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Korean Natural Farming – Fermented Plant Juice « Rooftop Ecology's Blog
https://rooftopecology.wordpress.com/2009/10/25/korean-natural-farming-fermented-plant-juice/

Korean Natural Farming – Fermented Plant Juice

October 25, 2009 at 3:50 pm (Uncategorized)
Tags: DIY Agricultural Inputs, Dr. Han Kyu Cho, EM farming techniques, 
Enhanced Microorganisms EM, Growing indigenous microorganisms, Korean 
Natural Farming, Natural Farming

This is an extract from Dr.  Han Kyu Cho’s Korean Natural Farming 
Handbook p.106-p.121. Some slight editing has taken place to make the 
material more readable.

Fermented Plant Juice (FPJ)

1. What is FPJ?

Generally plants are composed of blood, chlorophyll and fiber. Plus, 
there are about 100, ooo to 150, 000 microorganisms per 1cm3 of leaf. 
Most of them are lactic acid bacteria and yeast.

Fermented plant juice (FPJ) is a fermented extract of the plant’s blood 
and chlorophylls. Brown sugar is used to extract the essence through 
osmotic pressure. Therefore, FPJ is a rich enzyme solution full of these 
bacteria; invigorating plants and animals.

It is interesting to note that chlorophylls don’t dissolve in water or 
oil but in weak alcohol. Microorganisms in the process of fermentation 
of making FPJ produce small quantities of alcohol; extracting the 
chlorophyll.

FPJ and Kimchi

Kimchi have enjoyed kimchi (korean style pickled vegetables) for 
hundreds of years. Kimchi, which is made by adding variety of spices and 
condiments to vegetables, is not only a food source rich in nutrition, 
but also helps digestion. Abundant lactic acid bacteria in the kimchi 
soup do this job. That is why Koreans will begin their meal with a 
spoonful of kimchi juice.

Some smart farmers tried to apply kimchi in farming. My father was one. 
My father never threw away left over kimchi juice, which is very sour, 
but instead always poured it into a container filled with human faeces 
and added water. He then used it as fertilizer and so the crops grew 
healthy and strong.

This got me to thinking that ‘if human faeces treated with kimchi juice 
is good for crops, why not use the kimchi juice directly? So I did some 
experimentation and applied diluted kimchi juice directly to the growing 
of crops. I tested to see whether hot pepper seeds dipped in old kimchi 
sauce would germinate. So I dipped the hot pepper seeds in kimchi juice 
for a while, sowed the seeds and observed the effects. The result were 
much better than I had expected.  Preparing the seeds by dipping them in 
kimchi juice meant that even old seeds sprouted and all the plants were 
healthy.  The success of my experiments led me to use other plants for 
kimchi ingredients  and FPJ is the eventual result. In essence it’s the 
same process to make FPJ as kimchi, except that salt has been replaced 
with brown sugar.

Mugwort and Dropwort

The two basic FPJs come from these two plants; Mugwort (Artemisia 
Vulgaris) and Dropwort (Filipendula Vulgaris).  My inspiration for using 
these two plants came from my Korean ancestors use for these plants.  It 
was a traditional practice in Korea for women who had just given birth 
to bathe in a broth of mugwort water.  Indeed it is written in the “Dong 
Eui Bo Gam”, Korea’s great medical encyclopaedia, that mugwort is also 
known as the “lady’s plant” and that it was good for women.

After some studies of my own it became clear why this should be the 
case. Mugwort is rich in iron while Dropwort is rich in manganese. The 
iron in Mugwort thus supplements a woman’s supply of iron, which is 
depleted during menstruation or after she has given birth. Manganese on 
the other hand stimulates the peripheral nervous system, which promotes 
cell division, allowing wounds, such as those sustained in a difficult 
birth, to heal more quickly. However as trace elements iron and 
manganese are not only important for humans but also for plants. 
Therefore it occurred to me that extracting these micronutrients from 
these plants and applying both to my crops would produce good results.

The best ingredients are everywhere

Once again I should emphasize that the Korean Natural Farming philosophy 
strongly recommends that farmers produce their agro inputs themselves 
rather than purchasing them from the market.  As we have everything we 
need close to hand to make other inputs ourselves so it is with FPJ.

All things created by nature are imbued with energy and plants are are 
no exception. Plants overflowing with energy are all around us.  We can 
utilize a variety of weeds, crop remnants and wild plants from the 
mountains and the sea as the ingredients when making FPJ. Any vigorously 
healthy plant is good.

