Your Guide to Korean Natural Farming (KNF) To Grow Cannabis Plants

As cannabis growers, we want what’s best for our cannabis plants, but this often comes at a cost, especially when we rely on fertilizers and synthetic amendments. Yes, not all synthetic fertilizers are bad, but there are enough examples in the market that make us wary of them. 

The problem with such synthetic fertilizers and some other growing techniques is that they can give your plant a quick boost in growth but can significantly damage the soil, local ecosystem, and even the local water bodies. At the same time, they take a massive toll on the environment. 

Many growers are now shifting to organic solutions that tend to be a lot safer for the environment while being just as effective. But instead of scrambling around looking for the best organic solutions, what if we told you there’s a system of cultivation that covers it all — from pest resistance to better yield and from root growth to improved vigor?

We’re talking about Korean natural farming, a farming method that focuses on using local organic supplies, like food waste and microorganisms, to help fertilize your plants. Learn everything you need to know about KNF in this article below, including its pros and cons, history, and how to get started with it. Here’s everything you need to know about Korean natural farming. 

What is Korean Natural Farming?

Korean natural farming, also known as KNF, is a farming technique that was developed in the ‘60s to make agriculture more eco-friendly. The idea behind KNF was to utilize Korean and Japanese farming methods so the farmer does not have to rely on harsh chemicals for a good yield. 

These days, Korean natural farming has become quite famous not only among farmers but also among cannabis growers. This is because this farming method fits perfectly with many growers’ shift from synthetic nutrients and fertilizers to more eco-friendly, organic ones. In fact, some commercial cannabis growers have also started using KNF methods to reduce their farm’s carbon footprints. 

Essentially, Korean natural farming aims to optimize the natural resources during the cultivation of a plant, in this case, cannabis, along with making the operation sustainable for the environment. Thus, this method uses what is known as the nutrient cycle theory. 

According to the nutrient cycle theory, the grower needs to use inputs during certain growth stages of the plant. In ideal conditions, a grower can use KNF to produce excellent yields while minimizing the costs and keeping the environment safe. 

Korean natural farming works on a few principles that you must understand to get a grasp of this farming method. Here are the Korean natural farming principles:

• Encouraging the use of nutrients present within the seed
• Not using fertilizers that are synthetic; instead, relying on organic solutions 
• Using microorganisms that are present in the soil 
• Optimizing the growth of the plant or genetic potential with add-on inputs

There are a couple more principles, like not using livestock or not tilling the land, but they are not relevant when growing cannabis. 

As you can see, Korean natural farming encourages the growth of plants with bacterial and fungal life by increasing the organic life in the growing medium along with using raw inputs from the same locality. 

For example, if you want to supplement your cannabis plant with calcium or potassium, you’d use sources like bones or shells to extract the minerals and then apply them to your cannabis plant when required. Otherwise, the microorganisms present within the soil would do the work for you. 

That’s not all; while using the KNF method, you’re supposed to let the water sit for a few days so the chlorine and other volatiles disperse, and if you’re adding anything to the water, it is done in a dilution ratio of 500/1000:1 before you apply it to your plant. 

History of KNF 

Korean natural farming was a concept developed by Cho Han-Kyu, who was raised on his family farm in Korea. When he moved to Japan in 1965 to study natural farming techniques, he gathered a lot of information. 

Upon returning to his home country, Cho combined traditional Korean farming methods with this new knowledge and started developing what we now know as Korean natural farming. He later established the Natural Farming Life School and Research Farm, in North Chungcheong Province. 

Since then, Cho and his son have been promoting Korean natural farming across the world. They’ve held several conferences in Asia, Africa, America, and Europe, and have trained over 18,000 people (till 2014) at their institute. And the method is a massive success.

For example, farmers in Hawaii saw a twofold rise in their crop productivity while reducing water usage by 30% — all without relying on artificial pesticides. And in Mongolia, where the climate is unforgiving, this farming method has given trees a survival rate of 97%! 

