Amazing and game-changing to home gardening. Just bought some muslin and some dried nettles and plan on doing this soon. Thanks for this stellar interview.
Thank you for all of this. Appreciate being introduced to Nigel, will subscribe to him also. Your videos are the best!!! Looking forward to applying your lesson to my garden in North Texas.
Brilliant video so informative, I've just sent off for your new book and got my first lot of fermented stinging nettle juice nearly ready. can't wait to do some comparison testing with it.
Just got your book, Nigel!! I am on my 5th bucket of bokashi. I have 4 tubs of “used potting soil” mixed with 5 gallons of fermented kitchen waste buried in the middle., all waiting to be used on a comparison experiment.😀😀 I used another batch in the garden and compared bean growth. No one will believe me if I describe the results. 😀😀
Fuck me this is so useful. Brings back my childhood days of gardening lessons where we'd make all sorts of biodynamic preparations to spray/add to the school garden. This is much more accessible though I have to say, and much less time consuming, thanks for sharing your research. Will read your book and get cracking. Exciting stuff
Hello Nigel...just saw you on Huw's channel and subscribed. I'm building a home on 20 acres and plan on growing as soon as I'm moved in. I'm a clinical educator and really appreciate the benefits of fermentation. I never thought about it for plants but totally agree with you about the benefits of microbes and the need for a balance. Just bought your book. This concept is really resonating with me. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
Nigel, would be great to see some more videos on your recipes from your book!...and comparisons you have done with your own crops? bought the book...amazing read!
Wow! I absolutely love this! 🥰Many times I have thought about all the plant nutrients and soil / compost soil that can be bought out there, which later studies have proven to be environmentally damaging. This feels like you can only win. That our planet has only to gain from the fact that we stop BUYing plant nutrients and soil improvers. And instead make our own from what we already have in the gardens 😍❤
I watched another video of yours about making nettle extraction. 🤣🤣Yesterday I just whacked most of the nettles down🤣 Last year I was thinking of where the blackcaps always grew was in our ravine of nettles and tons of leaf mulch and partly shaded. Also how we had volunteer squash in the area of all kinds of organic scraps in another part of ravine. So there had to be some relationship between the plants. Minerals and water holding capacity is probably the thing. I better go out and water the few nettles I have standing🤣🤣
Very interesting. For years I've been raking my leaves to an area of my yard that was a bit of a cliff, to fill it up. Based on what he is saying that is probably the most fertile area of my yard (which I don't touch). It has filled a lot in 16 years. No wonder there are so many raspberry plants there, which I mostly leave for the birds. (I have a small wildlife habitat that I created from a yard of all lawn (people in the US love the stuff, I don't) so I have plenty for myself in other areas. I guess I should dig up some of that soil, along with the newer composting leaves to add to my vegetables.
hello Nigel! As I told you before, I am reading your book in Italian. I have seen the data of the various extractions and I wanted to ask you how long the aqueous extractions and the fermented extractions with leaf mould had, i.e. how long were the plants steeping in the water? Consolida - Aqueous extraction Dandelion - fermented leaf mould extraction Carrot leaves - extraction with fermented leaf mould Thank you very much for your availability! A hug! All Good
Comfrey and water - 5 years, dandelion leaf mold 1.5 years, carrot tops .5 years. The longer periods were for information. Shorter times will provide results as well.
@@nigelpalmer3439 Thank very much! Is that why the book recommends 1 to 20 as a dilution for aqueous extracts and 1 to 500 for fermented juice, so as to have approximately the same nutrients fed to the plants? Jadam gives 1 to 100 as a base for JLF. Thank!
I am fascinated by this real gardening lesson and I have a question about this land amendment: how many times can it be done in a season? Thank you gentlemen, greetings from Romania!
Foliar sprays may be applied regularly. Concentrations are small. Suggest starting with once a week for instance. Monitoring plants after spraying is the best guide.
Hi, I was watching Huw’s video where he spoke to you about FPJ’s and you mentioned that you make soil pots where the pot is made purely out of soil, I’d be really interested to know how you do this, thanks :)
First of all, thank you for an interesting talk and really appreciate your perspective on KNF inputs. I'm just wondering if I got it right that you're saying about these mineral rich foliarsprays like FPJ that they, even though they're more balanced than most of the fertilizers you can buy, also will inhibit associations and partnerships with the microbes that otherwise help making these nutrients available to them? If so, why should we apply them from early stages? Won't that just discourage the plant from making use of what's allready available through various partnerships in the soil and create more work for the farmer/gardener? Thanks!
Good point, If you have a soil that has all the minerals needed and a thriving biology then no need for anything to be added. Most of us do not. Conduct a soil test to see what you have. When shortfalls identified then these recipes become appropriate short term strategies. Building up the soil in the long term reduces the need for additions throughout the growing season.
@@nigelpalmer3439 Thanks a lot for your reply, that's true that few probably have ideal soils to start with. I guess if you're feeding the plants all these balanced and available nutrients, growth hormones and so on and making it thrive through inputs it will benefit the microbial communities in the soil through more root exudates, which I think you touched upon in the talk too. Just thinking that if it potentially makes the plants less resilient by in some ways dissociating them from beneficial microbes, then that seems less desirable and something to be used with a bit of caution and in moderation. Do you know of any studies specifically on FPJ and this lack of partnership or is it something you've observed yourself? Very interesting all of this.