When making FPJ plants choosing plants which grow first in the spring or 
remain green longest in late fall/autumn are particularly good 
ingredients.  Fast growing bamboo shoots and arrowroots are likewise 
good.  In southern tropical areas banana, mango, kangkong and bapoom are 
vigorous and strong.  Addtionally, the lateral buds of all plants 
contain hign concentrations of growth hormones, which is excellent for FPJ.

2. What to collect

It is recommended that you collect that are strong against the cold and 
which grow vigorously when spring arrives such as Mugwort and Dropwort. 
Both plants are abundant in Korea but are found everywhere.  Mugwort 
endures both heat and cold.  Herbicide weakens it for a while but it 
shrugs the effects off quickly.  We want to transfer this innate 
strength to our crops.  Koreans traditionally used Mugwort for numerous 
purposes, including cooking, medicines and baths. Dropwort is also 
readily available. As a medicine it alleviates fever, promotes urination 
and is full of calcium and manganese, which promotes good blood 
circulation and stimulates the peripheral nervous system. Dropwort will 
provide the similar benefits to crops if they are sprayed with Dropwort 
FPJ.   Therefore farmers should always have mugwort FPJ and dropwort FPJ 
ready.

Fast Growing and Vigorous

When making FPJ it is important that your ingredients come from plants 
which grow quickly. Quick growing plants have growth hormones which are 
very active, and these plants have a lot of energy. This characteristic 
can improve weakness in your crops and help your plants recover from 
health problems.

Bamboo shoots are a typical example. You can almost see the shoots 
growing after the rain they grow so quickly. And because they grow so 
quickly you have to be quick when you are picking them. You shoudl 
remove the soil but not the outer skin. Bamboo shoot FPJ, like MUgwort 
FPJ and Dropwort FPJ can be used to increase vegetative growth when 
diseases weaken crops.

Some other plants, beside bamboo shoots, which are great ingredients for 
FPJ include cucumber, strawberry and kiwi. With cucumbers the lateral 
buds are used. A cucumber grows from1 gram to 10 grams in just 10 days. 
However, it is weak against cold or disease.  During the last part of 
the harvest season you should cut about 50cm up from the root system and 
then hang the cucumber stem upside down in a bottle so that the cucumber 
juice flows out and is collected. This cucumber juice is also good for 
facial care.  It is said that the juice can be stored for up to three 
years with the juice retaining it’s original quality, without 
discoloring or losing its flavor.

On seasons

All FPJ ingredients have a particular season for their collection. This 
is also true for sea plants. For example, seaweed is best collected 
between March and April. If you cannot obtain a sufficient amount in one 
season prepare a lot in the previous year.  Note that FPJ made in spring 
is used throughout the year so make plenty to ensure you don’t run out. 
It is also recommended that use wild plants that have lived in the local 
area for generations.  These wild plants, available in large quantities, 
will be vigorous and full of energy which is the key to making good FPJ.

FPJ from the same plant

Apart from FPJ sourced from wild plants we can also used FPJ sourced 
from the plant we mean to benefit. We give back to the plant what it has 
produced. You can use what otherwise would have been waste, tomato 
lateral buds and leaves, squash and sweet potato vines, crops eaten by 
insects or overgrown, picked fruits or buds, unmarketable and other 
agricultural byproducts.

3. How to collect

Avoid excessive sunshine and rainfall

If the day is clear due to the hot rays of the sun, then the moisture 
level of the plants may be low.  When the moisture level is low osmotic 
pressure might fail to extract the juice even if you add more brown 
sugar.  If the hot weather continues but you really have to make FPJ you 
should water the plant one day prior to collection.

You should also avoid picking plants during or immediately after 
rainfall because rain washes away the lactic acid bacteria and yeast on 
the leaves. If you make FPJ at this time the juice can become sticky and 
thick and won’t ferment well. This is also why you should not wash the 
ingredients before fermentation. Picking plants two days after a rain 
shower is recommended. The reason for this is microorganisms have been 
washed away on the rainy day and haven’t had time to re-establish 
themselves the following day. However after 2 days without rain they are 
once again present in  heavy concentrations.  This is a good time to 
pick ingredients as the plant is full of moisture.

Just before sunrise

Plants should be collected just before sunrise as this is when the 
plants have the most nutrients. Plants have two metabolic processes; 
anabolism and catabolism. When the sun is up, anabolism is primary; from 
about 3pm to the next sunrise, catabolism is active. This means that in 
the early morning just before sunrise the plants contain the most 
nutrients and vitality. Plants with dew on them also give you more 
volume. In all cases it is best to make FPJ as soon as possible after 
picking the plants.

