WHAT IS OHN?
Oriental Herbal Nutrient (OHN) is a Korean Natural Farming (KNF) input that combines the herbs, Ginger, Garlic, Angelica, Cinnamon and Licorice. The herbs are extracted with alcohol and fermented with brown sugar. Oriental Herbal Nutrient (OHN) can then be applied to plants to discourage the growth of anaerobic pathogenic microbes. Oriental Herbal Nutrient (OHN) encourages the growth of aerobic microbes in the soil and on plants.
BENEFITS OF USING ORIENTAL HERBAL NUTRIENT (OHN):
- Promotes aerobic microorganisms
- Natural insect repellant
- Natural fungicide for plants
- Used to enhance the nutrients of livestock feeds
HOW IS ORIENTAL HERBAL NUTRIENT (OHN) MADE?
Oriental Herbal Nutrient (OHN) creation is several month process of hydration, stabilization and extraction of 5+ natural herbs and barks. You should start this process by taking consideration of how much end product you desire. During extraction the final quantity of end product will be roughly double the initial stabilization amount.
Getting started
After deciding on quantity gather six mason style jars and lids. This would also be a good time to gather the additional six containers need for extraction, while keeping in mind they need to be twice the size as the original six jars.
Next, you’ll need to gather the necessary herbs and barks. Base quantities of each to fill roughly 3/4 of each jar. You will need twice as much Angelica Bark as this is the one herb that will have two jars.
Herbs and Barks
Gather Ginger Root, Garlic Cloves, Angelica Bark, Licorice Root, Cinnamon Bark.
Rehydration
Place Angelica Bark, Licorice Root and Cinnamon Bark into four separate jars filling them roughly 50-60% each. Fill each jar to to about 60% with a low alcohol. Cheap beer works good for this. Place a paper towel over each of the four jars and use a rubber-band to secure the towel. Let sit for 24 hours.
24 Hours After Hydration
Gather brown Sugar and remove the paper towel lids from the jars containing Angelica Bark, Licorice Root, Cinnamon Bark. Mix equal weight brown sugar to the contents of each jar. Place the paper towel back over each jar when each has been completely stirred.
The remaining two jars will be for Garlic Cloves and Ginger Root. Start by crushing the Garlic Gloves and Ginger Root separately. Hand mix each herb with equal weight brown sugar. Mix until brown sugar has liquified. Place each herb into the jars, filling to roughly 70% of the jars capacity. Place a paper towel over each of the four jars and use a rubber-band to secure the towel. This would be an excellent time to label each of the jars to easily identify which herbs are in each jar. Each herb will begin to breakdown through the process of Osmosis. Let sit for one week.
One Week After Osmosis
After one week of Osmosis, it is time to start the process of stabilization. Each of the six jars should contain roughly 60% of total material. Fill each jar to the brim with Alcohol. I prefer to use cheap Vodka for stabilization. Once each jar has been filled with vodka, cover each of the jar with a metal lid. I like to label each lid with a sharpie to ensure each lids stays with its respected jar throughout the process. Let sit for two weeks until the first extraction.
Stabilization Bi-weekly Cycles and Extractions
Gather the six empty containers you set aside for extraction. Using a strainer pour each of the six herbs into their corresponding larger jar. Return each extraction to it’s original jar, filling to the 60% mark. Label and place metal lids on each extraction jar. Fill each of the original jars back to the brim with alcohol. Let sit for two weeks until the next extraction.
There will be four more extractions over the next two months. Each extraction will need to take place two weeks after the previous extraction.
The Final Mix:
Once you have completed the fifth extraction your Oriental Herbal Nutrient (OHN) ingredients are ready to be mixed. All extracts can be stored in their current form and are good for many years. Only mix what you plan to use right away. Use the dilution table and directions for applications.
DIRECTIONS
Shake well before use. Dilute with water to a ratio of 1:1,000. Apply as a foliar during late afternoon or early morning hours to repel insects. Oriental Herbal Nutrient (OHN) can be mixed with Fermented Plant Juice (FPJ) and Brown Rice Vinegar (BRV) and applied as a foliar spray every 10-12 days to make plants less susceptible to powdery mildew and downy mildew. Apply diluted Oriental Herbal Nutrient (OHN) as a soil drench prior to planting to activate dormant soil microorganisms.
WHAT IS KNF?
Korean Natural Farming (KNF) is a sustainable system developed by Master Han Kyu Cho of the Janong Natural Farming Institute in South Korea, based on generations of sustainable farming methods practiced in Japan, China, and Korea. KNF optimizes the production of plants or livestock through farming methods. Korean Natural Farming methods maintain a balance in nutrient input and output. This practice minimizes any detrimental effects on the environment. The balance is maintained by encouraging the growth of naturally occurring indigenous microorganisms (IMO), which in turn produce nutrients that are used in the production of crops and livestock. Virtually all of the inputs used in KNF, as compared to those used in conventional agricultural practices, are available locally at a fraction of the cost of imported feeds, composts, and fertilizers. Cultivation of IMO was covered in a previous publication (Park and DuPonte 2008).