Plant Alchemy With KNF: Korean Natural Farming And Jadam

[Azimuth]

Great write up, I had no idea for the salve part, I'm going to have to try and remember this come next spring to plant some.

You can do seeds or roots, though seeds are not advised for reasons given above.

The Bocking 14 cultivar I grow is sterile and is supposed to have one of the highest levels of the allantoin of any of the cultivars.

So just pay attention when you order it so you don't end up with a nightmare plant that spreads uncontrollably and that you can't get rid of.

 

[Rexer]

You can do seeds or roots, though seeds are not advised for reasons given above.

The Bocking 14 cultivar I grow is sterile and is supposed to have one of the highest levels of the allantoin of any of the cultivars.

So just pay attention when you order it so you don't end up with a nightmare plant that spreads uncontrollably and that you can't get rid of.

To be honest, I'm not worried, especially when you say it looks pretty. It's something other then long grass. I live out in the country, and have yet to even setup a proper outdoor veggie garden (just moved). I tried to get a small one going using what bit of knowledge for soil growing I've picked up in here, but long short is it wasn't the best (too focused on setting up the grow tent). I need to get a hold of a tiller next spring and create a nice area out on the lawn. Though the Mrs and I were recently talking about setting up a cheap hydro veggie grow room in the basement with rising costs of food. Nothing fancy, just enough to offset the cost of fresh vegetables in winter.

After reading all that, sorry for the rant . I love what you and Nutty have been contributing with the homemade ferts.

 

[Bode]

Comfrey's knickname is "knitbone" because before opur time country folk used to make a crude poultice and heal broken bones. Happy Smokin'

 

[Azimuth]

Comfrey

If the fertilizer benefits of comfrey were not enough, it turns out this is one of the most prized of herbs for the natural medicine folks.

Specifically, it can be made into an salve by steeping it with an oil like olive, grape, sunflower or coconut, or made into a compress, and is used to treat inflammation, bruises, strains, and bone breaks because of a compound it contains called allantoin, which is supposed to aid in cell proliferation, which in turn speeds the healing process from physical trauma to the body.

Maybe that's why it works so well on plants!

I recently hurt my knee and lower back and was reading up on natural treatments and came across this one. And, since I'm taking a bit of a temporary detour from my organic fertilizers, I'm going to use this year's comfrey crop to make some salve and see how it works.

I started my comfrey planting in the spring with a single root cutting about the size of my thumb and appear to have enough leaf matter now to easily fill a 5 gallon bucket. I think this fall I'll dig up the roots, dry some for future treatments and replant some to other parts of the garden to increase my supply.

Both the leaves and the roots can be used, with the roots being a bit stronger. The roots, when dried and made into a powder, turn into a gel like consistency when reconstituted with water. If applied directly to the skin in this form, it will dry to a fruit leather like consistency and is kept on the skin in this form for a day or two to deliver its compounds deep into the skin.

There are some downsides to planting comfrey in your garden if you're not careful. Comfrey sends down a tap root in search of water that has been estimated to be able to grow 10-20 feet (3-6 meters)! Since it also is propagated by root cuttings, that means you'll probably never be able to dig it all out without actually making more plants in the attempt.

Also, it produces beautiful purple flowers which can then produce seeds which can blow around your garden and quickly become a problem by producing a multitude of new plants.

I planted a sterile cultivar called Bocking 14 so I won't have the seed issue, and put it in a special spot in my garden where I'm happy to have it take up permanent residence. But just be aware of these issues if you decide to plant some in your garden.

I made and applied the comfrey salve to my lower back. It worked great! I noticed a marked improvement after a couple of days which I imagine is because the "cell regeneration" properties of the allantoin in the comfrey take some time to get regenerating.

I think it may have worked because of one of three reasons (or maybe some combination of them)
1. The Placebo effect. I wanted it to work, therefore it did.
2. The Time effect. My back was getting steadily better anyway, so maybe it was just healing on its own
3. The Allantoin effect. The allantoin compounds found in the plant worked their magic.

I think it was at least partially (3.) since it seemed to really accelerate my recuperation. I was able to get in and out of bed without excruciating pain after about 24 hours of my first application. Again, I attribute this to the fact that creating new cells to repair the damaged ones isn't an instant thing, but rather one that builds as cells divide, which occurs over time. I was getting better at a fairly slow and steady clip, but this seemed to have shaved several days to maybe a week off what seemed to be the pace of recovery I was on.

I will say that I am very pleased with the results and would highly recommend it to others interested in a healing salve rather than one just for helping with the pain as we might get from our favorite plant.

