TEST A NEW FPJ
HOW TO TEST A NEW FPJ
Why Test a New FPJ?
In Korean Natural Farming (KNF), the Fermented Plant Juices (FPJ) are used as an active ingredient in weekly misting sprays with the purpose of directing plant growth. The FPJs contain hormones, enzymes, and cofactors that signal biochemical responses that drive growth.
FPJ is not used as a fertilizer. They contain very small amounts of nutrients, but KNF is designed to mimic Nature. That means we develop a healthy, living Soil Foundation that enables plants to obtain their nutrition from the soil on demand with the symbiotic cooperation of soil microbes.
FPJs do not provide nutrients; they direct growth patterns.
Typically, FPJs follow the Nutritive Cycle, the regular lifecycle of plants. Vegetative, fast-growing plant tips are used for vegetative growth. Green fruit FPJs encourage the development of fruit after pollination. Ripe fruit FPJs are used for ripening fruit. And so on.
There are other ways to use FPJs to direct growth. A specialty FPJ can be made to direct growth patterns to overcome deficiencies.
For example, an FPJ made from hard, black, aborted fruit can be used to help a tree recover fruit production. A regrow formula can be made using the shoots of a tree or bush that has been cut and has started regrowing. Nodes can be lengthened on plants that need more spacing by using a plant with long internodes. Flower production can be halted or delayed using flower material.
Whenever you are using an off-label FPJ, caution must be used to avoid unexpected and unwanted results. This is especially true if the experimental FPJ is part of the reproductive period of growth.
Results may be long-lasting, even permanent, and it might be a change you don’t want. Therefore, it is wise to test any unknown FPJ. Using known plant material for the Nutritive Cycle, such as mugwort and dropwort, is fine to use without testing.
Test a Single Plant
Using an advanced FPJ for the first time is an experiment. Make the basic formula: 2 parts active ingredient (FPJ), 2 parts Brown Rice (or Banana) Vinegar (BRV), and 1 part Oriental Herbal Nutrient (OHN), using the new FPJ as the active ingredient.
Use the experimental FPJ as the only FPJ in this formula.
A recipe for the Basic Formula can be seen here.
Test it on a single plant first. Dilute the formula with clean, unchlorinated water (1:1000), and mist lightly an hour before sunset. Mix only enough for your test plant in case you get unwanted results. Wait a few days to see how the plant reacts before you apply to more plants.
If you are using an experimental FPJ from any stage of flower, proceed with caution. Hormones during the reproductive stages are wildly unpredictable. You may want to try a few plants after testing a single plant to ensure you are getting the right results before you proceed to spray the rest of the targeted plants.
Increase use only after you can see the change you want. Less caution is required when using a non-floral FPJ.
Different types of plants may require separate tests because they may respond differently.
If you are concerned about possible bad effects, apply to one small area of the test plant (if possible) to reduce any negative results. The plant often responds only where you spray it directly. This is not always the case, but it does lower risk.
If you have a large operation and want to test more than one plant, keep the test relatively small to reduce risk. The results might not be what you want, and the plants may not recover.
I don’t want to make it sound like using advanced FPJs is scary. It’s not. The only time I have had adverse reactions is with my experiments with FPJs made from floral material. It’s much more likely that you will be needing a regrow, a rescue FPJ, or something to lengthen plant nodes. I have never seen any issues with those. Flower material, however, is iffy enough that I want to include the cautions here.
Lower Dilution
Since floral FPJs are riskier, you may also want to begin with a weaker dilution. Start with a dilution of 1:1500 or 1:2000 rather than the more typical 1:1000. Wait several days and note any adverse effects.
Plant hormones and enzymes are effective in extremely small amounts, so using too much can trigger feedback mechanisms that reduce or even reverse the growth or recovery response you are trying to achieve. Using more won’t give better results. Less is often better.
However, you do need to use enough. If you don’t see any response, good or bad, after using the FPJ in a highly dilute concentration, try using a normal concentration (1:1000) before deciding it doesn’t work.
Safety First
Testing a single plant and starting with a more dilute concentration are safety precautions. These procedures ensure that the input you are testing works as intended while protecting the rest of your plants from an incorrect FPJ. Keep in mind that some changes may be long-lasting or even permanent.
Analyzing Results
If you get the results you want from using a lower concentration, then you can use that FPJ on the rest of your plants at that lower dilution rate. Increase to a normal concentration only if you do not see adverse effects and have not seen the result you are looking for.
When you try again at a normal concentration (1:1000), look for adverse effects and the desired effects. If you see no adverse effects and get the effect you want, you have a successful test and can feel confident using it broadly whenever needed.
When you are using an FPJ at a normal concentration and do not see the desired results, do not increase concentration. Give up on that FPJ.
One final caution: not all plant species or varieties respond the same way. A successful test on one plant type does not guarantee the same response on another, so consider testing different plant types before widespread use.
You should always test an unknown FPJ carefully before you use it broadly.
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