Visit the site prior to any expedition

It is usually a good idea to visit the site where you are going to pick 
plants during daylight hours since finding plants in the darkness before 
dawn will otherwise involve a great deal of difficulty.  Local knowledge 
is also of benefit. For example if the coming season is the season of 
the clematis berries then you should have already noted where they will 
fruit from the previous year.

I should also mention that Natural Farming techniques work best when 
performed by the husband and wife in partnership. This is due to the 
fact that women tend to be more careful and particular when gathering 
the necessary ingredients for NF inputs.

Make your wife crazy about Natural Farming! If you do then everything 
will work out very smoothly. You will be able to practice natural 
farming well and have plenty of plants in storage.  Natural Farming is 
something that a married couple can have fun doing together.

Since mugwort and dropwort is needed every year it is a good idea to 
plant a small amount of each plant in your field. Mugwort and dropwort 
are both very prolific plants so they will grow well when planted and 
you won’t have to travel far to obtain them.

Quickly snap the growing point

You should pick the growing point for making FPJ.  Opinions differ on 
how far below the growing point to cut.  If you cut far down from the 
growing point you will get obtain a great quantity of material but the 
growing point portion will be small.

For cucumbers, it is best to cut about 10cm down from the growing point. 
 However it is difficult to obtain sufficient quantity for processing 
with 10cm so some people cut 20cm down from the growing point.

It is best to use the picked plants immediately. As soon as you pick the 
plants its liveliness and energy begins to diminish.  If you wait too 
long before processing the plants will start to dry out. If you try to 
make FPJ with dried out plants you will only be able to extract a small 
quantity of juice.

Immediate use is problematic when one must go into the deep forest to 
obtain, for example wild grapes or wild clematis, since bringing your 
plant cuttings back home will take some time.  Under these circumstances 
you should take some FPJ with you. When you pick the fruits dip them 
lightly in FPJ as this will form a film on the surface of the fruit 
preventing the escape of nutrients and energy.

Some notes on materials

You should use either a clay pot or a wooden container made from 
Japanese cedar. Avoid using stainless steel, iron or plastics.

A clay pot is good because it is not prone to temperature changes, 
particularly in summer. However the disadvantage of a clay pot is that 
when it is large it is very heavy and difficult to move or wash after 
use.  Therefore choose a jar which is not too heavy to manage.  A jar 
with a small opening is also good since less air will contact the juice 
and this will promote fermentation. Another reason for a small opening 
is that when the liquid rises to the top and all the ingredients are 
fully soaked, the liquid should rise above the level of the ingredients. 
If this does not occur then the surface will become dry and encrusted 
and fungus may appear.

For Japanese cedar containers sizes between 18L and 36L are adequate. It 
is also convenient to use a wine barrel with an outlet valve at the 
bottom since this makes retrieving the solution easier.

It is also a good idea if you have jars and containers of different 
sizes as different FPJs may require different container sizes. To 
practice NF properly, you will need 5-10 containers of various sizes. 
Most of the other inputs will also need containers.

If you cannot obtain a clay pot or a cedar barrel  you may use glass or 
plastic containers though the quality of the NF input will not be as good.

Finally, do not forget to shade glass containers with black cloth or 
paper, since the rays of the sun should be blocked.

Brown Sugar

Large amounts of brown sugar are used for making FPJ. Remember that when 
the ingredients have a lot of moisture (as in summer citrus fruits, 
fruits, flowers etc.) you will need to use more brown sugar. Generally 
the amount of usgar you need to use is 1/3 to 1/2 the weight of the 
ingredients.  When using ingredients with a lot of moisture you should 
use 1/2.  Should you be using Philippine crude sugar, you will need to 
add still more.

If it is totally impossible to obtain brown sugar then you may use white 
sugar. However, since white sugar has been refined it contains fewer 
vitamins and minerals. Consequently, the fermentation process will be 
different and the FPJ will be of low quality.

Even better than brown sugar is crude sugar. You can also mixed sun 
dried salt with sugar, though refined white salt should be avoided. 
Molasses is unsuitable as it contains too much water and so is not good 
for generating osmotic pressure.