------

Here's how I made it:

- 4oz (by volume) of dried, crushed comfrey leaves (I needed 4 large leaves)
- 8oz (by volume) of organic coconut oil

I heated and periodically stirred this mix up for 5+ hours in the little warming pot that came with my crock pot for keeping chocolate and cheeses warm. I'm guessing it was well less than 212*. It's apparently important not to cook the herbs but rather just gently heat them with the carrier oil over many hours. I imagine a coffee mug warmer might work just as well.

Then I strained the mixture through a fine steel sieve into small jars and let cool.

That’s it. Really simple and easy.

When I applied it it went on smoothly and didn't leave any greasy feel once it absorbed into the skin after about ten minutes. It did leave my skin a bit itchy which I attributed to the smaller gritty particles that made it through the screen so I reheated the mix and ran it through a coffee filter which seems to have solved that minor annoyance.

I've got lots more leaves to harvest and I'm going to mix some of them with the plantain plant which is supposed to have great properties of its own in helping with any skin irritations (rashes, bug bites, poison ivy, etc.). I think that combination would make a great 'Hiking Salve' to help with the most common issues out on the trail from mosquito bites to twisted ankles.

 

[Bode]

Highya Az,

I use grape seed oil for salves, ointments, lotions because it goes through the skin quicker and doesn't leave any trace after awhile. Just saying. Happy Smokin'

 

[Azimuth]

Grape seed oil is a great choice too, Bode! I wanted a finished product that was more of a salve and not a liquid so I went with the coconut oil which solidifies at temps below 77*.

You can use lots of other oils as well, and if you want a more solid product you can always add a bit of beeswax to help stop it from melting in the heat.

Have you made infused salves, lotions and lotions? If so, what were your combinations?

I don't want to go too crazy, but I do want to expand my horizons a bit.

 

[Bode]

I use beeswax 4:1 oil/beeswax to make the perfect consistency salve. Love it! Happy Smokin'

 

[Nine Toed Hippie]

I use beeswax 4:1 oil/beeswax to make the perfect consistency salve. Love it! Happy Smokin'

Thanks for that screen shot material Bode.

NTH

 

[Azimuth]

I closed out my Jadam Liquid Fertilizer (JLF) barrel today, and thought I'd share some lessons learned.

First, this is some really good stuff and the plants seem to really like it. Also, it's super easy to make as all you do is put some chopped up plant matter and some microbes (like those found in leaf mold, compost or worm castings) into some water and let the microbes break it down for you over time. I usually add new microbes and a bit of potato flakes (for food to help them multiply) to the barrel a couple of days before I'm going to fertigate.

A little goes a long way as you're supposed to dilute it at least 1:20 with water before giving it to your plants. The 20 gallon (80 L) barrel I used was way overkill. Next year I'll use a 5 gallon (20 L) bucket which will be plenty for me, I'm sure.

The best plants to use for fertilizer are the super, or dynamic, accumulators. If you want a simple, one stop shop version, dandelion generally has the most balanced nutrient profile and is a great choice as everyone seems to have easy access to them in the spring.

A better option is to use one one the combinations shown earlier in the thread. Properly chosen, the combos will have higher levels of almost all of the various nutrients. They're also much easier to harvest in quantity but that's not all that important for a small, 5 gal bucket.

My choice next year will likely be stinging nettle and horsetail fern early and then I'll add comfrey as the season goes on. I'll also likely add some aloe and seaweed to the mix.

One thing I do to try to keep the concentration of the mix steady is I never add new material directly to the bucket. Rather I add it to another bucket then cover it with water and then add that to the JLF bucket. This way helps me add a similar amount of water to plant material each time.

I'd encourage anyone interested in natural organic gardening to give it a try (I'm looking at you @StoneOtter) . It's much easier than a compost pile and fits in a small area in your garden. The downside is the smell. Mine was like a pickled horse barn smell, but that's really only an issue for the short time you have the cover off for adding new water and material, or scooping out some for your watering can.

 

[Nine Toed Hippie]

That’s sounds awesome @Azimuth

I’m so interested in this type of gardening. In fact I’m looking to set up/dedicate one half acre for growing various plants. If you had this as an opportunity how would you start? I’ve done some research on the JADAM method and I know @NuttyProfessor would have some valuable input also. But I’m just thinking a greenhouse roof. And half walls for starters. Would also bring in a few truck loads of good soil to start. But then try to make every aspect afterwards a self sustaining operation in regards to soil amendments/fertilizer etc. Thanks in advance. Peace.

NTH

 

[Azimuth]

@ninetoedhippie ,

If you don't already have the Jadam book, I'd start there. It gives all the inputs needed to set up and operate a small farm using natural farming principles. Pretty comprehensive.

A few of us have modified the recipes down for smaller gardens but sounds like you'd be able to use them straight up!

I don't have have any experience with greenhouse growing but there are a couple of growers on here doing just that.

Sounds like a fun project.