What are the Pros and Cons of Korean Natural Farming?

As mentioned earlier, Korean natural farming can have tremendous benefits for your cannabis operation. For starters, this method can help you optimize your plant’s performance and health. Here are some of the best benefits of using KNF for growing cannabis:

• Since you won’t use any synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, you will save a lot of money 
• Your cannabis plants will potentially grow stronger with a tastier yield
• KNF also improves the yield significantly, as long as the genetics and the environment allow it 
• Your cannabis garden will produce zero waste as long as nutrients and irrigation are concerned 
• If you are growing cannabis in the ground, the soil of your garden will also improve and stay loamy 
• Plus, the natural inputs you use will encourage a rich microbial life within the soil 

KNF is terrific but it may not always be the best option for a few growers. This farming method requires a lot of attention and care, which may not always be possible for some growers. You’ll be investing a lot of time in learning about and formulating the inputs. 

Korean Natural Farming Input Formulas for Cannabis

We referred to natural inputs earlier in the article, but what exactly are they? In Korean natural farming, you have to use maintenance formulas — natural inputs — and there are nine of these. Depending on your goals, you can use these solutions in different dilutions and combinations to achieve the best results. 

Here are the maintenance formulas you need for practicing KNF and how to prepare them. 

1. Indigenous Microorganisms

You already know that your cannabis plant requires three macronutrients in large quantities, which are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. One of the best ways of fixing these macronutrients and other micronutrients for your cannabis plant is via microorganisms. 

So, KNF uses indigenous microorganisms, or IMO as one of its foundations to create a soil that is resilient and fertile for healthy cannabis growth. And this can be used by both indoor and outdoor cannabis who grow cannabis in soil. 

Essentially, these indigenous microorganisms metabolize the nutrients and minerals present in the soil and turn them into nutrients that are easy to absorb by the cannabis plant. This is why many expert growers always recommend taking help from microorganisms when growing cannabis. 

Korean natural farming uses various aerobic IMO, which are as follows:

a. Mycorrhizal fungi 

Mycorrhizal fungi are one of the most popular supplements for cannabis plants and for good reasons. This fungus can increase the size of your plant’s root significantly while also fixing various nutrients in the soil so they can easily be absorbed by the roots. Additionally, it can also turn plant carbs into soil amendments. 

b. Bacillus subtilis 

This is a probiotic that serves many functions for the cannabis plant. Essentially, it enhances the assimilation of nutrients within the soil while preventing unwanted, pathogenic bacteria from growing in the rhizosphere. 

c. Nematodes

These non-segmented worms are tiny in size but big in benefits. Yes, some nematodes are harmful to the soil and plants, but according to the KNF theory, 99% of these worms are beneficial and help keep the harmful varieties away from the soil. 

d. Yeast 

Yeast is one of the more popular microbial solutions used for plants, and it has found its way into KNF, too. This IMO improves soil ventilation and keeps it from going anaerobic, so other microorganisms can thrive there. Yeast also removes foul odor from the soil sometimes. 

e. Lactic acid bacteria

LAB is a type of bacteria that promotes rapid growth of the plant and makes the soil more ventilated. By adding this to your cannabis plant’s soil, you can even boost trichome production of the plant, which results in a tastier and more potent yield. 

LAB can survive near-boiling heat and lack of oxygen, and at the same time, it sterilizes the growing medium by removing any byproducts that can sometimes build up in the rhizosphere. 

f. Purple bacteria 

The next type of bacteria you can use is purple bacteria, which thrive in water with depleted oxygen levels. This bacteria produces and accumulates various high-value compounds that can improve your plant’s health and growth. 

