Local materials

[h.h.]

I use a pine bark extract.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4264173/#B28-ijms-15-20382


I rarely mention it because I’m not sure why I use it other than I had it already. I liked the earthy color it turned my water.
One could probably just use tree leaves. Local and free. Tea up your bamboo. Sort of a homeopathic approach. In liquid form it should move through the soil rather than just being concentrated in the mulch.
Of course you’re already doing that with your fermentations or any compost that hasn’t been washed out.

 

[Hookahhead]

I have a few plants around the house cranking out an impressive number of flowers. I decided to collect a few today.

Thunbergia grandiflora (Wiki)

Ipomoea cairica (Wiki)

And the Tithonia diversifolia (Wiki) are blooming all up and down the road. The ones in my yard are at least 2-3x as tall as the ones across the road, but the ones across the road are crazy bushy. They almost look like 2 different species, but I think it’s just phenotypic plasticity based on how common the plants are in this immediate area.

 

[Hookahhead]

Flower power!

Here’s my bounty for the day.

This pile was two batches in the blender mixed with some water. It ended up being about a half gallon total. I decided to let this one naturally ferment as I could feel a lot of nectar on my hands.

Please remember to be kind when doing any sort of wild crafting. Plants, flowers, and other materials are valuable food sources and homes for the local fauna. Be sure to leave enough for them, and for future plant populations as well.

 

[Hookahhead]

I finally got a little time to mess with this garden bed again. I picked up a big bag of dog hair from a groomer. Hair, like fingernails and feathers, is made of keratin and therefore very slow to break down. However, for whatever reason it doesn’t really seem to persist in nature. Otherwise there should be big piles of hair everywhere. I’m really only adding it because I had access to it.

The old home owner built this compost bin out of used pallets. The termites are very pleased by this design, and the bin is just barely holding together now. Of course it has all the issues associated with a normal home compost. There’s never been enough material to start hot composting, so it’s more a slow rot of everything. It doesn’t get turned or mixed on a regular basis. There were also a good many leaves and woody yard waste put into the pile, with only a small amount of kitchen waste thrown in biweekly. Needless to say it’s been slow to degrade, but it has noticeably shrunk on several occasions.

Today I decided to clean it out. I would say most of the material was about 50% finished. There were definitely a few pockets of sweet black material, but not enough to try and save. If I had my trommel here I would have probably ran everything through, but I definitely wasn’t going to hand sift it. I ended up with almost 3 wheelbarrows full total. All of the material got dumped on garden bed.

Before compost (after spreading the hair).

After spreading the compost. Looks nice!

Then I decided to clean up some banana plants/leaves and add them on top.

 

[h.h.]

Healthy plant microbiome...

https://news.berkeley.edu/2019/12/0...169902645&mc_cid=3ef0916f2a&mc_eid=3f1e65552c

 

[Hookahhead]

Here’s an update on my Tithonia diversifolia ferment I started in Post #427.

Here’s what it looked like on day 1.

These are photos from yesterday, day 37 I think. You can see the leafy material has turned black and has begun to sink layer by layer from the bottom of the floating mass. I plan to let this go to at least 60 days, hoping everything will have sunk by then.

A white fluffy mold has been slowly creeping across the surface. This is purely hypothetical, but I’m guessing it’s growing so fluffy because it would like a bit more oxygen then what is slowly diffusing in (CO2 is heavier than air, so it can easily displace fresh air in a container.). This is based off similar observations growing mycelium of other fungi on a sealed agar plates. I like to think it is sending little hyphae down to tap the nutrients of the floating leaf mass, slowly breaking it down enzymatically. Once the mass sinks, something will move in to feed on the fungi.

I hadn’t even noticed the red mold growing on the bits of plant stuck to the side of the container above the water level until looking back at the photos.

.
I’ll post a final update when I filter and bottle this brew.

 

[Microbeman]

Transplant time for the first Hibiscus Elatus grown from cuttings. Another 20 about 2 months behind.

Note dandelions and mullein flourishing. So far red clover and Roman chamomile are not adapting so well to this microcosm. I believe they may, given time as the soil transits from chemical to natural.

 

['Boogieman']

Soaking my homemade biochar in a alfalfa and chicken manure tea. This has frozen and thawed several times which seemed to help break the biochar into smaller pieces. Also some worm bins with biochar added, not currently active because of the weather but they will come back to life in spring.

 

[h.h.]

Add some apple to your alfalfa/chicken manure. Preferably before the char, but whatever.
A slight yeast fermentation should help kill pathogens while being a precursor to lacto(?) fermentation. The small amount of alcohol produced will be consumed, turned to vinegar before being neutralized by the char.

I stand to be corrected as to what’s actually happening under a scope, but it works. Same process as EM1 without the pond scum. Yeast +lacto + sugar. Now if you got pond scum.

If you have chicken scratch, it’ll work with the apple.

Active apple cider vinegar as well. Make your own.

 

['Boogieman']

Add some apple to your alfalfa/chicken manure. Preferably before the char, but whatever.
A slight yeast fermentation should help kill pathogens while being a precursor to lacto(?) fermentation. The small amount of alcohol produced will be consumed, turned to vinegar before being neutralized by the char.