@@bastir4424 The nitrogen relationship is clear as the source of nitrogen for plants is the N2 in the air that needs to be fixed by the soil biology. Mineral relations are governed by mineral availability and their proportions in the soil. If they are not there they may be provided with foliar sprays. Good studies are difficult to come by in my opinion mainly because the soil, perhaps the biggest source of variation in any plant study, is almost never characterized.
i'm starting my journey in this gardenning life and i came across a Huw Richards's video the other day where he mentionned one of his goals would be to experiment with KNF. since hen, i've been watching a lot of videos about it and i feel a bit overwhelmed. i don't really know where to start... well, maybe with LAB. watching this video, i had the same thought and it's logical to me that spraying the plants with this will make them addicted. kinda. so, the best for me to do, i believe, it's to observe how they will do in the first year and then use this juices when necessary. thank you very much for this, it is really interiesting!
@@nigelpalmer3439 IF you are not aware of the work of John Kempf it will put all teh science needed concerning N and soil microbes and fertilizers. Kind of completes the KNF perspective with the best of modern findings outside Big Ag mind control.
Greetings Nigel. I was wondering if you had any insight into the theory that certain plants grow and thrive in areas where their usefullness is needed, such as nitrogen fixers (e.g. mesquite in Texas/Mexico dessert), and others I've read about. The nettle is perhaps thriving for a reason--I just wonder what it is. I have been contemplating this with outbreaks of spiny amaranth and pokeweed on my property--are they telling me something(??)
Yes they are. Plants feed the soil biology and redistribute minerals. The plants that grow in any given space will change with time. We have lived symbiotically with plants for our entire time on earth. Listen, watch and learn!
Hi Nigel, I just found this the other day.. Fascinated by the Method but have a question. I have a Lot of Honey left over for a couple years now that has Crystalized. Can I use that in place of the Brown Sugar in the Extraction method?
Although I have fostered honey bee hives for decades and enjoyed the honey from those hives that have not survived, I have not experimented with honey of these purposes. Fermentation, like baking, is sensitive to water content. Sugars like honey or molasses have a different moisture content than brown sugar which may effect the fermentation process. As an experimental gardener you should consider trying it out and let us know what happens!
Thank you. Using your recipe I made sugar fermented nettles about two years ago and now opened the jar - it smells like sweet alcohol - can I still use it or will it burn leaves?
Hi guys, Really happy I saw this video, great info! Just a couple questions, with the Foliage Spraying, will this replace any other watering that vegs will need? Also, will this Foliage Spray with the Fermented Veg Juice be good to use on the lawn too? Thanks!
Thanks for the useful information. I have a couple of question if I may..1. What if I don't use the ferment as a foliar spray and just add it my watering can for watering the soil? Does it need a stronger /weaker dilution? 2. Also how long does a ferment need to sit before it's ready? 3. And what about if its plant/weeds in a bucket of water? How long does that need to sit before it's ready? And is used diluted in the same way as a fermented plant juice?
@@nigelpalmer3439 Thank you so much for your reply. Truly appreciate it. Looking forward to put it into practice v soon. There's an embankment near a main road that has a lot of nettles growing wild, but it's been quite warm recently and hasn't rained in a while, so thinking it's probably not the best time to harvest?? In any case, thanks for all you're doing!
@@adamkhan7234 Road side plants may be contaminated by the oil, gas ,fumes and salts associated with roads. Unless it is a low traffic dirt road you may want to consider an alternative location.
Hello Nigel! I am writing to ask until when, before harvesting a vegetable or fruit, can foliar sprays or fertigation be applied? The question is to avoid ingesting nitrates or substances that are not digestible for us humans. I would also like to ask if the answer to the previous question also applies to dry pelleted manure dissolved in water with the right dilutions given as a foliar spray or in fertigation. Thank you for your helpfulness! All the best! PS: I wrote with an online translator from Italian to English
Well done. Thanks for taking the time to translate. Perhaps you are reading the Italian translation of the book then? Fermented plant juices and vinegar extractions are not toxic in the dilution rates prescribed so not a concern. A few days should be okay, but there may be regulations that are to be considered. Residual materials in the foliar or fertigation equipment might be though. Manure on the other hand has biological components that would be a concern and are better suited for the compost pile.
@@nigelpalmer3439 Thank you! Yes I am reading the Italian translation of your book, great and thank you for having it translated. Does what you wrote about toxicity for fermented juices and vinegar extractions also apply to aqueous extractions and to extractions with fermented leaf compost with the dilutions written in the book? I talk about toxicity mainly for private use and then also for sale. A few days do you mean 2-3 days?
@@jongermani No, does not apply to other extractions where the biology is not controlled. Vinegar will kill biology, fermentation selects specific biology.
I love this idea I find it really interesting thank you. I watched you a couple of weeks ago on Huw's channel I think I must have been blind because I couldn't find this video and it was right there in the post. I finally managed to get up early enough last Tuesday to pick them and have some nettles fermenting which I'm going to drain tomorrow. Can I ask please would you use this on potatoes as well or is it too high in nitrogen for them or would something else be better? Thanks again for your wonderful information.
