Plant Probiotic (EM-1) that got rid of whitefly

How's it growin'? This video applies to both SFG and non-SFG. 

There are many uses for this organic plant probiotic, and here I share some of my favorite things Effective Microbes has done for us, including deodorizing the trashcans. But my favorite thing it did was get rid of whitefly!

Dstack, I've been fighting white flies and aphids this summer. Actually since the pests realized I was gardening shortly after 2013. And the front lawn has had a long term fungal problem that has not be solved using Neem, homemade compost brew, and some granular product.

Insecticidal soap has been working pretty good for the garden, but I'm going to try the EM-1 as a trial.

Is the product EM-1 Microbial Inoculant? Teraganix has several EM-1 products so I hope I ordered the correct one.

Well, I up and ordered it. I told the nice lady on the phone that she owes it all to you. Texans are so polite. White flies, aphids and maybe fungus on the orange tree and lawn. Finger crossed.

sanderson wrote:Dstack,  I've been fighting white flies and aphids this summer.  Actually since the pests realized I was gardening shortly after 2013. And the front lawn has had a long term fungal problem that has not be solved using Neem, homemade compost brew, and some granular product.

Insecticidal soap has been working pretty good for the garden, but I'm going to try the EM-1 as a trial.

Is the product EM-1 Microbial Inoculant?  Teraganix has several EM-1 products so I hope I ordered the correct one.

Well, I up and ordered it.  I told the nice lady on the phone that she owes it all to you.  Texans are so polite.  White flies, aphids and maybe fungus on the orange tree and lawn.  Finger crossed.

Hi Sanderson! Yes, that is it! And please keep me updated on how it goes. Do you recall who you spoke to? TeraGanix is a great company. It's important to me that the products and companies that I partner with are a good fit for the mission, the vision and the content of Stack's Urban Harvest. I turned down a well established company (with their products they sell in the big box stores), because they claim their weed killer is organic, yet it has glyphosate in it. That's the key ingredient of RoundUp. 

Below are a couple of helpful videos (including one from TeraGanix) about how to turn it into many gallons of EM1 by using molasses. It's very easy to do. The most intimidating part for me was buying the pH test paper. The link below the videos is what I bought for about $4 for a 2-pack.

Like I said in the video I plan to do my own video on how to do this, but since I won't get to it for at least a month or two, I recommend these. Please feel free to ask me if you have any questions. It's well worth learning how to "activate EM1", as they call it. 


 


2-Pack, 1-14 pH Test Strips

I have activated the EM-1 Mother for years. It is a very simple process. I use a 1-gallon wine bottle with a plastic airlock and test strips I bought from a local wine maker's supply store. In addition to using EM-1 alone, and for making Bokashi, I add it to the final stages of making compost tea.

OhioGardener wrote:I have activated the EM-1 Mother for years. It is a very simple process. I use a 1-gallon wine bottle with a plastic airlock and test strips I bought from a local wine maker's supply store. In addition to using EM-1 alone, and for making Bokashi, I add it to the final stages of making compost tea.

Yes, I was surprised at how simple it is once I did my first successful batch. Glad to know you're so familiar with the process. And that's good to know about adding it to that final stage of compost tea. Would that be in the last couple of hours? I want to try that the next time I make CT.

dstack wrote: And that's good to know about adding it to that final stage of compost tea. Would that be in the last couple of hours? I want to try that the next time I make CT.

Yes, within the last one to two hours.  I typically take a sample of the compost tea to examine under the microscope, and then add the EM-1 to the brewer.

OhioGardener wrote:

dstack wrote: And that's good to know about adding it to that final stage of compost tea. Would that be in the last couple of hours? I want to try that the next time I make CT.

Yes, within the last one to two hours.  I typically take a sample of the compost tea to examine under the microscope, and then add the EM-1 to the brewer.

Wow! I'm impressed! I was recently gifted a great microscope, and if I had the time, I would love to take Dr. Elaine Ingham's Soil Food Web certification courses to be a lab tech. I know that won't happen anytime soon, if ever. But I donated it to a friend who's freshly certified by the SFW school. He said it'll come in handy when he travels since it's not quite as cumbersome as his main scope. But now, in exchange, he will be running a couple of tests either on my compost or CT.

