Did you know you could make your own probiotics to grow healthier and more robust and disease resistant plants? Today we are going to cover how to make one of my favorite foliar sprays- lactic acid bacteria.
A huge part of developing our homestead has been learning ways to feed and protect our garden in order that we have a thriving garden that produces all of our family’s needs and more. Lactic acid bacteria is one of my favorite Korean Natural Farming inputs to help achieve this.
Korean Natural Farming and Lactic Acid Bacteria
Korean Natural Farming is based on sustainable farming methods practiced in Japan, China and Korea. The focus of Korean Natural Farming is to maintain a balance in nutrient input and output for the growing plant by encouraging indigenous microorganisms that occur naturally to grow and reproduce. All of the inputs can easily be made at home with minimal purchased items and for a fraction of the cost of commercially made products.
What is Lactic Acid Bacteria
Lactic acid bacteria isn’t just one strain of bacteria, its actually a whole group of healthy bacteria that produces lactic acid from digesting their food source. If you are familiar with fermented food like cheese, yogurt, sauerkraut or kimchi, then you already know about the amazing and important benefits of probiotics and that’s exactly what lactic acid bacteria are.
Why Use Lactic Acid Bacteria
Just like in our gut, if you increase the probiotics on a plant’s surface you colonize that area with healthy probiotics that make it more difficult for unhealthy bacteria or pests to colonize and damage your plants. If you apply lactic acid bacteria early in the growing season you can prevent bad bacteria, fungus, and a plethora of other pests and diseases from colonizing and damaging your plants. This is especially helpful when you are just getting you garden established.
How To Easily Make Lactic Acid Bacteria
Now that we know what lactic acid bacteria is and why we should be using it, let’s get into how to make it so you can start growing stronger and healthier plants.
Materials
- Mason jar
- Paper towel
- Rubber band
Ingredients
- Milk
- White rice
- Water
- Brown sugar (optional if you cannot store in refrigerator)
Lactic Acid Bacteria Culture Instructions
There are two parts to collecting and multiplying lactic acid bacteria. This process takes anywhere from six to ten days to complete. I usually start the process on a day I’m making rice.
First we need to make the fermented rice rinse water to collect the naturally occurring lactic acid bacteria. The fermentation process decreases all other bad bacteria that we do not want present.
Step One
Take your rice in a bowl or jar and cover with an inch or two of water. Agitate the rice until the water is cloudy and strain off the majority of the water into a clean jar. Repeat once more to collect the cloudy rinse water. Collect enough cloudy rinse water to fill the jar 2/3 of the way full.
Step Two
Cover the jar with a paper towel and secure it with a rubber band. Allow this rice rinse water to ferment at room temperature out of direct sunlight for 3-5 days. When ready for the next step it will smell slightly sour and have a thin film on the top. Do not agitate or disturb while fermenting.
Step Three
Once the rice rinse water is fermented you are going to combine 1 part fermented rice rinse water with 10 parts cows milk in a clean jar approximately 2/3 full. Make sure you do not add the film into the new jar from the fermented rice water as sometimes it can have other bacteria or mold spores and ruin your batch of lactic acid bacteria.
This is where the magic happens. The rice rinse water was void of much food so as it fermented the majority of what could survive was the small amount of lactic acid bacteria. When you add the cows milk- a favorite food of lactic acid bacteria, they will proliferated at an astronomical rate. Cover the jar with a clean paper towel or piece of cloth and secure with a rubber band. Allow this to sit undisturbed out of direct sunlight for 3-5 days.
Step Four
After 3 to 5 days (or possibly longer in colder climates) the lactic acid bacteria culture separates much like curds and whey. The yellow liquid is the lactic acid bacteria culture and needs to be separated from the curds. I like to break apart the curds on top with a large slatted spoon and remove the large pieces. Then pour off the yellow liquid through a nut milk bag or plastic strainer into a clean jar. Make sure you do not mix the white sediment into the culture. I always stop pouring when I see the sediment close to the edge of the jar I’m pouring out of and discard all of the left over yellow liquid and curdled sediment along with the curds from the top into the chicken scrap bin. You can also add some salt and turn the curds into a soft cheese.
Step Five
Put a loosely fitted plastic cap on the jar and store for up to 6 months in the refrigerator. The culture should smell sweet so discard if it smells soured or unpleasant. I like to use a plastic mason jar lid without a seal or this handy silicone Masontops fermenting lid that allows carbon dioxide to escape.
How to Use Lactic Acid Bacteria in the Garden
It is best to use the lactic acid bacteria solution in conjunction with other Korean Natural Farming inputs such as fermented plant juice; however, you can apply alone without problems. You can apply as a foliar spray with a designated weed sprayer (don’t use a sprayer previously used with pesticides) to leaf surfaces which is what I usually do. You can also pre-soak seeds prior to planting to improve seed germination, decrease fungal problems like “damping off”, and inoculate the seeds with beneficial microbes.
