Baikal EM-1 is not a fertilizer in the traditional sense of the word. It is a concentrate of beneficial microorganisms that improve the soil and promote plant development. The letters EM mean "effective microorganisms", and the name "Baikal" indicates their origin - from the Baikal region.
Fertilizer release form
On sale you can find two versions of the drug for the garden.
- Masterbatch concentrate with "dormant" microorganisms - for the preparation of a concentrated solution with active organisms. It is packed in a small white bottle with a yellow cap, packed in an orange box. Volume - 30 ml (manufactured by LLC "EM-Cooperation"). Volume - 40 ml (from Argo).
- Concentrate solution with active microorganisms... Before use, it is diluted in water. It is packed in white bottles (made of plastic) with green caps (these caps are volumetric - they hold 5 ml). Volumes: 100, 250, 500 ml and 1 liter. Manufacturer - only LLC "EM-Cooperation".
There are no other official packages for EM-1. Each package is equipped with a special hologram, barcode. Be careful, there are fakes.
Composition of the preparation
The idea of the technology belongs to the Japanese. At the end of the 20th century, Russian scientists also created an EM preparation with a complex of microscopic organisms. It contains a concentrate of beneficial bacteria, yeast and fungi (8 dozen varieties), as well as their waste products. Mthe multiform composition is viable with and without oxygen; not capricious in the choice of food, aimed at fast work.
Microbiological agents (Baikal, Radiance) are NOT designed for single use. They are part of the "organic live farming" system.
Mechanism of action
Many modern land areas are depleted and poisoned, few valuable inhabitants remain in the soil layer. The introduced EOs begin to multiply rapidly, releasing biological substances (amino acids, vitamins, enzymes, etc.). Consequently:
- the original microflora is activated, decomposing organic matter;
- plant development is stimulated;
- pathogens are partially suppressed.
The land becomes healthy and fertile in 3-5 years. The effect begins to manifest itself in the first months.
Expected results
Technology has become popular thanks to real advances.
- Organic residues are quickly composted (2-6 weeks).
- The nutrient layer of the soil (humus) becomes three times thicker and richer in 3 years.
- The earth becomes loose, optimal moisture capacity.
- The soil becomes slightly warmer, and this accelerates the phases of plant development (earlier flowering and fruiting).
- Plants are less sick, more successfully resist attacks of pests and weather disasters.
- The amount of the crop increases (approximately - by half; the result is variable).
- The quality of products is significantly improved in terms of various indicators: color, taste, sugar content, starch content, fullness of vitamins and proteins, keeping quality, etc.
- The ecology is being restored.
- The greenhouse soil is recovering.
- Ornamental crops look prettier.
And this is not a complete list of the consequences of the competent use of Baikal EM-1.
Instructions for using Baikal EM-1
Instructions for using the product are quite simple. If you need a little preparation, it is easier to buy a ready-made "live" concentrate in a bottle with a green cap. When large volumes are needed, it is more profitable prepare the product yourself from the uterine ("sleeping") concentrate:
- Pour chlorine-free water (natural or settled, filtered) into a container with a temperature of about + 25 degrees.
- Pour 30-40 ml of mother liquor there, add 100 ml of special EM-molasses (commercially available) or 6-8 tablespoons of honey (jam, sugar); stir.
- Pour the mixture into plastic bottles under the very neck... Close the lids immediately. It is desirable that the process runs without air access.
- Put containers for 4-7 days in a dark place with a temperature of +20 +30 degrees (not higher than +40). Every 2 days, you need to open the lids (to escape the gases) and immediately close them again.
There is a process of awakening of microorganisms, their rapid reproduction in the nutrient medium (FERMENTATION). The final product should have a pleasant sour aroma.
The finished concentrate solution is stored in a cool dark place (not in the refrigerator) for 6-8 months (no longer than a year). For further use, dilute with non-chlorinated water. Do the same with bottles (with green caps) bought at the store.
Areas of use of the finished concentrate
With its help are produced:
- EM solution for various purposes.
- EM compost: a bunch of organic matter is poured with a solution - half a glass of concentrate in a bucket of water plus half a glass of jam.
- EM extract (fertilizing herbal concentrate-infusion): half a liter of concentrate for 30 liters of water-herbal mixture plus half a liter of jam.
- Urgas (fermented food waste).