Okay, now I'm excited.

No, I didn't catch her name.  A typically nice Texas lady.

sanderson wrote:Okay, now I'm excited.

No, I didn't catch her name.  A typically nice Texas lady.

One of my contacts there said it may have been Heather on the service team. Glad you had a good experience with them, and I hope to hear how your EM1 does in your garden.

Ordered June 20. Arrived June 23!

sanderson wrote:Ordered June 20.  Arrived June 23!

That was sure quick! I look forward to hearing updates from you!

sanderson wrote:Ordered June 20.  Arrived June 23!

Have you tried activating some of your EM1? I had a great Zoom meeting with the owner of TeraGanix, with his wife, who is in charge of their social media and I think the COO. 

Anyway, he was telling me that they need to change the recommendations on the labels about the dilution rate. People are having better results with 6 oz to 1 gallon of water. And I will be making a video using their recommendations on activation. The biggest thing to know is that the shelf life of activated EM1 is only about a month. It's somewhat good longer, but not much. You get a lot more for your money by activating EM1 for sure!

I'm feeling grateful that TeraGanix wants to have a partnership with the YT channel. I'm looking forward to reviewing more of their products, and they'll use my videos in their blogs, social media and emails. I would love to be able to quit my job and go fulltime on the YT channel. That's really where my profession (tv/video production) and passion converge.

David, Thank you for the warning of the shelf life. I need to get going. Right now it's 102-109*F so early morning or sundown is the only time I can get outside.

dstack wrote: The biggest thing to know is that the shelf life of activated EM1 is only about a month. It's somewhat good longer, but not much. You get a lot more for your money by activating EM1 for sure!

I periodically use a test strip to check the activated EM-1, and as long as pH is below 3.9 it is good to go.  Once it reaches 3.9 or above I make a new batch.  Reminds me, I need to get more test strips.... 

I have 2 kinds of molasses. Grandma's Molasses Robust Flavor, green label from cane, apparently with sulfur. The other is Wholesome Sweetness organic blackstrap molasses, unsulphured, cane from Paraguay. Will either of these work?

OG, where do you find test strips that will measure in tenths of a pH unit? All I could find were the regular test strips that measure by 1.0 units?

The bottle of EM-1 states expiration in 2023. Re-reading above, the short shelf life is the "activated" version.

6 liquid ounces = 3/4 cup. ?

Lastly, can either of you explain how to use the spray bottle thingy that attaches to the hose for wide broadcasting, like lawns? There are unit measurements on the side of the bottle and ounce/Tablespoon unit settings on the lid settings. I have read the instructions and googled and still don't know how it works. If the product is concentrated and will be diluted via the hose water and suction of liquid, how do I fill the bottle part and how to set the lid units. Any help will be welcomed.

sanderson wrote:I have 2 kinds of molasses.  Grandma's Molasses Robust Flavor, green label from cane, apparently with sulfur.  The other is Wholesome Sweetness organic blackstrap molasses, unsulphured, cane from Paraguay.  Will either of these work?

OG, where do you find test strips that will measure in tenths of a pH unit?  All I could find were the regular test strips that measure by 1.0 units?

I would use the Grandma's Molasses. TeraGanix says if you use Organic Molasses, you have to add vinegar to it, so I don't bother with it.

We have a wine maker's store near us, and they carry the test strips. They are called Vintner’s Best pH Test Strips Range 2.8 – 4.4.  If you don't have a wine making store in the area, you may be able to find them on-line.

The bottle of EM-1 states expiration in 2023.  Re-reading above, the short shelf life is the "activated" version.

6 liquid ounces = 3/4 cup.  ?

Correct, once activated it has a shorter shelf life.

Yes  3/4 x 8 = 6 ounces.

No idea on the sprayer. Don't have one to look at the settings.

I never thought to continue checking the pH after it has been activated, but I'll try that. I have had good luck using organic molasses, without vinegar. I just used a little more of it, and may have to wait a week or two longer for it to activate.

TeraGanix wants me to do an activation video for them, and they know I'm doing all organic. I hope to have that by around September. They'll make sure I get all the details correct. BTW, the ownership changed over the pandemic. I'll be surprised if they're still recommending vinegar.

