There is a lot of talk about EM technologies, but still not everyone understands the essence of these drugs. It's actually very simple.
What are EM drugs
Many have heard about humus, but not everyone knows what it is and why it is needed. And even more so, how to be with him. Humus is organic matter in the soil, which contains a complex of organic compounds necessary for the growth and development of plants. It appears as a result of the work of microorganisms. The more of them, the higher the humus content, the more fertile the soil.
Microorganisms are found in any soil. Somewhere there are more of them, somewhere less, but they are always and everywhere. Some of them decompose organic residues, others process them into new formations, others loosen the soil, etc. The more diverse the composition, the better.
In the conditions of the middle zone, most of the microorganisms die during the long winter. And their number is restored only by August-September. Therefore, special concentrates have been developed, which contain the bacteria necessary for the soil. Such tools are called EM-preparations (“EM” stands for “effective microorganisms”). The bottles contain yeast, bacteria, enzyme fungi. Depending on the manufacturer, the composition and degree of impact on the soil will vary.
How processing is done
Preparations are applied to the soil in spring, in late April - early May (depending on climatic conditions). Microorganisms "wake up" and begin violent activity at temperatures above +15 degrees. As soon as the thermometer drops below, the bacteria begin to hibernate.
First, a working solution is prepared from the concentrate, which will be used to cultivate the soil. It is necessary to carefully study the instructions in order to properly prepare EM preparations with your own hands from concentrates, because each manufacturer has its own way: if something is done wrong, the microorganisms will die or remain dormant.
After fertilizing, you need to feed the microbes. They eat only organic remains, for example, they will be pleased with last year's tops, grass or foliage, compost, manure.
It will be possible to plant seedlings and sow seeds in a couple of weeks: during this time, the bacteria will get stronger, evenly distributed in the ground, become part of it and even have time to slightly improve its quality. If you start planting earlier, then it is likely that bacteria will take useful plants for their food. Too high concentrations can also lead to a similar effect.
How drugs work
- Improves soil structure.
- The percentage of beneficial microorganisms is increasing.
- The soil becomes he althier, there are no conditions for the development of pathogenic bacteria. Beneficial microbes destroy harmful ones.
- Increases the resistance of plants to the effects of adverse natural phenomena.
- The mineral composition of the soil improves and, as a result, plant nutrition.
- Improves yield and fruit quality.
- Growth of plants is stimulated: they look he althier and stronger, the stems become taller and thicker.
What the result looks like
The revival of the humus layer is visible at first sight. Already in 1, maximum 2 years, the difference will be visible. The soil becomes brighter, darker, and feels fatter to the touch. It is because of the peculiar tone that fertile lands are called chernozems. Also, the beds become looser and lighter, signs of pelleting appear in the soil.
Is it possible to prepare such drugs yourself
Many people prefer to buy ready-made concentrates in specialized stores. However, there are many recipes for how to prepare EM preparations with your own hands. The most commonly used starter cultures are weeds and hay. The former are improvised materials, and the latter is the source of subtillin. Homemade EM preparations, of course, are inferior in efficiency to factory ones, since the set of strains in them is not so diverse. On the other hand, the bacteria have already "acclimatized", so it takes them less time to adapt to new conditions.
Herbal infusion
6 buckets of crushed weeds are poured into the barrel, it is advisable to add various medicinal herbs. By the way, they can also grow on the site along with weeds (chamomile, plantain, celandine, etc.). Compost is also added there - 2 buckets and ½ bucket of ash. Everything is filled with water. Infused for 2 weeks. The finished mixture can be used as a fertilizer. The concentrate must be diluted 1:10.
Feeding
Do-it-yourself EM preparations start with sourdough: warm water is poured into a 3-liter jar, a pinch of yeast and 5 tbsp. l. Sahara. The solution must be allowed to ferment, it takes 2-3 days. Ready mash is poured into a 200-liter barrel, add:
- ash shovel (you can use the leftover from burning dry grass);
- ½ buckets of manure;
- bucket of rotten leaves or straw;
- a shovel of compost or garden soil;
- the same amount of sand;
- 1 l of kefir, whey or curdled milk;
- the remaining volume is topped up with water.
The mixture should be infused for a week. The contents of the barrel must be periodically mixed. Use as top dressing, dilute in a ratio of 1:2 to 1:10.
Rice water
¼ cup of rice is poured with 1 cup of water. The cereal must be thoroughly mixed. When the water becomes whitish, you need to drain it into a separate cup and leave it in a warm room for 5-7 days. After that, it is filtered and milk is added. It should be 10 times more than rice water. The mixture is again infused in warmplace within 5-7 days. The resulting mass (similar to cottage cheese) is removed, and 1 tbsp is added to the remaining mixture. l. Sahara. The concentrate is ready. For use, it must be diluted in a ratio of 1:20.