What If instead of brown sugar we used honey or 🍁 maple syrup? Would that not attract the bees and everything also to the foliage so that the total entymological/foliar realms would be blessed? Once the new growth would create blossoms, it would be very attractive to all the insects and the symbiotic relationships would be enhanced. Even the mytological, that is the fungus or spots on leaves, would be kept in check. Balances would be maintained and helped as well. It's just a thought.
~15m15s... I've often thought about this when researching natural methods. If the plants begin to rely on us for nutrients via foliar spray and such rather than maintaining a symbiotic relationship with the biology, wouldn't that be considered a bad thing?
If the symbiotic relationship you refer to was producing high quality plants then there would be no reason to foliar spray. Unfortunately, the symbiotic relationship is not always happening at levels needed to grow truly healthy plants. This is why they succumb to insect pressure and disease. So a short term solution is to help the system along with foliar feeding while working the long term improvement strategies of improving the soils structure, tilth, organic matter content, mineral availability and a microbial diversity.
Spinning the water and creating a vortex lowers water viscosity and it the surfactant of choice for me. See Gerald Pollack's book "The forth phase of water" for a more in depth discussion of structured water.
Is there anything we can use to protect our plants from too much photosynthesis eg in Australia with long summers. This is good when it is not hot but add excessive heat ie over 38 degrees, so perhaps we need a foliar feed that protects. Any ideas?
No such thing as too much photosynthesis, but too hot is a problem as photosynthesis will shut down when plants get above ~32 C. Keeping the soil from heating up is the best strategy for heat. If the roots are cool the plant will stay cool. Never leave the soil bare. A thick canopy over the soil and or mulch to keep the soil covered will prevent the heat from getting in and the cooling moisture from getting out. Feeding the plant foliar sprays will provide nutrition needed to maintain plant health.
About water quality: I live in Vienna, which is popular for it‘s great water quality, because the water comes directly from the mountains through an aqueduct. But I don‘t have the possibility to collect rain water. The only issue with our tap water is the high lime percentage. Can I still use it?
Thanks for the great information! I have your book and am using home made LAB and FPJ foliar sprays. I’m observing the plants and anxiously awaiting positive results. Question: I assume that the availability of elemental minerals in fermented plants would be limited to the availability of the same elemental minerals in the soil. Is this correct? If so, and a soil test confirms there is a lack of a certain elemental mineral, one would need to supplement from an external source. Kindly confirm, and thanks for what you do!
This is one of the reasons I have conducted and published elemental analysis of many of the mineral amendment recipes in my book, all showing broad spectrum elements present. (See the appendix in my book and or the data published on my web site) It is difficult to discern what is actually in the soil from a soil test because a soil test is essentially a weak acid assay of the top six inches of a sample of soil taken from a much larger space so may not represent all elements the soil may otherwise contain. Plant roots extend further than six inches for instance. There are other aspects of this discussion that form wonderful topics of exploration.
Any plant will do, but each will have slightly different mineral distributions. If this is in your garden it may be what the plants that grow there need. For more information about the mineral content of different plants see my web site, appendix E of book or Dr James Duke Phytochemical & Ethnobotanical data base.
What do you suggest when using LAB? Is it better to use it straight away on plants or to supersaturate it first then use as needed? In your own experience / what way do you like to use LAB? Thanks for sharing.
I keep LAB in the refrigerator for when I need biology quickly. An example of its use would be to combat a biological pathogen like powdery mildew. Spray diluted 1:1000 up to 1:500. Follow with a nutritive mineral amendment like fermented plant juice or vinegar extraction as the presence of the pathogen indicates the plants lack of nutrition.
Just started a batch of random weeds fpj. Thank you two for the inspiring video! But while making it i was wondering: has anyone tried fpj with salt instead of sugar, just as you do with sauerkraut. Could we make LAB at the same time in that way? I'm a bit worried about putting too much sugar on my plants and in my soil because pathogens might be attracted. (I know that too much salt is also bad and that in ratios 1:500 neither salt nor sugar should pose a problem) Would love to hear some experienced opinion.
I would not use salt as this will move mineral proportions in the wrong direction. The sugar will feed the soil bacteria, all of them. "Pathogens" are always present and cause a problem only when things are out of balance.
Thanks for your answer. I'm trying to sauerkraut ferment some stinging nettles anyway ;-) I'll see what i will do with the ferment in the end. But what do you mean with tipping the mineral content off? Do you also not recomend doing Jadam with salt?
Just to be clear. I am of course not using the same amount of salt than i would sugar. It's 1g per 100g of plant material, just like sauerkraut. Sorry for the metric measurements.
I have tried it. I guess it works with salt to a certain degree. However the method with sugar is just amazing! Especially that it is shelf-stable really makes the difference. My Sauerkraut fermented nettles started to smell (not as bad as nettle tea, but a bit fishy) and i only used it as a soil amendment afterwards.
I don't have fresh nettles available but have purchased some dried nettles. Will this work and should I add a bit of water to re-hydrate them before adding the brown sugar?
Already used my first batch of dandelion fermented juice. A quick question. Does the foliage spay attract ants. I have a lot in the vegetable beds bringing in black fly ?