- EM-5 (protection against pathogens): mix half a glass of Baikal concentrate, jam, vodka and table vinegar (not essence), 3 glasses of water. It is kept warm for a week in a dark plastic bottle under a lid. To repel pests and prevent diseases: 1-3 tsp of the mixture is diluted in a bucket of water and sprayed with plants once a week (more often if threatened).
Terms and method of processing
This remedy has a wide range of action. The dosages are different.
Preparation
The concentrate is shaken and poured into water, sometimes a little jam is added. The mixture is allowed to stand for several hours in a warm, shaded place, then used (within a day, maximum - three days). Filter (through cheesecloth) before spraying.
Scheme of work with a solution
I. Soaking:
- seeds (except for radishes, radishes) for 1 hour - 5 ml per 10 liters. water;
- planting material for 15 minutes - 10 ml per bucket of water (or replace by spraying with a double concentration of the solution).
II. Soil spill:
- seedling soil (20 days before sowing): 30 ml per bucket of water;
- in spring land in a greenhouse and open ground (7-15 days before sowing, planting): half a glass in a bucket of water for 6 sq. meters;
- after flowering, near-stem circles of bushes and trees: 20 ml per bucket of water for 5 square meters. meters;
- in the fall on ridges freed from plants: half a glass in a bucket of water (abundantly, repeatedly);
- in the fall charging water for trees, bushes (including grapes): 15 ml per 10 liters. water.
III. Watering and spraying of all plants 2-5 times a month throughout the season (bushes after flowering and until mid-August): 10 ml per bucket of water. Watering 2-5 liters per 1 sq. meter; spraying until the foliage is completely wetted.
Important restrictions
- Overdoses can lead to plant depression.
- Baikal do not water plants with a weak or disturbed root system:
- immediately after transplant (wait 3 weeks);
- young shoots (up to three weeks of age);
- rooting cuttings, mustache, layering;
- specimens with diseased, rotten roots.
Working conditions of microorganisms
Little helpers of the farmer need to provide a comfortable environment.
Main factors:
- Food... Organisms work only in the presence of organic matter: it is their food. They cannot turn pure sand or bare clay into soil.
- Moisture.Wet substrate is required.
- No chemicals... Destructive: bleach, synthetic detergents, many mineral fertilizers, pesticides (pesticides).
- Warmly... "Kids" are active at temperatures not lower than +10 degrees. Partially die out at +45 degrees, die by boiling, in a fire.
Compatibility with other products in the garden
Manufacturers do not recommend mixing Baikal and inorganic substances.
- Joint application of EM-1 and any chemicals, including chemical fertilizers, is prohibited.
- The product has an acidic reaction, it does not need to be mixed in the same container with alkalis (ash, lime).
- Should not be combined with immunostimulants, biological fungicides and insecticides: it is difficult to predict the consequences.
- Organic farming does not reject the enrichment of the soil with microelements, but it is not worth adding them to the EM solution.
Baikal EM-1 successfully works in conjunction with organic fertilizers - manure, dung, compost, herbal infusion.
Disadvantages of technology
There are certain difficulties in implementing the "organic" approach.
- This is a long-term project. There is no quick and dramatic result.
- The purchase of a drug involves certain financial costs.
- Baikal EM-1 is more profitable to use within the framework of the complete system of "organic live farming"... For many people, this requires a serious restructuring of the habitual way (avoiding chemicals, greening, mulching, etc.).
- Only living organisms are effective. If the product is spoiled (at any stage of production or storage), there will be no sense.
Storage conditions and shelf life
The mother liquor is stored for no longer than a year (from the date of issue) at a temperature of +10 to +25 degrees.
A concentrated solution with live bacteria is consumed within a year, and better - in six months. Efficiency decreases over time. Storage temperature from +10 to + 25 degrees (not higher than + 40 or in the refrigerator). It must be protected from sunlight. The formation of a slight sediment is allowed. The smell is normal - sour-pleasant; putrid - indicates deterioration.
The diluted concentrate is used within a day (maximum - three).
Safety
The drug Baikal EM-1 belongs to the IV hazard class. This means that it is absolutely harmless to humans and the environment. If you drink a large amount of a peroxide solution, the result will be comparable to the body's reaction to sour kvass.
Some owners are skeptical about EM technology. On the one hand, adherents of the traditional way of life criticize it: with compost and irrigation, the crop will grow without additional costs. On the other hand, admirers of modern achievements of agricultural chemistry consider giving up "chemistry" unprofitable. In any case, Baikal EM-1 is a chance to think about the ecology of agriculture. And the method of using the product is very simple.