Here is the spray bottle.

sanderson wrote:Here is the spray bottle.

There are 3 important settings on the sprayer: The nozzle setting for shower, fan, or stream; The dilution rate on the top, such as 1 tsp per gallon of water, or 2 oz per gallon of water, etc.; and the amount of product to spray. 

The last is the most difficult probably to determine. If you want to deliver a product at the rate of 1 oz per gallon of water, and you want to apply 5 gallons of water, you would need to put 5 ounces in the canister and set the top to 1 oz.

https://manuals.plus/m/a2aac70037c19c2d903468035e03ddfed3c050dbf304ca7cca7fad8546ec105c_optim.pdf

Thanks, I saved the link to favorites. Your explanation is better. But, it's really hard to just put 1 oz of a product in the container and have it successfully syphon out without adding water to the container. When the product is brown I can see when the water is clear, meaning the product is gone. Clear products, well a drop of food coloring helps me.

Today I started adding some EM-1 to the water for the plants in the greenhouse, and realized that I am nearly out of it. I needed to activate a new batch of it. Got the bottle of mother out of the cabinet and noticed it had a Use By date of 12/10/22 - just a week away. So, I started the activation process of another gallon of EM-1 for the gardens.

I like using the EM-1 on newly built MM garden beds to jump start the microbes the compost, and the plants seem to thrive with it added to their water once a week.

OhioGardener wrote:Today I started adding some EM-1 to the water for the plants in the greenhouse, and realized that I am nearly out of it. I needed to activate a new batch of it. Got the bottle of mother out of the cabinet and noticed it had a Use By date of 12/10/22 - just a week away. So, I started the activation process of another gallon of EM-1 for the gardens.

I like using the EM-1 on newly built MM garden beds to jump start the microbes the compost, and the plants seem to thrive with it added to their water once a week.

  for this mention, OG.  I'd never heard of the product (or the idea of using probiotics in the garden), and amazingly, for once it's a product that's also available in New Zealand!!!!

OhioGardener wrote:Today I started adding some EM-1 to the water for the plants in the greenhouse, and realized that I am nearly out of it. I needed to activate a new batch of it. Got the bottle of mother out of the cabinet and noticed it had a Use By date of 12/10/22 - just a week away. So, I started the activation process of another gallon of EM-1 for the gardens.

I like using the EM-1 on newly built MM garden beds to jump start the microbes the compost, and the plants seem to thrive with it added to their water once a week.

I had asked about using a compost starter and you and others, Ohio Gardener, told me it wasn't necessary.  I just realized that I confused that with also saying I should not add products like this to the MM of the new garden.  Thanks for bringing this up so it straightens me out...

Please give us a link for the product you use (EM-1) and then tell us the procedure for activating it and how long it lasts, etc. - the whole shebang?

Soose wrote:I had asked about using a compost starter and you and others, Ohio Gardener, told me it wasn't necessary.  I just realized that I confused that with also saying I should not add products like this to the MM of the new garden.  Thanks for bringing this up so it straightens me out...

Yes, compost starter is unnecessary, and a waste of money. But, adding microbial life,  such as Compost Tea or Probiotics (EM-1), to the plants & soil can be very beneficial for both plant health and pest control.

Please give us a link for the product you use (EM-1) and then tell us the procedure for activating it and how long it lasts, etc. - the whole shebang?

Most of your questions are answered in the earlier posts in this thread, including a couple videos on how to activate it.  Scroll to the top of the thread to see if the posts answer all your questions.

There are two very reliable sources for the Effective Microorganisms that I have used. One is referenced in earlier posts, and the other is one I learned from a local hydroponics shop.

https://www.teraganix.com/pages/collections-home-gardener

https://www.scdprobiotics.com/collections/probiotic-home-garden-and-lawn-care
(I have used both Pro-Bio Mother, and Bio Ag).

Note: EM-1 is a registered trademark of EMRO companies.  Other companies refer to the product as either Probiotics or Effective Microorganisms since they cannot use the trademarked name. The products may or may not be of the same quality.

Tyvm... apologies for not reading back first. ( Somehow in swapping pages out, I thought I was back on the Compost 101 thread which I had read. Maybe because I started thinking about compost?
Just a senior brain malfunction. )