Apply effective microorganisms in the garden

What are Effective Microorganisms?

The term “Effective Microorganisms” (abbreviated EM) stands for a mixture of different microorganisms with different properties. They should complement each other and in part also feed on the metabolic products of the other microbes. The compositions of the microbe solutions differ between the various manufacturers, although the exact ingredients are kept secret and therefore cannot be traced.

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EM solutions basically contain yeasts, lactic acid bacteria and bacterial cultures that are capable of photosynthesis:

• Yeasts : feed mainly on sugar and other carbohydrates as well as oxygen, and release antioxidants, vitamins, enzymes and acids
• Lactic acid bacteria : These bacteria are responsible for the fermentation processes typical of EM, in which starch and sugar are converted into lactic and acetic acid.
• Photosynthetic bacteria: These bacteria provide energy and also break down toxins such as dioxin and nitrate.

The microbes used are both aerobic (ie, use oxygen) and anaerobic (ie, use nitrogen) and so complement each other. Eventually, the aerobic microbes produce nitrogen and the anaerobic oxygen, so both species feed on each other.

What are Effective Microorganisms good for?

Effective microorganisms are supplied in a nutrient solution and are diluted with water and applied directly to the plants or the garden soil. You should

• improve the soil
• strengthen plant health
• ensure higher crop yields
• accelerate the decomposition process during composting

Whether the funds actually keep their full-bodied promises according to the manufacturers is a different story. Some gardeners report positive effects, while others found no effects at all.

Discovery and development

The system of effective microorganisms was developed in the 1980s by the Japanese horticultural professor Teruo Higa, whose theses can be found in the books he wrote:

• A revolution to save the earth. (first published in German 1993)
• The future regained. (published in German 2002)
• Effective microorganisms (EM). (published in German 2005)

The system arose from intensive research to improve soil quality, which should be brought back into a natural balance with the help of natural microorganisms. Today EM is an entire branch of industry that is also intensively advertised outside of Japan and mainly used in organic horticulture.

Healthy plants can only grow on healthy soil.

Mode of action

There is a whole theoretical framework of ideas behind EM, the main statement of which is this: The addition of Effective Microorganisms promotes the soil-improving activities of all microorganisms. According to the teaching, the microbes can also be divided into three groups:

• Constructive microbes : are contained in EM solutions, are supposed to promote soil life and thus ensure better soil quality
• putrefactive and disease-causing microbes : damage the quality of the soil as they promote decay processes
• Opportunistic microbes : Represents the majority of all microorganisms in the soil. Are basically neutral and support either the anabolic or the putrefactive microorganisms, depending on which group is currently more active.

The background to this teaching is that the soils are depleted by (conventional) agriculture and the use of pesticides and fertilizers and, viewed microbially, are practically “dead”. The soil quality can only be significantly improved through revitalization, which is why constructive and thus life-promoting mixtures of microorganisms should be introduced.

These do not work alone, but also bring the neutral “followers” ​​microorganisms to restore the soil balance and create a healthy soil environment. To do this, the harmful putrefactive bacteria are combated. As a result, the natural cycles run again and plants can grow healthily without any artificial fertilizers and pesticides.

This article shows how effective microorganisms can be used:

Youtube

Use in the garden

Effective microorganisms can be used not only for soil improvement, but also in the household and to support healing processes in humans and animals. This wide range of possible uses alone should make you suspicious, because no remedy - especially none that was primarily developed for soil improvement - can be used as a panacea. What is positive for floor life does not necessarily have to be found in cleaning agents or on human skin.

It is true that, for example, the skin and intestines are colonized by a multitude of microorganisms that do valuable work there. However, they are not the same types of microbes, as each form performs virtually different tasks. For this reason, we limit ourselves in this section to the supposedly positive effects of EM on the garden:

EM products, which are available either as original solutions or as finished products, are either diluted or used undiluted. The solutions should be applied weekly during the growing season between spring and late autumn. To do this, the user should proceed as follows:

1. Pour the solution into a watering can.
2. Top up the solution with water.
3. The exact mixing ratio depends on the specific product.
4. Water the plants and soil.

EM not only improve the soil and strengthen the plants, so that fertilizers and pesticides become superfluous, they also fight acute plant diseases. For this purpose, the user should apply the solution in a higher concentration directly to the infected plants.

The effective microorganisms strengthen the immune system of the plants and also prevent the development of mold. They can be used not only in the garden, but also on lawns, in the greenhouse and even on indoor plants. One of the positive effects is that beneficial insects such as bees, bumblebees, butterflies and ladybugs are also promoted.

Digression

Natural crop protection from the field edge

Instead of obscure mixtures of microbes, you can also rely on inexpensive and easy to make plant manure yourself. These supply your plants with valuable nutrients and actually strengthen their defenses - and this has even been scientifically proven and without you having to open your wallet. Alleged weeds such as tansy, wormwood, field horsetail and nettles are particularly effective.

All you have to do is proceed as follows:

1. Collect a kilogram of fresh plant material.
2. Crush this carefully.
3. Fill it in a plastic bucket.
4. Fill it up with ten liters of water.
5. Add a handful of bedrock flour.
6. Cover the mixture with cheesecloth or jute.
7. Put the container in a dark and warm place.
8. Stir the mixture daily.