When it comes to fruiting crops you want to avoid spraying at the end of their fruiting season as it can decrease the sweetness of the fruit. Lactic acid bacteria can also be used as a soil drench in conjunction with indigenous micro-organisms in a deep liter system with livestock.
Diluting Lactic Acid Bacteria
Lactic acid bacteria is a highly concentrated solution and requires a dilution rate of 1:1,000 ratio with water. This basically calculates into 3/4 tsp lactic acid bacteria with 1 gallon of water.
Frequently Asked Questions
I usually use store bought pasteurized milk because that’s what I currently have easily available and have not had any problems. If you are having difficulty getting the culture to ferment without developing mold I would suggest you make sure to use an organic pasteurized milk or if you have access an antibiotic free raw milk try that.
If storing in the refrigerator I recommend using within 6 months. For long-term unrefrigerated storage, you can add an equal amount of brown sugar by weight to the finished lactic acid bacteria culture and store with a loosely fitted lid to allow gases to escape.
If using as a foliar spray the best time to apply is early morning at dawn when the plants can absorb the most nutrients through their leaves without the risk of not being able to dry out before the colder nighttime air.
One of the best resources I’ve found for information and directions on how to make all of the amazing Korean Natural Farming amendments and foliar sprays is the University of Hawaii’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources. Here is their research paper on how to culture lactic acid bacteria.
Would you like to learn more ways to grow a healthier and more abundant garden?
Lactic Acid Bacteria Culture
Equipment
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Mason Jar
- 1 Rubber Band
Materials
- Filtered water
- White rice
- Cow or goat milk
- Brown sugar Optional- only needed if unable to store in refrigerator
Instructions
Fermented Rice Rinse Water
- Take your rice in a bowl or jar and cover with an inch or two of water. Agitate the rice until the water is cloudy and strain off the majority of the water into a clean jar. Repeat once more to collect the cloudy rinse water. Collect enough cloudy rinse water to fill the jar 2/3 of the way.
- Cover with a breathable cover such as a paper towel or finely woven cloth and secure with a rubber band.
- Allow this rice rinse water to ferment at room temperature out of direct sunlight for 3-5 days. When ready for the next step it will smell slightly sour and have a thin film on the top. Do not agitate or disturb while fermenting.
Culturing The Lactic Acid Bacteria
- Once the rice rinse water is fermented you are going to combine 1 part fermented rice rinse water with 10 parts cows milk in a clean jar approximately 2/3 full. Make sure you do not add the film into the new jar from the fermented rice water as sometimes it can have other bacteria or mold spores and ruin your batch of lactic acid bacteria.
- Cover the jar with a clean paper towel or piece of cloth and secure with a rubber band. Allow this to sit undisturbed out of direct sunlight for 3-5 days.
- You will know that the culture is done when the solids and liquid have separated and appear to be like curds and whey. Once finished, pour out the yellow liquid ONLY into a clean jar and loosely cover the jar with a lid. The microorganisms will continue to produce gases, and if you cover it tightly it can explode.
Application
- When you are ready to apply, dilute the lactic acid bacteria solution with filtered water at a ratio of 1:1,000. In a gallon of water you would add 3/4 tsp solution.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you use pasteurized milk?
I usually use store bought pasteurized milk because that’s what I currently have easily available and have not had any problems. If you are having difficulty getting the culture to ferment without developing mold I would suggest you make sure to use an organic pasteurized milk or if you have access an antibiotic free raw milk try that.What is the shelf life for the cultured lactic acid bacteria?
If storing in the refrigerator I recommend using within 6 months. For long-term unrefrigerated storage, you can add an equal amount of brown sugar by weight to the finished lactic acid bacteria culture and store with a loosely fitted lid to allow gases to escape.What is the best time of day to apply lactic acid bacteria?
If using as a foliar spray the best time to apply is early morning at dawn when the plants can absorb the most nutrients through their leaves without the risk of not being able to dry out before the colder night.Now you know how to culture your own lactic acid bacteria to create an amazing probiotic for your garden and farm!
Can you add more milk or rice water later on to make more LAB concentrate when running low? Or do you have to start from scratch each time you need more?
Chantel,
If you were running low and wanted to make it go further you can definitely dilute it further but the bacteria will not multiply without a food source. I always make a fresh batch one night when we are cooking rice for a meal anyways and I tend to make smaller batches so its not sitting long term. If you aren’t going to use it within about 1-2 months refrigerated I would suggest mixing it with 1:1 brown sugar in order to make it shelf stable. The brown sugar will act as a “sleeping agent”, putting the bacteria to sleep so it doesn’t sit starving and slowly die off. I hope that helps.
-Cherish