If it were me I'd probably start with just a small corner of the property and run it for a season or two to see what I could learn and scale up what worked, but my garden is only 10'x15' so I'm probably not qualified to advise you on the scale you're contemplating.

The JMS (Jadam Microbial Solution) is a great place to start to get your soil in good shape. Both Nutty and @Bode have used it to great affect as well.

I'd definitely follow a thread like that if you start one. Probably have to be in the "off topic" section, but sounds fun.

Keep us posted!

 

[Nine Toed Hippie]

I most certainly will and thanks for the help. I will get on that book ASAP.

NTH

 

[Bode]

Sorry, Azimuth, but I'n sticking with the compost right in the garden instead of the JLF. I keep putting things on top of the plant area all year long to keep the microbes busy. The JMS is indispensible though! That's the missing piece in my growing experience! I used it every week, and sprayed the leaves during budrot season. Got very little on the ones I sprayed. Exceptional buds, as well! Happy Smokin'

 

[Azimuth]

I'm not saying don't use the compost, or do this instead of compost.

I'm saying for someone interested in trying out natural gardening that the JLF is an easy way to see the benefits for very little effort.

Compost has some extra goodies that are very worthwhile, but it does take more effort, knowledge and space. And scaling it up presents its own challenges, especially on the scale NTH is contemplating.

The JLF is a great intro that anyone can do. Literally all you need is a bucket some microbes and plant material. And the latter two you can even get from a park across town if you don't have a yard.

It's a big tent. There's room for lots of different ways to enjoy the benefits of this type of growing.

 

[StoneOtter]

I closed out my Jadam Liquid Fertilizer (JLF) barrel today, and thought I'd share some lessons learned.

First, this is some really good stuff and the plants seem to really like it. Also, it's super easy to make as all you do is put some chopped up plant matter and some microbes (like those found in leaf mold, compost or worm castings) into some water and let the microbes break it down for you over time. I usually add new microbes and a bit of potato flakes (for food to help them multiply) to the barrel a couple of days before I'm going to fertigate.

A little goes a long way as you're supposed to dilute it at least 1:10 with water before giving it to your plants. The 20 gallon (80 L) barrel I used was way overkill. Next year I'll use a 5 gallon (20 L) bucket which will be plenty for me, I'm sure.

The best plants to use for fertilizer are the super, or dynamic, accumulators. If you want a simple, one stop shop version, dandelion generally has the most balanced nutrient profile and is a great choice as everyone seems to have easy access to them in the spring.

A better option is to use one one the combinations shown earlier in the thread. Properly chosen, the combos will have higher levels of almost all of the various nutrients. They're also much easier to harvest in quantity but that's not all that important for a small, 5 gal bucket.

My choice next year will likely be stinging nettle and horsetail fern early and then I'll add comfrey as the season goes on. I'll also likely add some aloe and seaweed to the mix.

One thing I do to try to keep the concentration of the mix steady is I never add new material directly to the bucket. Rather I add it to another bucket then cover it with water and then add that to the JLF bucket. This way helps me add a similar amount of water to plant material each time.

I'd encourage anyone interested in natural organic gardening to give it a try (I'm looking at you @StoneOtter) . It's much easier than a compost pile and fits in a small area in your garden. The downside is the smell. Mine was like a pickled horse barn smell, but that's really only an issue for the short time you have the cover off for adding new water and material, or scooping out some for your watering can.

Bookmarked Azi thanks! this will be part of my next outdoor grow for certain!

 

[Azimuth]

JMS - Jadam Microbial Solution


A few of us were having a discussion in @HashGirl 's thread about JMS (Jadam Microbial Solution) which is a key tenant in Jadam. @Bode had said he used it effectively to help with keeping bud rot down on his outdoor grow this year. He also said it made his harvest much more potent.

I posted the following there and thought I'd park it here as well for easy reference:

***********

The JMS is easy to make if you want to try your hand at this.

I use a bucket (2gal, 5 gal) and suspend a 1 gal paint strainer bag into which I put a mashed up baked potato and some leaf mold soil (although I use worm castings instead, but similar outcomes). Add a hint of sea salt and fill with non-chlorinated water, cover and let it sit near your plants so you cultivate the microbes in the same environment you'll be using the stuff in. In a couple of days you'll get some bubbles that show the microbes are hard at work. At the peak of the bubbles is the peak of the population of what you're cultivating and that's when you use it. Of course your environment will dictate how long that takes so you'll need a few rounds to dial it in.

I think @Bode may use rice instead of the potato.

Think of it this way: every surface of every thing is covered with microbes (good and bad) which compete with each other for real estate. By cultivating and then saturating the surface with the good ones, the bad ones get outcompeted and are diminished.

It's helpful to add a bit of aloe or an organic soap to the spray mix to get it to fully coat the plant.

You can also water it into the soil where it will help break down nutrients and give better tilth to the soil. Good stuff all around.