Here too, fermentation produces an effective brew that is diluted 1:10 and applied to the plants and soil. The plants absorb the substances through the roots and experience a direct strengthening of the immune system - without any esoteric superstructure. Instead of a (admittedly foul-smelling) liquid manure, you can also use a brew in which the plant material only soaks in the water for one day. Unlike liquid manure, you do not have to dilute such a liquid.

In order to preserve nature, we should avoid toxic chemicals in the garden as much as possible. Plant and soil protection also works in a completely natural way!

Do Effective Microorganisms Really Work?

Basically, it is very good to be skeptical about effective microorganisms. After all, the various remedies are sold dearly and marketed wisely. In many forums, for example, extremely positive “testimonials” from alleged users are distributed, but these are usually due to viral marketing - that is, to paid writers. According to these “experience reports”, Effective Microorganisms should help against anything and everything that is of course not tenable from a scientific point of view.

In fact, in various scientific studies, the alleged positive effects of EM solutions could not be proven, or only to a limited extent. Instead, from the point of view of the scientists, any effects on the soil are not due to the microbes, but rather to the highly concentrated nutrient solution - in which the microorganisms are located. Studies in which Effective Microorganisms with distilled water were also used showed no differences to untreated soil.

As always with things so strongly vowed to heaven, you shouldn't believe everything you read. Give EM a try, if in doubt you have supplied your garden with an expensive fertilizer. But maybe the Effective Microorganisms actually help you?

Digression

Use earthworms specifically to improve soil

Instead of expensive nutrient solutions, you can simply use earthworms to improve the soil. These can be purchased from specialist retailers. Put the animals in the freshly dug up and loosened bed, add fresh clippings and be patient.

This video shows how soil improvement works with earthworms:

Youtube

Manufacture and products

The EM finished products consist of microorganisms that have been cultivated in a multi-stage process on the basis of sugar cane molasses. Here, the sweet molasses is broken down and the microbes multiply. This creates a nutrient solution that contains microorganisms and is known as “activated EM” (EMa for short). In contrast to this, the so-called original solution is available as EM-1. In addition to the "good" microorganisms, such a solution also contains:

• different enzymes
• a mixture of vitamins
• as well as amino acids.

It is actually less a soil additive than a highly concentrated fertilizer, the actual effect of which is less due to the microorganisms it contains than to the nutrients.

A large number of different products are now available, which are primarily sold over the Internet. A liter of solution usually costs between five and ten euros and is sufficient for an average of ten square meters of floor space. Considering that it is intended to be used weekly for most of the year, it is a rather expensive form of fertilization. In a 100 square meter garden you need ten liters of solution per week, which corresponds to an average price of 75 euros.

In view of the highly concentrated ingredients, it is not surprising that the solutions in the vegetable garden are especially recommended for strongly consuming plants such as tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage or broccoli. Here the users should fertilize the vegetables with 200 milliliters of solution in ten liters of water every two to four weeks.

frequently asked Questions

What is Terra Preta and how can you make it yourself?

The nutrient-rich black earth, which is indispensable for the growth of healthy plants, is also known as “Terra Preta”. This is compost soil produced with the help of effective microorganisms and activated charcoal, whereby the charcoal prevents important plant nutrients such as phosphorus, potassium and nitrate from being washed out during the composting process, according to a study by the Free University of Berlin. The finished black earth is then worked into the garden soil. And that's how it works:

• Layer EM solution, biochar and primary rock flour in a container with fresh kitchen and garden waste
• Use only organic and uncooked waste such as fruit and vegetable scraps as well as plant and grass clippings
• Layer thinly and then compact

The black earth has formed within six months and can then be easily removed from the container.

What is bokashi and is it actually more nutrient-rich than regular compost?

“Bokashi” is the Japanese term for “fermented organic material” and thus represents a type of compost. This is to be produced with the help of effective microorganisms and ultimately used as fertilizer in the garden. The starting material is ordinary, uncooked kitchen and garden waste, which is soaked in an EM solution and finally fermented. This special type of composting prevents the development of putrefaction processes, and you no longer need to turn the “compost heap”. A usable fertilizer is created here after about three to four weeks. Although Bokashi is said to be much more nutrient-rich than normal compost, this has not yet been proven in studies.

When and how much solution should you apply?

If you want to work with EM in your garden, you should apply the solution about four to six times a year. A warm day with temperatures between 15 and 20 ° C and an overcast sky is ideal for this. The microorganisms in the solution are sensitive to UV rays, which is why sunshine is not a good idea when spreading. You should plan one liter of irrigation water with 20 milliliters of solution per square meter of soil.

Do effective microorganisms really help against snails?

The manufacturers of EM solutions also advertise them as a tried and tested remedy for snails. The reason for this is that the ground is full of snail eggs and the animals hatch especially when putrefactive processes occur. Effective microorganisms would prevent the putrefaction process and thus there would also be fewer snails. This is of course nonsense: you won't have fewer snails in your garden just because you water your plants with EM. The same also applies to ants, which can also not be driven away with Effective Microorganisms: the animals only disappear because you pour water into their structures. It doesn't matter to ants whether this contains microbes or not.

Tips

Treatment with effective microorganisms should also help against aphids, for example on roses. To do this, regularly spray infested or endangered plants with the diluted solution during the growing season.