Using a stone weight to extract air

After putting all the ingredients into a container you will need to use 
a stone, or similar weight, to extract the air. Since the plant juices 
are extracted by osmotic pressure, not by physical pressure some 
compression is needed to bring the the brown sugar and the ingredients 
into close contact. Place a stone on top of the ingredients, the size of 
which will vary according to the thickness of the ingredients and their 
sugar content.

Alternatively, you can use a plastic bag filled with water. This method 
has the advantage of spreading the weight evenly over the surface and 
perfectly adhering to the plant material. The disadvantage is that you 
must ensure that the bag does not get ripped. So you should use thick 
plastic bags, or place one bag inside another.

The weight should be removed after the air has been extracted; maybe 
after a day.

Cover lid

A cover is needed to prevent insects getting in.  Porous paper is ideal 
as the cover must let air in and out.  Newspaper is not good because of 
their surface ink. You may use cloth but it is easy for small animals to 
get in and for dust to accumulate in wrinkles in the fabric.

Don’t forget to write the preparation dates and the ingredients on the 
paper as you will need this information.

5. How to make FPJ

1.  Collect the ingredients.

2. Shake the dirt off the ingredients but do not wash the ingredients as 
you will also wash away the microorganisms. If the size of the plant 
material is too unwieldy cut them into 5-10cm pieces. Doing this will 
increase the surface contact area and promote the action of osmotic 
pressure.

Note! Always remember not to mix different kinds of ingredients in one 
container. The rule is one ingredient to one container.

3. Measure the weight of the plant ingredients. Measure the weight of 
brown sugar. The weight of brown sugar should be between 1/3 and 1/2 the 
weight of the plant ingredients. You should adjust the amount of brown 
sugar to take into account the moisture of the plant materials you are 
using.

4. Put all the ingredients, plant material and brown sugar, into a large 
wide container and mix it altogether with your hands.  When the 
ingredients are fully mixed, cover with a newspaper and leave it for 1-2 
hours.

5. Put all the ingredients into a clay pot. The ingredients should fill 
about 3/4 of the jar, not too much less or too much more.  This 1/4 
space is not useless, rather it is the required amount of space for air 
to react with the ingredients to the correct degree.

6. Place the weight (stone or puncture resistant plastic bag filled with 
water) on top of the ingredients.

7.  Put on the cover (Ian: presumably paper) and tie it onto the jar.

8. Remove the weight after one or two days; after the air has been 
expelled from the ingredients. Put the cover back on.

9. Place the the jar in a cool, shaded place. Do not open, move or stir 
the ingredients while fermentation is taking place.

Using Salt

If the juice is not extracted well you can add sun-dried salt.  Doing 
this will promote extraction, though it will also make the final product 
unfit for human consumption. When you use salt make sure the amount you 
use does not exceed 1/3 of the amount of brown sugar you used; for 
example if you used 9kg of sugar you should use no more than 3kg of sun 
dried salt.

6. How to use FPJ

According to the nutritive cycle

Natural Farming applies fertilizer in accordance with the Nutritive 
Cycle Theory  proposed by Oino Ueyas. This theory states that crops need 
different nutrients at different stages in their life cycle. Given that, 
let us see which FPJ suits which stage.

From germination to early growth: Dropwort, mugwort, bamboo shoot FPJs 
are good. They will help crops become cold resistant and grow quickly 
and strongly.

During the vegetative growth period:  The crops are developing their 
volume at this stage, which means they need nitrogen. Arrowroot, bamboo 
shoot and reed FPJs are good.

During the changeover period: The crops need a lot of phosphoric acid 
(P) at this stage. Mulberry, grape, raspberry FPJs made from unripe 
fruit (unripe is when they have more acid) are good.  This is similar to 
a pregnant woman’s craving for sour foods.

Reproductive growth: The crops need a lot of calcium (Ca) at this stage. 
FPJs made from fully ripened clematis, apple, peach and grape are good.

General Use

FPJ’s are normally used at dilutions of 800 to 1ooo. When used with 
other inputs the solution should have still more water. And during the 
period from germination to the infant stage crops FPJs should be used at 
the lower concentration level (i.e. at an FPJ to water dilution ratio of 
1:1000).  If the leaves are smaller make it even milder. During the 
reproductive growth stage it is better to to use the stronger solution 
(1:800) and spray on the leaves and fruit.

Dropwort and Mugwort FPJs are good for helping plants recover from the 
effects of storms, typhoons and sudden cold spells etc. FPJ will help 
plants with damaged leaves to recover and regain the optimum balance of 
microorganisms on their leaves. As such it will help farms recover from 
natural disaster. For all such emergency treatment you should use FPJ 
made from dropwort and mugwort.