Can you tell me what the mineral loss is of a nettle tea made with rainwater in a bucket. Its been strained and as it smells so bad, left overwintering into early summer exposed outside, in its sealed bucket. The bad smell then vanishes. Its nice to use but is it any good? Thanks in advance.
The mineral analysis presented in my book shows that rain water and plant matter does contain a broad spectrum of minerals, plant dependent. The fermented plant juice recipe provides a more concentrated mineral amendment that is shelf stable and may be diluted at 500:1.
Just when I’d like to use a foliar spray we have zero rain to use. In an urban garden (with no way to access rainwater in July/August) what can be used in lieu of rainwater?
Hi Nigel, I've started making nettle amendments (using your book), just as a water extraction, but when it starts to smell is it becoming anaerobic? Are there any periods during the extraction when you would not recommend using it? I saw that another person has suggested that if the brew is bubbling it shouldn't be used, but left till the bubbling stops. Thanks
@@nigelpalmer3439 page 122 of the regenerative growers guide to garden amendments. I assume that when the mixture smells it is because there are anaerobic processes happening. so just checking that that doesn't matter to the plants. ( I'm new to all this.) Thank you
If I was to spray with 1:500 comfrey water extract, how long after spraying would you suggest waiting to harvest. The extract smells foul but after an hour of sunshine there is no smell on the plants... any advise
You could make it, submit for analysis and add to the database being created on my website. See my site for details. Or you could review James Duke's database.
The sprayer depends on growing scale and where in the world you are. A fine mist is desirable for mineral amendments. Choose a pumping system that is comfortable for you with a volume that suits your needs. Brass rather than plastic nozzles will last longer. I started with the one under the kitchen sink that my wife used to spritz house plants. I have three types now, two I like because they are hand pumped and then spray until the pressure gets low and need another pump. One is two gallons, the other a liter. I use the two gallon one for general spraying and the liter one for specific spraying. The one with a hand pump on the side I no longer use because it requires constant pumping which wears out my arm too quickly and the nozzle is not fine enough.
@@nigelpalmer3439 Thanks for the thorough reply! I am a backyard gardener in Minnesota, zone 4B. My planted area is about 260 square feet. I've been using the typical spray bottle that people use for misting indoor plants, like you mentioned you started with, and it doesn't really seem adequate but I'm not sure how to choose a better one. I am wondering about a sprayer with a flexible hose vs the ones that have the spray nozzle right on the container.
Loved this chat Nigel thank you so much!
Great speaking with you Huw. Thank you as well.
Super helpful! Thank you Huw and Nigel. On the top of my To Do List today is MAKE FERMENTED PLANT JUICE!
Amazing to hear and good luck!!
Amazing and game-changing to home gardening. Just bought some muslin and some dried nettles and plan on doing this soon. Thanks for this stellar interview.
Thank you for all of this.
Appreciate being introduced to Nigel, will subscribe to him also.
Your videos are the best!!!
Looking forward to applying your lesson to my garden in North Texas.
Wow! This is gold :)
Glad you like it. See where it takes you.
Came here from Huw Richards channel - live this idea, definitely want to do it
Hi Nigel, I just watched Huw Richard 's channel with you. Just brilliant 👩🌾👍
Great info. I started using aloe Vera foliar spray with cuttings from my yard. Going to start using weeds.
Good idea. An experimental gardener you are.
I'm new on the channel but enjoying a lot of your knowledge. Looking forward for more content. Cheers
Thank you to the both of you for this conversation! I’m so looking forward to using these amendments here in Maine.
❤️
Hey fellow Mainer! I look forward to adding this to my arsenal. I do compost teas and make fish emulsion. Look me up if you're near Augusta!
@@KennebecRedneck Im on the Schoodic Peninsula. Look me up as well. I bought the book, its fantastic!😊
Brilliant video so informative, I've just sent off for your new book and got my first lot of fermented stinging nettle juice nearly ready. can't wait to do some comparison testing with it.
I'm converted! I can't wait to start making some amendments. 👌💪👍
Look forward to hear of your successes!
I have your book, Nigel. I cannot wait to start my first fermentation.... it makes me happy knowing my vegetable beds will be 😊
Trying to find the name of the book.
Also web sight.
The Regenerative Grower's Guide to Garden Amendments. nigel-palmer.com
Thank you!
You are welcome
This is really great information. I'm really taking this in for my gardening program.
Just got your book, Nigel!!
I am on my 5th bucket of bokashi. I have 4 tubs of “used potting soil” mixed with 5 gallons of fermented kitchen waste buried in the middle., all waiting to be used on a comparison experiment.😀😀
I used another batch in the garden and compared bean growth.
No one will believe me if I describe the results. 😀😀
You are an experimental gardener!
SOOOO GREAT!!!! THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!!!
Fuck me this is so useful.
Brings back my childhood days of gardening lessons where we'd make all sorts of biodynamic preparations to spray/add to the school garden.
This is much more accessible though I have to say, and much less time consuming, thanks for sharing your research. Will read your book and get cracking. Exciting stuff
Such a great source of information, thank you guys !!!