The LAB is a concentration of a single type of microbe but works in a similar way. And that microbe is known to help digestion (in people too) of organic matter, and is a good health booster for your plants.

You can use it liberally and often. The LABs act like the national guard to restore order, and when there is nothing for them to do they fade away, at least according to Drake on UTube, one of the "guru's" of KNF from Hawaii. Chris Trump, also from Hawaii, has lots of good vids up on how to make the various KNF concoctions.

*****

Thank you, Azi.

Is it sprayed on like Safer's would be (tops and bottoms of leaves)? And, then rinsed off?

*****
Yes to top and bottom of leaves, no to the rinse off. Remember we want to add the goods ones and have them take up residence so the bad ones don't have any space to call their own.

Rinsing them off would clear the battlefield of everything and would set up a new round of "who gets to have dominance."

Since we overwhelm the battlefield with our troops, we want them to stick around and beat back whatever counterattack the less desirables care to mount.

And do the stems and soil surface too. It's pretty easy and cheap to make in quantity, so no use being stingy.

The downside is whatever you don't use starts to degrade so you have to make a fresh batch each time you use it.

And, make sure you dilute it 1:10 with non chlorinated water. It's too strong to use straight up.

Here's Chris Trump's video:.

********
Edit: I've had good luck using dried potato flakes in place of the baked potato. I did a bunch of experiments you can read in my signature (shameless plug). It's easier to make in small quantities that way. And, since it gets diluted by 10x, a little goes a long way. (I usually make mine by the quart/liter).

 

[Bode]

I'm glad to know about the smaller batch. I always mixed a 4 gal batch even if I only neded a gallon. Well said, Azimuth. I'm seriously impressed with it! Happy Smokin'

 

[Azimuth]

I'm glad to know about the smaller batch. I always mixed a 4 gal batch even if I only neded a gallon. Well said, Azimuth. I'm seriously impressed with it! Happy Smokin'

I'm going to set aside a spot in my garden to make my own leaf mold soil. I've got a corner that doesn't get great sun once the season gets going and plants in front of it start shading it out, so I've piled a bunch of leaves from this year's yard clean-up on that spot and will inoculate it with my rwc mix to get it started. By early spring next year it should be ready to go.

I really like my rwc JMS, but I plan to include the original leaf mold soil version as well next year. I may combine them or maybe alternate back and forth. Not sure yet.

I've used it sporadically this year, but the success you've had has inspired me to commit to it more seriously going forward.

The nice thing about the rwc version is that I have a readily available source year round from the worm bin in my basement, even when the snow flies! Do you store some leaf mold soil for your indoor grow in the off season, assuming you do one? I guess that also assumes you have a snow season that would preclude you from harvesting it fresh.

 

[Bode]

I did save a pail of leaves with mold to use next spring when seedlings emerge. And yes, we get enough snow so it's impractical to forage in the winter months. Although, the wintershere are a lot less cold than days of old. Happy Smokin'

 

[Azimuth]

Mini-Me JMS

(Jadam Microorganism Solution)

The recipes used in Jadam were all written using amounts suitable for small farms. Since we gardeners operate at a much smaller scale, we have to adapt them for our purposes.

The original JMS recipe starts with 500 Liters or 132 gallons of water. It then adds 0.5 kg (1.1 lb) of leaf mold soil, 1 kg (2.2 lb) boiled potato, and 0.5 kg (1.1 lb) of sea salt. The mix then gets diluted 1:10 with more water before use.

Here it is scaled down for 1L or 1Qt, which is then diluted into 10L or 2.5 gallons to give to your plants

**********
1 Liter / 1 Qt Non-chlorinated water (I use rain water)
1 Gram / 1/8 tsp Leaf Mold Soil or Red Worm Castings
1 Gram / 1/8 tsp Sea Salt
2 Gram / 1/4 - 1/2 tsp Dried Potato Flakes

Mix it all together, cover and let it sit near the plants you'll use it on so you will be culturing the microbes that will thrive in that environment. Depending on temperatures it will be done in anywhere from 2 days to a week or so.

**********

I sometimes heat the potato flakes and a small amount of the water in the microwave, maybe 1min on high. It seems to help the flakes dissolve, although it works fine without doing that. I also often make half the amount depending on how much I plan to use.

The reason you need so little of the microbe ingredient is because of their ability to multiply. According to Master Cho, the microbes will double every 30 minutes or so. So even if you have the world's worst leaf mold soil or the world's worst worms which make the world's worst castings, the Eighth Wonder of the World, compounding, will come to your rescue.

Here's the math for every 1 microbe:
1 million after 10 hours
1 billion after 15 hours

It is recommended to dilute it 1:10 for use as a soil drench. For a foliar application, filter and dilute 1:25 and add a small amount of a wetting agent like aloe or an organic soap.