VITAL FORCES

Dew and Sunshine in the Field

VITAL FORCES

In modern agricultural practices, conventional, organic, backyard, or commercial growers are taught to apply fertilizers, NPK, Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K). If they are well taught, they learn about the secondary major elements of Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg), and Sulfur (S).

Really educated and smart people learn about micronutrients (also called minor elements or trace elements), which are needed in small amounts but are still essential: Iron (Fe), Manganese (Mn), Zinc (Zn), Copper (Cu), Boron (B), Molybdenum (Mo), Chlorine (Cl), Nickel (Ni). Then there are the beneficial elements.

These elements are then researched, typically in greenhouses or highly controlled fields, to determine the specific requirements each type of plant needs to grow. Then they are formulated into fertilizer blends and sold as “tomato food,” or “orchid fertilizer,” or all-purpose fertilizer.

What this doesn’t tell you is how much your plant needs, how those needs change with your season or your weather, and how bioavailable they are.

Some nutrients, most notably Nitrogen, are made to be highly available for plants to uptake, much more than they need, and the plants end up with “nitrogen burn.” Smart people know about this, and the effects are very obvious. More often, the plants take up too much nitrogen, which makes them susceptible to pests and disease, but you think the dark green color is healthy, because…marketing.

But, even though they are nice and green, they have pests and disease, so you need to buy some pesticides, more this year than last. Sound familiar?

These facts are true, by the way, for organic fertilizers and pesticides too. This brilliant marketing scheme costs growers more money every year. This modern construct has turned growers into consumers, rather than producers. Natural Farming is a way to stop spending money to grow food and become a producer again.

But wait, if we don’t fertilize, where do these fertilizer elements come from in Natural Farming, in Korean Natural Farming (KNF)? That is why we first build the Soil Foundation using IMO, Indigenous Micro-Organisms. With a solid Soil Foundation, plants and microbes work synergistically, and plants can obtain their own nutrition on demand from the soil. Just as happens in Nature.

Then we guide the growth process using Biochemical Signaling Technology (BST), using Fermented Plant Juices (FPJ) as active, signaling agents. In order to use BST properly, we need to pay attention to our plants so we know what stage of life they are in and what formula to give them.

With Natural Farming, we don't completely ignore NPK fertilization. Plants still need nutrients. We focus on letting plants live in their Natural State, obtaining nutrients from rich soil. We observe and only intervene if true deficiencies are seen. The key is observation.

It seems that many people don’t want to observe plants, or animals, or Nature. They want to be told, from a gardening class or the back of a fertilizer package, what they should do to grow food. I see this play out everywhere, but I don’t understand. Observation is really quite simple. Perhaps they just need some guidance. Observation is something that used to be, but is no longer commonly taught.

When observing plants or animals, there are three elements to pay attention to:

The Vital Forces. Master Cho calls them the Three Chi.

VITAL FORCES

Heat and Sunlight

Water and Moisture

Wind and Air

In essence, Natural Farming and KNF pay attention to the Vital Forces. We may pick up nutrient deficiencies with observation, but the main focus is on balancing the elements in the growing environment. Observing these elements will help you whether you practice KNF or not.

Vital Forces are the ever-shifting elements that shape life itself. These forces combine to create the living environment in which plants and animals either thrive or struggle to survive.

Observing the Vital Forces is the foundation of Natural Farming Management, guiding when and how we act, rather than forcing outcomes. By attuning ourselves to sunlight and heat, moisture and water, air and wind, we can respond to Nature’s cues instead of relying on artificial inputs.

In KNF, we attune ourselves to these elemental rhythms instead of relying on fixed schedules or synthetic inputs. Sunlight changes with the seasons and the time of day. Moisture varies with humidity, dew, and rainfall. Air and wind carry signals, spores, and subtle temperature changes, regulate moisture, and aerobic and anaerobic conditions.

By noticing these patterns and responding in harmony, we align our actions with Nature’s timing, creating conditions for health, resilience, and abundance.

While I can’t teach you how to observe Nature with words on a page, I can give you some practical examples to get you started. After reviewing these examples, go outside and take a look around. You will be sure to find examples of your own.

🌞 Sunlight and Heat

• Example 1: Photosynthesis doesn't begin until sunlight touches the leaf. This is why FPJ (Fermented Plant Juice) harvest must be done before sunrise, while plant enzymes and hormones are still in their nighttime form.

• Example 2: Seedlings often become leggy when grown indoors without enough sunlight, signaling that the plant is stretching unnaturally in response to insufficient light.

• Example 3: In mid-summer, the afternoon sun can overheat the soil. Observing this may lead you to mulch or plant a cover crop to regulate temperature.

• Example 4: Leaf orientation shifts throughout the day. Some plants track the sun to maximize light absorption, while others angle their leaves to avoid midday burn. Observing this helps in choosing plant placement or shade support.