It is better to use FPJ mixed with other inputs, such as OHN Oriental 
Herbal Nutrient, to obtain synergized effects. However, in emergencies 
you should avoid using strong concentrations, even though your need may 
be great. You should instead start with a weak solution and slowly move 
to a stronger solution as your plants recover. The reason for this is 
when the crops are weak their absorption power is also weak. You should 
also vary the dilution rate according to the weather, stronger in wet 
season and weaker in dry season.

FPJ as  a beverage for human consumption

FPJ is good for human health. FPJ made frommugwort and dropwort at 
effective treatments for constipation and arthritis.  FPJ made from 
bamboo shoots is good for people with weak physical conditions. Clematis 
and Japanese cedar FPJ are effective in alleviating liver and bowel 
diseases. People have said that they have been freed from several aches 
and pains from drinking FPJ.

Natural Farmers use FPJ as a beverage. Also if you get used to drinking 
NF drinks then you will drink less carbonated soft drinks. Phosphoric 
Acid, which is a key ingredient in carbonated drinks, flushes calcium 
out of of your metabolism. Therefore by choosing to drink FPJ instead of 
carbonated drinks you can prevent calcium depletion and the onset of 
osteoporosis.  If you raise your children by giving them FPJ to drink as 
opposed to alternatives, then your children will avoid minor and 
frequent bouts of illness. I am not exaggerating when I say that FPJ 
will protect the health of your whole family; it is the king of all 
medicines.

FPJ restores your body’s energy and also enhances your body’s activity 
thresholds.  FPJ revitalizes crops and trees so dried out and wasted 
that they seemed on the verge of death. The juice can also help treat 
the weakened digestive systems of cows, pigs and chickens when fed to 
them with brown rice vinegar (BRV).  Very quickly the animals will 
regain their appetite and vigor.

The effectiveness of FPJ can be enhanced by adding BRV. The combination 
of FPJ and brown rice vinegar is not only good for your body but is also 
has a very fresh taste. If you drink this FPJ twice a day (morning and 
night) then it will be very helpful in protecting your health. You can 
also experience beneficial health effects if you cook meat products 
after marinating them in FPJ.

7. Fermented Fruit Juice

Fermented Fruit Juice  (FFJ) is a kind of FPJ that is made from fruit. 
According to Mr. Shibada Genshi, the foremost enzyme researcher, fruit 
enzyme is like making honey in a cedar wooden container. Fermented fruit 
juice  (FFJ) is produced in almost the same way as FPJ. However if FPJ 
is ying, then FFJ is yang.

How to make FFJ

1. Prepare about 6 different fruit types (in all cases more than 3). The 
fruit should be fully ripe, either picked or fallen. Clematis (best) , 
figs, strawberries, grapes, wild berries, mulberries, carrots, apples 
and cherries are good. When there is insufficient fuit available you may 
add supplementary ingredients such as spinach roots, wild yam, dasheen, 
potato, chines cabbage, cabbage, cucumber, zucchini and chinese radish. 
(However, use persimmon only for persimmon and citrus for citrus. These 
two FFJs are not good to use on other crops because of their cold and 
sour character0.

2. For 1kg of fruit, prepare 1.2-1.3kg of brown sugar in summer, and 1kg 
in winter.

3. Wash the container and then disinfect it in the sun.

4. Spread the brown sugar on the chopping board and dice the fruit in 
order, starting with the fruit with the highest sugar content. After 
dicing the fruit put the sugar on the fruit and place them in a 
container, the sweetest fruit goes in the bottom. Do this very quickly 
to prevent the loss of essential substances. The ones that are difficult 
to dice, such as grapes and strawberries,may be slightly crushed with 
clean fingers.

5. Use half the sugar while dicing and pour the remainder in at the end.

6. Stir slightly, about 2-3 times with a cedar wooden stick.  Stir less 
in summer and more in winter.

7. Cover the container with porous paper and tie it down.

8. In summer fermentation will be complete in about 4-5 days, in winter 
it will be about 17-18 days.

9. After completion,sprinkle some sugar and store in a cool shaded 
place. There will be some sugar on the surface after completion; if it 
is hard like ice, the FFJ is a success.

How to use FFJ

use FFJ diluted 1000 times after the changeover period of your crops. It 
is excellent for reenergizing, whether for crops, livestock or humans. 
It will also keep your family healthy when consumed regularly.