Here’s how you can make IMO at home:

1. To make an IMO solution, you’ll need some rice. Add some FPJ (described below) and cook the rice until it’s al dente. Now, place the cooked rice in a container and cover it with paper or any breathable lid, like cloth. Place the container on a forest floor or any area where there’s visible mycelium. Areas where there are lots of plants flourishing will work very well. Finally, look at meadows and grasslands if you can’t find anything. Do this during the spring or fall when microbial activity is high. 
2. Let the containers sit there for a few days. Go back to your containers after a few days and you’ll see white or grey fuzzy fungus. This isn't mold and will resemble cotton candy. It shouldn’t be black. If it is, discard it and start over as it’s contaminated. 
3. It’s time to ferment the rice you’ve collected. Weigh the rice and mix it with equal parts of sugar. The mixture will be moist, but if you see too much moisture, add more sugar. That’s it! Now, you can store the rice and sugar IMO which can be used in all stages of your plant’s growth. 

To use it, dilute it with 1: 500 parts of water for a foliar application and 1:100 parts of water to use as a soil drench. 

2. Fermented Plant Juice 

Another pillar of Korean natural farming is fermented plant juice, which is also known as FPJ. This natural input helps fertilize your cannabis plant by adding nutrients to the soil, and you can prepare this by fermenting growing plant shoots in brown sugar for a week. 

The fermentation process releases all the nutrients in the shoots, which can then be applied to the soil. Generally, experts recommend using shoots from bamboo, sweet potato, or seaweed to prepare fermented plant juice, but you can do so with virtually any kind of vegetation. You can also use young cannabis leaves for this! Just make sure the plant you are taking the shoots from is not poisonous.

Here’s how you can make Fermented Plant Extract (FPJ):

1. To make FPJ, you will need fresh plant material such as shoots, leaves, flowers, or a combination of these as they will be the source of nutrients for your plants. In short, you’ll use leaves as they serve as a rich source of nitrogen. You will also need sugar to stimulate fermentation and encourage microbial activity. Finally, you will need clean water devoid of chlorine. 
2. Chop the plant material into pieces to increase the surface area for microbial activity and mix them in a clean container. Weigh the plant material and add equal amounts of sugar, enough to coat everything. The sugar acts as nourishment for microorganisms and promotes fermentation.
3. Fill the container with water until it covers everything to create an environment for microbial fermentation. Next, seal the container with a lid that allows air circulation but prevents contamination. A cloth will work. 
4. Find a dry, cool area to place the container for fermentation. Keep in mind that the fermentation duration varies depending on your climatic conditions, ranging from a few days to a couple of weeks. 
5. Now, you have to monitor the solution. Wait for a few days and you’ll see bubbles and a fermented smell emanating from it. This sweet smell indicates that beneficial microorganisms are being produced and nutrients are breaking down.
6. Once the fermentation is complete, strain the liquid carefully to separate the plant material from the extract.
7. Store this liquid in a tightly sealed container for future use.

You can use fermented plant juice either during the growth stage or the pre-flowering stage. Dilute FPJ with water typically using a ratio of 1:500 and apply it as a foliar during the vegetative stage. For a soil drench, use a ratio of 1:100 and drench the soil with it as a nutrient boost for the root zone. But, make sure you always dilute it and apply it after sunset.

3. Fermented Fruit Juice 

Fermented fruit juice is a cousin of fermented plant juice, and both inputs are essentially the same with a few differences. One of them is in the name itself — FFJ uses fruits instead of plants during the fermentation process.

The best fruits you can use to make fermented fruit juice are banana, squash, papaya, mango, melon, apple, strawberry, and grapes. Feel free to use any other fruits too, just make sure they are fresh and free of pesticides. 

FFJ is rich in various nutrients, including potassium, which can significantly improve hormone production in the plant, leading to a much better yield. So, it is ideal to use FFJ during the pre-flowering and flowering stages of your cannabis plant. 

To make this, all you need to do is cut the fruits into smaller pieces and ferment them in equal amounts of sugar for a week.