You are welcome
Hello Nigel...just saw you on Huw's channel and subscribed. I'm building a home on 20 acres and plan on growing as soon as I'm moved in. I'm a clinical educator and really appreciate the benefits of fermentation. I never thought about it for plants but totally agree with you about the benefits of microbes and the need for a balance. Just bought your book. This concept is really resonating with me. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
You are welcome
Nigel, would be great to see some more videos on your recipes from your book!...and comparisons you have done with your own crops? bought the book...amazing read!
Working on it! Thank yo for your support.
Wow! I absolutely love this! 🥰Many times I have thought about all the plant nutrients and soil / compost soil that can be bought out there, which later studies have proven to be environmentally damaging. This feels like you can only win. That our planet has only to gain from the fact that we stop BUYing plant nutrients and soil improvers. And instead make our own from what we already have in the gardens 😍❤
Giver it a try!
@@nigelpalmer3439 I will definitely do that! 😊
I watched another video of yours about making nettle extraction. 🤣🤣Yesterday I just whacked most of the nettles down🤣
Last year I was thinking of where the blackcaps always grew was in our ravine of nettles and tons of leaf mulch and partly shaded. Also how we had volunteer squash in the area of all kinds of organic scraps in another part of ravine. So there had to be some relationship between the plants. Minerals and water holding capacity is probably the thing.
I better go out and water the few nettles I have standing🤣🤣
Another way of looking at things!
Thanks Nigel :) your a legend mate
Thank you for your kind words
I'd love to find things easily available near me to collect. Just ordered your book! Thank you, really enjoyed your segment with Huw.
Thank you. Closing the waste gap is very important.
Very interesting. For years I've been raking my leaves to an area of my yard that was a bit of a cliff, to fill it up. Based on what he is saying that is probably the most fertile area of my yard (which I don't touch). It has filled a lot in 16 years. No wonder there are so many raspberry plants there, which I mostly leave for the birds. (I have a small wildlife habitat that I created from a yard of all lawn (people in the US love the stuff, I don't) so I have plenty for myself in other areas. I guess I should dig up some of that soil, along with the newer composting leaves to add to my vegetables.
Apply completely composted material to the vegetable soil. Leaves make great mulch and compost material. Great source of biology as well.
@@nigelpalmer3439 It the middle of the night and I am watching all your video on RUclips, one after the other taking notes. I'm too old to sleep. lol
hello Nigel!
As I told you before, I am reading your book in Italian.
I have seen the data of the various extractions and I wanted to ask you how long the aqueous extractions and the fermented extractions with leaf mould had, i.e. how long were the plants steeping in the water?
Consolida - Aqueous extraction
Dandelion - fermented leaf mould extraction
Carrot leaves - extraction with fermented leaf mould
Thank you very much for your availability!
A hug!
All Good
Comfrey and water - 5 years, dandelion leaf mold 1.5 years, carrot tops .5 years. The longer periods were for information. Shorter times will provide results as well.
@@nigelpalmer3439 Thank very much! Is that why the book recommends 1 to 20 as a dilution for aqueous extracts and 1 to 500 for fermented juice, so as to have approximately the same nutrients fed to the plants?
Jadam gives 1 to 100 as a base for JLF.
Thank!
@@jongermani Yes. Jadam is a great reference.
i want to go to the forest grab a huge bag of leafmold and regenerate my soil!
Go for it!
Me gustaría que los vídeos pongan en español les veo de ecuador gracias
I am fascinated by this real gardening lesson and I have a question about this land amendment: how many times can it be done in a season? Thank you gentlemen, greetings from Romania!
Foliar sprays may be applied regularly. Concentrations are small. Suggest starting with once a week for instance. Monitoring plants after spraying is the best guide.
@@nigelpalmer3439 thanks again
Hi, I was watching Huw’s video where he spoke to you about FPJ’s and you mentioned that you make soil pots where the pot is made purely out of soil, I’d be really interested to know how you do this, thanks :)
I hope to have a video on my you tube channel showing how to make these soon.
First of all, thank you for an interesting talk and really appreciate your perspective on KNF inputs. I'm just wondering if I got it right that you're saying about these mineral rich foliarsprays like FPJ that they, even though they're more balanced than most of the fertilizers you can buy, also will inhibit associations and partnerships with the microbes that otherwise help making these nutrients available to them? If so, why should we apply them from early stages? Won't that just discourage the plant from making use of what's allready available through various partnerships in the soil and create more work for the farmer/gardener?
Thanks!
Good point, If you have a soil that has all the minerals needed and a thriving biology then no need for anything to be added. Most of us do not. Conduct a soil test to see what you have. When shortfalls identified then these recipes become appropriate short term strategies. Building up the soil in the long term reduces the need for additions throughout the growing season.
@@nigelpalmer3439 Thanks a lot for your reply, that's true that few probably have ideal soils to start with. I guess if you're feeding the plants all these balanced and available nutrients, growth hormones and so on and making it thrive through inputs it will benefit the microbial communities in the soil through more root exudates, which I think you touched upon in the talk too. Just thinking that if it potentially makes the plants less resilient by in some ways dissociating them from beneficial microbes, then that seems less desirable and something to be used with a bit of caution and in moderation. Do you know of any studies specifically on FPJ and this lack of partnership or is it something you've observed yourself? Very interesting all of this.