• Example 5: Cool-season crops like lettuce or spinach bolt quickly in high heat, signaling it's time to transition to warm-season varieties.

• Example 6: Frost pockets in low-lying areas may stunt or kill plants in early spring. Knowing this helps in site planning and choosing frost-tolerant varieties or planting later.

• Example 7: The soil warms more slowly in spring under heavy mulch or canopy cover. Delaying planting in those areas avoids poor germination or root rot.

💧 Moisture and Water

• Example 1: Dry, cracked soil indicates not just a lack of water but possibly also poor organic matter content, prompting a shift in mulch or compost strategy.

• Example 2: A sudden flush of weeds after a light rain shows that moisture has activated dormant seeds. This can indicate that your soil biology is waking up too.

• Example 3: When leaves curl or wilt slightly in the afternoon but recover by evening, it’s not necessarily drought; it’s the plant’s natural rhythm of transpiration and recovery. Observing this helps prevent overwatering.

• Example 4: Morning fog or high humidity without rainfall can trigger fungal issues or slow evaporation from the soil. That might signal it’s time to thin plants or add well-draining mulch.

• Example 5: The feel of the soil when dug with your hand, crumbly but moist, is ideal. If it sticks together like clay or feels bone dry beneath the surface, it tells you about the balance (or imbalance) of moisture retention and organic matter.

• Example 6: Drooping leaves during the day that recover at night usually indicate heat stress rather than lack of water, helping you avoid overwatering.

• Example 7: Soil that repels water and stays dry on top, even after rain, may be hydrophobic due to degradation or compaction, signaling a need for organic matter or aeration.

• Example 8: Rainfall patterns shifting from frequent light rain to infrequent downpours can cause runoff instead of infiltration, leading you to adjust earthworks, berms, or swales.

• Example 9: The smell of petrichor (earthy scent) before a rain is caused by moisture and microbial activity increasing in the air, signaling a natural rhythm change that plants and animals sense too.

🌬️ Air and Wind

• Example 1: A shift in wind direction or strength may indicate a coming weather change. You may want to delay transplanting or spraying if high winds are expected.

• Example 2: In a stagnant area without wind, fungal disease may increase, suggesting the need to adjust airflow through pruning or layout.

• Example 3: The smell of the soil changes depending on microbial activity. A sweet, earthy smell signals aerobic conditions; a sour or sulfur smell warns of anaerobic imbalance. Some farmers also taste their soil to observe conditions and changes.

• Example 4: Young seedlings leaning consistently in one direction show prevailing wind exposure and may require sheltering or changing row orientation.

• Example 5: Wind dries soil and leaf surfaces rapidly, requiring more frequent watering or the use of windbreaks to reduce evaporation.

• Example 6: Stagnant, still air in shaded corners of the garden often leads to powdery mildew or other fungal issues, prompting you to thin plants or increase airflow.

• Example 7: Pollinators and birds avoid areas with constant wind, observing this can help locate hives, flowering plants, or habitat structures in more protected zones.

These examples look at the individual elements. However, they always work together. You need to pay attention to the Vital Forces combining to create the whole environment. Here are some examples of looking at combinations of the Vital Forces.

🌞💧🌬️ Example 1: Morning Dew and Sunlight

In the early morning, dew forms when moist air cools overnight and condenses on plant surfaces. As the sun rises, light and heat begin to evaporate that moisture. If the air is still (no wind), leaves may stay wet for longer, increasing the risk of fungal diseases such as rust or powdery mildew. But a light breeze can dry the leaves quickly, preventing issues.→ This shows how light, water, and air must be in balance for healthy plant conditions.

🌬️💧🌞 Example 2: Dry Winds After Rain

After a good rain, strong, dry winds and warm sun can quickly pull moisture out of the soil and plant leaves through evaporation and transpiration. What looked like adequate soil moisture can vanish in a day.→ This interaction highlights the importance of mulching or windbreaks to protect the soil’s water retention capacity.

💧🌬️ Example 3: Fog and Poor Air Circulation

In coastal or valley regions, fog may roll in during the evening and settle into low areas. If there’s no wind to move the air, high humidity lingers through the morning, creating ideal conditions for mold and mildew.→ Moisture and stagnant air together lead to problems that neither would cause alone.

🌞💧 Example 4: Seed Germination

Seeds require moisture to germinate, but if the soil is too cool (due to low light and heat), even moist seeds may rot instead of sprouting. Conversely, hot sun on dry soil can cause seeds to dry out before they finish germinating.→ Successful germination depends on a balance of water and warmth, both from the sun and the soil.

🌬️🌞 Example 5: Wind Stress on Sunny Days

On bright, hot days, plants open their stomata to photosynthesize, but if drying winds are present, they lose water rapidly. The plant may close its stomata to prevent desiccation, limiting photosynthesis even though light is abundant.→ Photosynthesis is governed not only by sunlight but also by air movement and moisture balance.