Here’s how you can make Fermented Fruit Juice (FFJ):

1. To make FPJ, you’ll need fresh ripe fruits that are rich in potassium. For this, fruits such as bananas, papayas, apples, etc, free of pesticides are perfect. Next, you need sugar to ferment the mixture. You can use brown sugar to speed up the process. 
2. Cut the fruits into chunks along with the peels and seeds for maximum nutrient content. 
3. Weigh the material and add equal amounts of sugar to start the fermentation process. 
4. Pour water into the container to cover the mixture and seal it with a breathable lid, like cloth. Let the mixture ferment for a few days until you start noticing bubbles forming. There should be a sweet fermented smell. Collect the solution and your FPJ is ready. 

To use FFJ dilute it with water at a ratio of 1:500 parts of water and use it as a foliar spray on the leaves. For a soil drench, dilute it with 1:100 parts of water and use. 

4. Oriental Herbal Nutrient

The Oriental herbal nutrient is a natural input that's made of garlic, ginger, cinnamon, angelica, and licorice. This is a tincture since the ingredients are dissolved in alcohol. In fact, these same herbs have been used for centuries in Korea for holistic purposes in a similar manner. 

But when it comes to plants, oriental herbal nutrients can improve the nutrient absorption rate of the plant while boosting its immune system. It also encourages the growth of beneficial bacteria while keeping pathogenic microbes at bay. And you can use OHN throughout your cannabis plant’s life cycle. 

Additionally, oriental herbal nutrients also help your plant fight off pests and pathogens like spider mites, whiteflies, aphids, fungus gnats, and powdery mildew. And it can strengthen your plant’s resistance to environmental stress factors. 

To make OHN for your cannabis plant, you can use or not use any of the herbs mentioned above; ideally, you should at least use angelica roots, licorice roots, garlic, finger, and cinnamon bark for the best results. 

You can use either hydrated or dehydrated herbs to prepare OHN, but whichever you pick, note that you have to keep the herbs in separate glass jars. If you’re using dehydrated ones you need to soak them in rice vinegar for two days, but you can skip this for fresh herbs.

After that, you need to fill the jar with herbs until it is ⅓ full and add equal amounts of sugar to the jar. Let this sit for a week, covered with cheesecloth or paper. After a week, fill the jar with liquor that contains more than 40% alcohol — vodka works best here. Stir the mixture every morning for two weeks, strain it, and store it in separate jars. 

To use it, you need to mix 1 part garlic, ginger, cinnamon, and licorice extract with 2 part angelica extract, stir, and let it rest for some time. If you plan to store it, you must keep the jar loosely covered so the gasses don’t build up within. 

5. Diluted Sea Water 

One of the easiest inputs you can use for Korean natural farming for cannabis is diluted seawater. This is because seawater is already alkaline and rich in various trace nutrients. So, if you have acidic soil and want to balance its pH level, diluted seawater can work just as well as pH-balancing solutions. 

Plus, KNF teaches that diluted seawater replenishes the soil and reduces compaction, and if you use it during the late bloom stage, it can even make the buds sweeter. You can also ferment seawater with mugwort and rice to treat fungal diseases and add fulvic and humic acids to it to improve your plant’s drought resistance. 

6. Brown Rice Vinegar 

Brown rice vinegar or BRV acts as a cleanser for the plant in Korean natural farming. Essentially, this formula is used on vegetative cannabis plants and it forms a waxy layer on the plant, which improves the plant’s resistance to insects and diseases. Additionally, brown rice vinegar also restricts bacteria growth and sterilizes the plant. 

To make BRV for KNF, you need to ferment rice grains and water, which results in vinegar. To speed up the process, you’ll have to add a bit of “mother” from a different vinegar. 

7. Fish Amino Acid (FAA)

Fish amino acid is made from fish waste, and it can be an excellent input for cannabis plants and soil microbes. This input is rich in various amino acids and other nutrients, and it is one of the best sources of nitrogen for cannabis plants. 

FAA can be used either as a soil drench or foliar spray, and in either case, this can increase your plant’s yield while enhancing the flavors of the buds. To make this, you need to ferment fish material in equal amounts of brown sugar. 