Subtillin
You can make your own EM preparations that have similar properties to factory preparations. They are used in a similar way. This is an infusion of hay sticks, or subtillin.
To cook it, you need to boil 150 g of rotten, but not moldy hay in 1 liter of water, adding 1 tsp to the container. chalk. When boiled, most of the harmful bacteria and fungi die, but the spores of the hay bacillus remain alive. The solution must be placed in a dark, warm place. After three days, a film will appear on the surface. It is formed by rod spores. The mother culture is ready. With its help, you can prepare a solution that will be used for processing and watering plants.
Method of preparation of the working preparation. At the site, 1 kg of rotten hay is placed in a wide container, poured into it with a bucket of hot water, 10 tablespoons of chalk or lime are added (they reduce the level of acidity) and the mother culture is poured in. The container is cleaned in a dark place and additionally covered to prevent direct sunlight. After 3 days, the working solution is ready, you can process the plants.
What solutions are used for
The use of EM preparations is not limited to plant nutrition and soil application. They will be useful for other agricultural purposes as well.
- Pre-sowing treatment of planting material: spraying potatoes, soaking seeds, etc.
- Processing plants for disease prevention.
- Treatment for disinfection purposes.
- To speed up composting processes.
- For processing country toilets.
All treatments should be carried out in cloudy, but not rainy weather. The fact is that microorganisms quickly die in direct sunlight, and rain will wash them into the soil. It should also be warm outside. The optimum temperature is + 18 … + 20 degrees. In cold weather, microorganisms hibernate.
Also, many manufacturers advise using diluted concentrates not only in the garden, but also in everyday life. For example, the Vostok EM preparation is recommended for indoor treatment in order to prevent the appearance of an unpleasant dust odor, and it also helps in the fight against house mites. Also suitable for processing furniture and home appliances.
Industrial production
EM technology was developed at the end of the last century in Japan. Scientist Higa Tera proposed using these preparations to restore soils damaged by chemical treatments with pesticides and fertilizers, as well as depleted as a result of active farming.
Currently, Russia has launched the production of various concentrates containing microorganisms. The most popular were EM preparations "Siyanie", "Baikal", "Vostok", "Renaissance". They are used indifferent uses, many growers share soil, seed, or plant treatments.
Concentrates are available as dry mixes, but are more common as liquids.
Preparation of EM preparation for irrigation and tillage
Depending on the needs and purpose, industrial concentrates are bred in different proportions. For irrigation, preparations mixed with water are most often used as follows: 1:1000 or 1:500. For autumn and spring tillage, when there are already or no plants in the beds, a higher concentration is needed: 1:100.
The method of preparation is different for each drug, but, as a rule, only the details differ. The main points are the same. However, before use, you must read the instructions and prepare the solution in strict accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations.
All concentrates are diluted in warm water with a temperature of 20-35 degrees. Then a sweet nutrient medium is added to the container. Everything is thoroughly mixed. Sweets are necessary for the adaptation of microorganisms to new conditions. The fact is that molasses, jam or honey are used for artificial nutrition of bacteria. To make it easier for them to change habits, it is necessary to add one of these ingredients to the working solution. Usually, the finished mixture is allowed to brew for several hours, so that the microorganisms finally “wake up” and are evenly distributed in the container.
Composition of drugs
Concentrates contain various microorganisms. For example, in the drug"EM-1 Baikal" includes 60 strains. All proportions are calculated so that the bacteria do not interfere and do not destroy each other, but form a stable symbiosis. The main groups of microorganisms that are used in EM preparations:
- Actinomycetes - synthesize antibiotics and improve soil condition.
- Yeast - necessary for the production of antibiotics that suppress harmful microorganisms, and biologically active substances that stimulate the growth and development of plants. Yeast also synthesize the substrates necessary for the vital activity of lactic acid bacteria.
- Lactic acid bacteria. At the hearing of an ordinary resident thanks to the advertising of yogurts and other similar products. Bacteria of this type are engaged in the production of lactic acid, which inhibits the growth and development of harmful bacteria, and also accelerates the decomposition of organic matter.
- Fermenting mushrooms decompose organic residues and turn them into available, easily digestible substances for plants.
- Photosynthetic bacteria. This type of microorganism is able to fully provide for itself. They create nutrients from plant materials and gases. Bacteria synthesize natural sugars, amino and nucleic acids, which are the necessary food for planting. Also, due to the enrichment of the soil with useful substances, other microorganisms also receive sufficient nutrition.
EM drugs - this is what is useful to any summer resident.
