EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT
Get the lowdown on this hot new trend in hor ticulture from self-styled rebel gardener Alessandro Vitale
WE KNOW THAT FERMENTED FOODS ARE GOOD FOR PEOPLE, BUT PLANTS?
I love fermentation: it is a fantastic process for preserving vegetables and creating delicious beverages full of gut-friendly probiotics. And now I’ve found fermentation methods work for growing my own food, too.
YOU PAMPER YOUR PLANTS LIKE YOU TREAT YOURSELF?
Exactly! It started when I discovered Korean natural farming (KNF). It is simple and cheap because it’s based on microorganisms, which are everywhere. Every time you breathe in, you are breathing in microorganisms; every time you eat or drink, you are introducing them to your body. And plants need microorganisms, too, to process minerals. If your soil is depleted, you can boost its microbial health.
HOW CAN I GET MY HANDS ON THIS MIRACULOUS HEALTH TONIC?
It’s easy. Imake fermented plant juice, FPJ for short. It’s low cost and you can do it at home. FPJ contains enzymes, microorganisms, proteins, hormones and more, all in aform that plants can absorb. The method uses the less desirable plants in your garden such as dandelions and nettles.
SO YOU TURN TO THE “WEEDS” TO FEED THE FLOWERS?
Yes, these fast-growing plants are mineral accumulators: the faster a plant grows, the more helpful compounds it will contain. Spring is the ideal time to gather plant material for FPJ, when new plant shoots contain the most nutrients for rapid growth. KNF emphasises using what is available locally. Clover, dandelions, nettles and comfrey are common where I live and are excellent for making FPJ. Nettles have a high nitrogen content as does clover, ideal for when your garden is growing away strongly [see right for recipe].
Clover, dandelions, nettles and comfrey are excellent for making FPJ
OK, I’VE MADE MY FPJ –NOW WHAT?
Start by diluting it at 1:1,000. That’s 1 tablespoon FPJ to 16 litres water, ideally rainwater. Water the soil with this solution once a week or when your plants need a boost – to recover from the stress of transplanting, temperature fluctuations and so on.
IF IT’S A SORT OF PICKLE, DOES IT SMELL?
Fermentation yields a weak alcohol, which extracts the chlorophyll and other plant constituents. Let’s be clear, though, I do n