@@bastir4424 The nitrogen relationship is clear as the source of nitrogen for plants is the N2 in the air that needs to be fixed by the soil biology. Mineral relations are governed by mineral availability and their proportions in the soil. If they are not there they may be provided with foliar sprays. Good studies are difficult to come by in my opinion mainly because the soil, perhaps the biggest source of variation in any plant study, is almost never characterized.
i'm starting my journey in this gardenning life and i came across a Huw Richards's video the other day where he mentionned one of his goals would be to experiment with KNF. since hen, i've been watching a lot of videos about it and i feel a bit overwhelmed. i don't really know where to start... well, maybe with LAB.
watching this video, i had the same thought and it's logical to me that spraying the plants with this will make them addicted. kinda.
so, the best for me to do, i believe, it's to observe how they will do in the first year and then use this juices when necessary.
thank you very much for this, it is really interiesting!
@@nigelpalmer3439 IF you are not aware of the work of John Kempf it will put all teh science needed concerning N and soil microbes and fertilizers. Kind of completes the KNF perspective with the best of modern findings outside Big Ag mind control.
Greetings Nigel. I was wondering if you had any insight into the theory that certain plants grow and thrive in areas where their usefullness is needed, such as nitrogen fixers (e.g. mesquite in Texas/Mexico dessert), and others I've read about. The nettle is perhaps thriving for a reason--I just wonder what it is. I have been contemplating this with outbreaks of spiny amaranth and pokeweed on my property--are they telling me something(??)
Yes they are. Plants feed the soil biology and redistribute minerals. The plants that grow in any given space will change with time. We have lived symbiotically with plants for our entire time on earth. Listen, watch and learn!
@@nigelpalmer3439 Enjoying your book, by the way! 👍
@@mattcantrell5640 Thank you
Hi Nigel, I just found this the other day.. Fascinated by the Method but have a question. I have a Lot of Honey left over for a couple years now that has Crystalized. Can I use that in place of the Brown Sugar in the Extraction method?
Although I have fostered honey bee hives for decades and enjoyed the honey from those hives that have not survived, I have not experimented with honey of these purposes. Fermentation, like baking, is sensitive to water content. Sugars like honey or molasses have a different moisture content than brown sugar which may effect the fermentation process. As an experimental gardener you should consider trying it out and let us know what happens!
Thank you. Using your recipe I made sugar fermented nettles about two years ago and now opened the jar - it smells like sweet alcohol - can I still use it or will it burn leaves?
Yes, decant per instructions, dilute 1:1000 to start and see if your plants like it.
Hi guys, Really happy I saw this video, great info! Just a couple questions, with the Foliage Spraying, will this replace any other watering that vegs will need? Also, will this Foliage Spray with the Fermented Veg Juice be good to use on the lawn too? Thanks!
Will not replace watering. Yes, good for lawn.
Thanks for the useful information. I have a couple of question if I may..1. What if I don't use the ferment as a foliar spray and just add it my watering can for watering the soil? Does it need a stronger /weaker dilution?
2. Also how long does a ferment need to sit before it's ready?
3. And what about if its plant/weeds in a bucket of water? How long does that need to sit before it's ready? And is used diluted in the same way as a fermented plant juice?
1) Same dilution. 2) 7 days. 3) Months. 1:30 ish
@@nigelpalmer3439 Thank you so much for your reply. Truly appreciate it. Looking forward to put it into practice v soon. There's an embankment near a main road that has a lot of nettles growing wild, but it's been quite warm recently and hasn't rained in a while, so thinking it's probably not the best time to harvest?? In any case, thanks for all you're doing!
@@adamkhan7234
Road side plants may be contaminated by the oil, gas ,fumes and salts associated with roads. Unless it is a low traffic dirt road you may want to consider an alternative location.
@@nigelpalmer3439 I wouldn't have thought of that at all. Great tip 🌟 thanks again
Hello Nigel!
I am writing to ask until when, before harvesting a vegetable or fruit, can foliar sprays or fertigation be applied? The question is to avoid ingesting nitrates or substances that are not digestible for us humans.
I would also like to ask if the answer to the previous question also applies to dry pelleted manure dissolved in water with the right dilutions given as a foliar spray or in fertigation.
Thank you for your helpfulness!
All the best!
PS: I wrote with an online translator from Italian to English
Well done. Thanks for taking the time to translate. Perhaps you are reading the Italian translation of the book then? Fermented plant juices and vinegar extractions are not toxic in the dilution rates prescribed so not a concern. A few days should be okay, but there may be regulations that are to be considered. Residual materials in the foliar or fertigation equipment might be though. Manure on the other hand has biological components that would be a concern and are better suited for the compost pile.
@@nigelpalmer3439 Thank you!
Yes I am reading the Italian translation of your book, great and thank you for having it translated.
Does what you wrote about toxicity for fermented juices and vinegar extractions also apply to aqueous extractions and to extractions with fermented leaf compost with the dilutions written in the book?
I talk about toxicity mainly for private use and then also for sale.
A few days do you mean 2-3 days?
@@jongermani No, does not apply to other extractions where the biology is not controlled. Vinegar will kill biology, fermentation selects specific biology.
@@nigelpalmer3439 Okay thank you very much!