I stand to be corrected as to what’s actually happening under a scope, but it works. Same process as EM1 without the pond scum. Yeast +lacto + sugar. Now if you got pond scum.

If you have chicken scratch, it’ll work with the apple.

Active apple cider vinegar as well. Make your own.

Thanks, I have a bunch of apples so I will give that a try.

 

[h.h.]

I remember you said you have apples. They should supply yeast and sugar. You’ll end up with alcohol.

The activated vinegar will convert the alcohol while lowering the pH.

Chicken scratch will increase the lactobacillus count.

Sort of a 3 stage fermentation. Then the chemical reactions of adding the char.

This is on fermented feed, but it’s kind of all the same.
http://naturalchickenkeeping.blogspot.com/2013/03/making-fermented-feed-part-3-of-3.html

 

[Hookahhead]

I harvested a few plants this week. While recycling the soil, I noticed that a ton of roots had grown through the pieces of algae that were mixed into the media 2-3 months before. I’m guessing these act as little sponges within the soil. I really enjoy working with this type of algae, both as a mulch and mixed into the media. It seems to be slower to degrade, and doesn’t turn slimy and nasty. Hopefully the large patches I collected last year grow back again soon, it’s dry season and the river has calmed down again.

 

[Hookahhead]

Here’s an update on my Tithonia diversifolia ferment I started in Post #427. and #446

This is what we started with...

Day 37

Today at day 63 I think. There’s only one layer left before the island sinks!

The fungi growing on the surface at day 37.

It looks like a fog slowly creeping across the land.

I live in the tropics, ambient temperature is around 70-90 degrees. I feel like this demonstration shows you need at least a good 90 days or so to completely finish an undisturbed plant ferment. It’s been really cool to look back at the pictures and see how the material has actually been digested. The stuff on the bottom is a powdery sediment and nothing at all like the starting material.

 

[h.h.]

Very good.

I question “finished”.
In compost it’s generally accepted that when the plant material becomes unrecognizable, it’s finished compost. I would say after major microbial consumption.
While nutrients become more available, is it at a cost of longevity?
If I have a 90 day soil. I’m going to rely on finished. The longer I use the soil, the more I rely on unfinished. Usually a combination of both. Generally when soil is finished, it’s replaced. Consider most soil amendments are in their raw state.

 

[TychoMonolyth]

But.... but... what is it good for? How'd you use it?

 

[Hookahhead]

Very good.

I question “finished”.
In compost it’s generally accepted that when the plant material becomes unrecognizable, it’s finished compost. I would say after major microbial consumption.
While nutrients become more available, is it at a cost of longevity?
If I have a 90 day soil. I’m going to rely on finished. The longer I use the soil, the more I rely on unfinished. Usually a combination of both. Generally when soil is finished, it’s replaced. Consider most soil amendments are in their raw state.

Yeah a finished ferment and finished soil are going to be a little different. I like to continually add things to my soil, so it’s essentially never “finished”.

For me a finished ferment would be when the food runs out, so that the microbial life essentially stalls and becomes “stabilized”. Everything has been digested and redigested by this point. As long as you’re not off gassing a bunch of ammonia or hydrogen sulfide, most of the nutrients should remain in solution long term. I don’t think the same holds true for soil or compost that is exposed to the elements.

As I pointed out, the biggest surprise to me is how long digestion has actually taken. It probably would have progressed faster with mixing, but then the fungi growing on top would not have persisted. Again most of the stuff I post in this thread is simply for trial and observation.

But.... but... what is it good for? How'd you use it?

Haha good question.. right now it’s just something for me to look at and marvel over. In about a month or so when I determine it’s ready, it will be quickly filtered and bottled for use. Anything the filter catches will be mixed in the next batch or soil. I will probably dilute the liquid with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of ferment per gallon of water just before use. It’s hopeful that it will act as a nutrient, amino acid source and microbial inoculant. There is also the potential it could contain PGRs. It will be used in conjunction with other ferments, amendments and teas.

 

[TychoMonolyth]

Ah... got it. I'm curious to see how it will affect a grow spot sprayed with it when I prep my holes before I plant.

 

[h.h.]

I see fermentations as fast food. They hit the spot and work well when followed up with less finished products.
I usually consider it being finished when most of the yeast activity has died down and the pH has dropped. I guess it’s relative to ones goal. If I was making alcohol, it would be before a pH drop.

I doubt if you realize immediate results. Perhaps a nutrient boost. What I notice is long term. The overall growth of the plant is healthier. Things go easier. I can be sloppier.
My soil mixes are shit. I get stoned, start throwing stuff together. Use floor sweepings, whatever feels good at the time. I think the fermentations carry me.

I add it all to the soil mix. Liquid and solids. Spread it out a couple days until it starts smelling sweet.

 

['Boogieman']

I wonder if it's possible to plant Japanese knotweed on my property to ferment, the goal would be to make a product similar to Regalia.

 

[Hookahhead]

Japanese knotweed is HIGHLY invasive in the north east, I’m not sure about elsewhere. You could wild craft from along river/steam banks. The fresh shoots are edible too, so collect some for yourself. Make yourself a meal, a ferment, and help remove an invasive species. Sounds like a win to me!