This is for your plants (not for people!)

On Tinja Farm, we’re always looking for ways to work with the biology already present on the land, rather than relying on store-bought inputs.

Fermented Plant Juice (FPJ), a bioferment from the Korean Natural Farming Method, is a great example of this, and is one of the many biological amendments that we produce on-farm for use in the gardens and vineyard.

By fermenting fresh, vigorous plant material with raw organic sugar, we can capture a range of nutrients and beneficial biology in a simple, low-cost liquid input.

FPJ can then be diluted at 1:500 and used as a foliar spray or soil drench to provide both nutrients and beneficial biology to your plants. A little goes a long way with this one! It’s a wonderfully simple process that turns plants growing around us into a resource for growing more plants!

• Kesh Mudaly | Biodynamic Viticulturist

NOTE: The FPJ is shelf stable and can be used for many years. If the jar is stored with a tightly sealed lid the FPJ will spoil. Make sure you store your FPJ with the muslin cloth over the opening only.

Ingredients

• 300g Plant Material

• 200g Raw Organic Sugar

Materials

• Mixing bowl

• Scale

• Scissors

• Glass jar

• Muslin cloth

• Rubber band

• Clean rock

Method

1. Collect plant material of your choice in the early morning before or around sunrise.

2. In a mixing bowl, chop up plant material. Weigh off 300 g of chopped plant material, then add 200g of sugar and mix well.

3. Add plant and sugar mix into a clean jar, and add a thin layer of extra sugar on top. Place a clean rock on top to initiate the fermentation process.

4. Cover jar opening with muslin cloth and secure with a rubber band.

5. Store jar in a warm spot for 4-7 days, until the fermentation process is complete.

6. Once complete strain out the liquid that has formed and store in a smaller glass jar, using the muslin cloth to cover the opening. 

7. Use at 1:500 as a soil drench or a foliar spray.