For the fermented juice and vinegar so 2-3 days of waiting is enough to be safe?
@@jongermani Safe from what? People consume fermented products - kombucha, sauerkraut... and vinegar extractions - salad dressings... all the time?
I love this idea I find it really interesting thank you. I watched you a couple of weeks ago on Huw's channel I think I must have been blind because I couldn't find this video and it was right there in the post. I finally managed to get up early enough last Tuesday to pick them and have some nettles fermenting which I'm going to drain tomorrow. Can I ask please would you use this on potatoes as well or is it too high in nitrogen for them or would something else be better? Thanks again for your wonderful information.
Use on any plant
@@nigelpalmer3439 thank you
What If instead of brown sugar we used honey or 🍁 maple syrup? Would that not attract the bees and everything also to the foliage so that the total entymological/foliar realms would be blessed? Once the new growth would create blossoms, it would be very attractive to all the insects and the symbiotic relationships would be enhanced. Even the mytological, that is the fungus or spots on leaves, would be kept in check. Balances would be maintained and helped as well. It's just a thought.
Try it and let us know how it works!
~15m15s... I've often thought about this when researching natural methods. If the plants begin to rely on us for nutrients via foliar spray and such rather than maintaining a symbiotic relationship with the biology, wouldn't that be considered a bad thing?
If the symbiotic relationship you refer to was producing high quality plants then there would be no reason to foliar spray. Unfortunately, the symbiotic relationship is not always happening at levels needed to grow truly healthy plants. This is why they succumb to insect pressure and disease. So a short term solution is to help the system along with foliar feeding while working the long term improvement strategies of improving the soils structure, tilth, organic matter content, mineral availability and a microbial diversity.
Hello, what do you think about wetting agents? Should foliar sprays be applied with or without wetting agents?
Spinning the water and creating a vortex lowers water viscosity and it the surfactant of choice for me. See Gerald Pollack's book "The forth phase of water" for a more in depth discussion of structured water.
Is there anything we can use to protect our plants from too much photosynthesis eg in Australia with long summers. This is good when it is not hot but add excessive heat ie over 38 degrees, so perhaps we need a foliar feed that protects. Any ideas?
No such thing as too much photosynthesis, but too hot is a problem as photosynthesis will shut down when plants get above ~32 C. Keeping the soil from heating up is the best strategy for heat. If the roots are cool the plant will stay cool. Never leave the soil bare. A thick canopy over the soil and or mulch to keep the soil covered will prevent the heat from getting in and the cooling moisture from getting out. Feeding the plant foliar sprays will provide nutrition needed to maintain plant health.
I’m making my first nettle and sugar only mix today, 2 weeks ago I started a nettle and water mix and boy do I know where it’s situated 🤣😷
A hand full of leaf mold in that stinky bucket makes a great difference. See page 149.
About water quality: I live in Vienna, which is popular for it‘s great water quality, because the water comes directly from the mountains through an aqueduct. But I don‘t have the possibility to collect rain water. The only issue with our tap water is the high lime percentage. Can I still use it?
Yes. "Hard" water will effect foliar spray effectiveness, but still a viable option for feeding plants the nutrients they need.
Thanks for the great information! I have your book and am using home made LAB and FPJ foliar sprays. I’m observing the plants and anxiously awaiting positive results. Question: I assume that the availability of elemental minerals in fermented plants would be limited to the availability of the same elemental minerals in the soil. Is this correct? If so, and a soil test confirms there is a lack of a certain elemental mineral, one would need to supplement from an external source. Kindly confirm, and thanks for what you do!
This is one of the reasons I have conducted and published elemental analysis of many of the mineral amendment recipes in my book, all showing broad spectrum elements present. (See the appendix in my book and or the data published on my web site) It is difficult to discern what is actually in the soil from a soil test because a soil test is essentially a weak acid assay of the top six inches of a sample of soil taken from a much larger space so may not represent all elements the soil may otherwise contain. Plant roots extend further than six inches for instance. There are other aspects of this discussion that form wonderful topics of exploration.
@@nigelpalmer3439 thanks much for the additional information!
I don't have stinging nettle. But lots of dock. Can I exchange?
Any plant will do, but each will have slightly different mineral distributions. If this is in your garden it may be what the plants that grow there need. For more information about the mineral content of different plants see my web site, appendix E of book or Dr James Duke Phytochemical & Ethnobotanical data base.
What do you suggest when using LAB?
Is it better to use it straight away on plants or to supersaturate it first then use as needed?
In your own experience / what way do you like to use LAB?
Thanks for sharing.
I keep LAB in the refrigerator for when I need biology quickly. An example of its use would be to combat a biological pathogen like powdery mildew. Spray diluted 1:1000 up to 1:500. Follow with a nutritive mineral amendment like fermented plant juice or vinegar extraction as the presence of the pathogen indicates the plants lack of nutrition.
I grow on water repelling sand with loads of ants (and voles).
Will this my foliage spray attract even more of them???
The foliar spray is applied to the leaf surface and will not attract more of them.
