) EM-A solution and then continually with a 1:1000 (10 ml:10 l water) solution.

EM-5 and EM-FPE (EM fermented plant extract)

Plant strengthening: spray the plants every 10-14 days

Spray solution:

This spray solution strengthens plant immunity in a natural manner.

EM for seedlings

At the beginning of the growth period, water the plants weekly with a 1:200 (50 ml EM-A:10 l water) EM-A solution and then continually with a 1:1000 (10 ml:10 l water) solution.

Practical use of EM in window boxes and tubs

Preparation for 20 l:

• 5% EM Bokashi = 1 l
• 1.5% organic fertiliser = 0,5 l
• 93.5% potting compost = 18,5 l

Then water with some EM-A solution (100 ml EM-A:1 l water), leave to rest for 14 days, then sow or plant.

Alternatively you could use 20 l of EM-Bokashi potting compost.

Regular treatment

• Watering: Add a handful of grey pipes to the water
• Ongoing: EM-A 1:1000 solution (1 ml:1 l water)
• Weekly: EM-A 1:200 solution (5 ml:1 l water)

Plant strengthening

Spray the leaves every 2-3 weeks.

Spray solution:

• 1 l water
• 20 ml EM-A
• 2 ml EM-5
• 2 ml EM-FPE