@@nigelpalmer3439 thanks..have just ordered the book
Just started a batch of random weeds fpj. Thank you two for the inspiring video! But while making it i was wondering: has anyone tried fpj with salt instead of sugar, just as you do with sauerkraut. Could we make LAB at the same time in that way? I'm a bit worried about putting too much sugar on my plants and in my soil because pathogens might be attracted. (I know that too much salt is also bad and that in ratios 1:500 neither salt nor sugar should pose a problem)
Would love to hear some experienced opinion.
I would not use salt as this will move mineral proportions in the wrong direction. The sugar will feed the soil bacteria, all of them. "Pathogens" are always present and cause a problem only when things are out of balance.
Thanks for your answer. I'm trying to sauerkraut ferment some stinging nettles anyway ;-) I'll see what i will do with the ferment in the end.
But what do you mean with tipping the mineral content off? Do you also not recomend doing Jadam with salt?
Just to be clear. I am of course not using the same amount of salt than i would sugar. It's 1g per 100g of plant material, just like sauerkraut. Sorry for the metric measurements.
I have tried it. I guess it works with salt to a certain degree. However the method with sugar is just amazing! Especially that it is shelf-stable really makes the difference.
My Sauerkraut fermented nettles started to smell (not as bad as nettle tea, but a bit fishy) and i only used it as a soil amendment afterwards.
I don't have fresh nettles available but have purchased some dried nettles. Will this work and should I add a bit of water to re-hydrate them before adding the brown sugar?
Try it and let us know what happens
Hi, I'm just starting out and have heard that nettle spray is only a protection not food for the plant. Is this correct?
Minerals in plant available forms as well as other compounds. Isn't good food protection!
Already used my first batch of dandelion fermented juice. A quick question. Does the foliage spay attract ants. I have a lot in the vegetable beds bringing in black fly ?
These folliar sprays will not attract ants.
CAN YOU USE AGRICULTURAL MOLASSES INSTEAD OF BROWN SUGAR ??
I would not, but if you try it please send resulting amendment in for analysis. See www.nigel-palmer.com/recipeanalysis for more information.
Can you tell me what the mineral loss is of a nettle tea made with rainwater in a bucket. Its been strained and as it smells so bad, left overwintering into early summer exposed outside, in its sealed bucket. The bad smell then vanishes. Its nice to use but is it any good? Thanks in advance.
The mineral analysis presented in my book shows that rain water and plant matter does contain a broad spectrum of minerals, plant dependent. The fermented plant juice recipe provides a more concentrated mineral amendment that is shelf stable and may be diluted at 500:1.
Just when I’d like to use a foliar spray we have zero rain to use. In an urban garden (with no way to access rainwater in July/August) what can be used in lieu of rainwater?
Consider what's available. Use the best you have.
@@nigelpalmer3439 Thanks.
Hi Nigel, I've started making nettle amendments (using your book), just as a water extraction, but when it starts to smell is it becoming anaerobic? Are there any periods during the extraction when you would not recommend using it? I saw that another person has suggested that if the brew is bubbling it shouldn't be used, but left till the bubbling stops. Thanks
Not sure which recipe you are referring to. Plants do not mind bad smells.
@@nigelpalmer3439 page 122 of the regenerative growers guide to garden amendments. I assume that when the mixture smells it is because there are anaerobic processes happening. so just checking that that doesn't matter to the plants. ( I'm new to all this.) Thank you
Charcoal filtered? Rain water...
Chem trails?
If I was to spray with 1:500 comfrey water extract, how long after spraying would you suggest waiting to harvest. The extract smells foul but after an hour of sunshine there is no smell on the plants... any advise
Washing is the safest idea if harvested within a day or two of application.
NIGEL DO YOU KNOW HOW THE MINERAL CONTENTS OF PURPLE DEAD NETTLE COMPARE TO STINGING NETTLES ?
You could make it, submit for analysis and add to the database being created on my website. See my site for details. Or you could review James Duke's database.
@@nigelpalmer3439 Thank you very much 😊
Do you recommend a sprayer to use for foliar spraying?
The sprayer depends on growing scale and where in the world you are. A fine mist is desirable for mineral amendments. Choose a pumping system that is comfortable for you with a volume that suits your needs. Brass rather than plastic nozzles will last longer. I started with the one under the kitchen sink that my wife used to spritz house plants. I have three types now, two I like because they are hand pumped and then spray until the pressure gets low and need another pump. One is two gallons, the other a liter. I use the two gallon one for general spraying and the liter one for specific spraying. The one with a hand pump on the side I no longer use because it requires constant pumping which wears out my arm too quickly and the nozzle is not fine enough.
@@nigelpalmer3439 Thanks for the thorough reply! I am a backyard gardener in Minnesota, zone 4B. My planted area is about 260 square feet. I've been using the typical spray bottle that people use for misting indoor plants, like you mentioned you started with, and it doesn't really seem adequate but I'm not sure how to choose a better one. I am wondering about a sprayer with a flexible hose vs the ones that have the spray nozzle right on the container.
@@betsybarnum8040 The flexible hose enables getting to the higher fruit tree tops and extending reach across rows of garlic...
after Baker's math we will have Gardener's math :)
So....1/2 TBS per gallon is what you’re saying
2 tablespoon per 4 gallons is 1:500
@@nigelpalmer3439 right....which is 1/2 per gallon, because 2/4=.5
Thank you!