Fish Amino Acid is perfect for enhancing photosynthesis and nutrient uptake and also provides nitrogen to plants. You can use it during the vegetative stage but foliar application during the flowering stage will not be harmful either since it improves the overall health of your plant. Here’s how you can make Fish Amino Acid at home:

1. You’ll need some fish scraps or waste such as guts, bones, heads, etc. Next, get some brown sugar and water without chlorine. You can leave some water in a bucket outdoors for about 24-48 hours to remove the chlorine. 
2. Next, chop the fish waste into pieces and combine it with sugar in your container. The sugar must be equal to the weight of the fish. 
3. Pour water into the container to cover it all and seal it with a breathable lid to start the fermentation process. Allow this mixture to ferment until it turns brownish in color and develops a strong fishy smell. Collect the solution and your FAA is ready to be used. 

Again, to use FAA, you need to dilute it in 1:500 parts of water as a foliar spray and 1:100 parts of water as a soil drench. 

8. Water Soluble Calcium 

Water soluble calcium is a source of calcium for the cannabis plant, which improves the plant’s cell processes, bud development, and root growth. Typically, organic calcium sources need some time to react; however, this liquid calcium solution acts pretty fast. This formula is prepared by mixing a weak acid-like vinegar with eggshells and allowed to ferment. 

Here’s how you can make WSC at home:

1. You’ll need, eggshells or bones, vinegar, and some non-chlorinated water. Clean the eggshells and crush them into smaller pieces. These will serve as a source of calcium. You can also roast the shells to remove any contamination. 
2. Next, mix the eggshells with vinegar in a container so the acid in the vinegar extracts the calcium. Now, cover the mixture with water and seal the container using a breathable lid.
3. Allow the mixture to steep for weeks, but shake it periodically. You’ll see bubbles every now and then. Once the bubbles are gone, collect the solution, and your WSC is ready to be used. 

To use this calcium solution, add 4 ml to 1 gallon of water as a soil drench. Dilute it in 1:1000 parts of water to use a foliar spray. Use it in the morning or after sunset to avoid burning the leaves. 

9. Fermented Mixed Compost 

The last formula used in Korean natural farming is fermented mixed compost. Here’s the thing — if you already use compost for growing cannabis, you are already there and this formula is not required. But if you don’t use compost, this is worth a try. 

If you want to get started with this, you need to start the composting process in late fall, when the microbial life that’s required for fermentation is active. Add organic matter like fruit and vegetable waste, leaves, stray, seaweed, etc. to the compost. You also need to add a lot of fish waste without the bones — at least 25% of the compost should be fish waste. Your fermented mixed compost should be ready within a month. 

How to Use KNF to Grow Cannabis?

Korean natural farming is relatively straightforward to use, and perhaps the best thing about it is that it can be used throughout your plant’s life cycle. The focus is on taking a natural approach. Here’s a step-by-step process for incorporating KNF into your cannabis cultivation:

1. Understand the Principles of KNF

To begin with, familiarize yourself with the principles of Korean Natural Farming. This includes maintaining a balanced ecosystem that promotes indigenous microorganisms with natural amendments. 

2. Prepare the Soil

Like always, you have to prepare the soil for your plants. Just like you’d start with a base while making super soil, for instance, you can start by creating a nutrient-rich soil mix using organic garden soil. You can add worm castings or compost and mix the soil well to ensure it's free of clumps and aerated. 

3. Use IMO and FPJ to soak the seeds and as a clone dip. 
4. Drench the growing medium in OMO for a few days before transplanting young plants into it. 
5. Use FAA during the vegetative stage since it is rich in nitrogen and can boost your plant growth. 
6. Use WSC as a foliar spray and LAB to improve the plant’s growth and resistance to pests. 
7. Use OHN throughout the plant’s life cycle to fight off mold and pests. 
8. Use FFJ during the flowering stage since it is rich in potassium, which is required in major quantity during bloom  

KNF inputs can be used in one of two ways: soil drench or foliar spray, depending on the type of formula. 

Summary: Your Guide to Korean Natural Farming (KNF) To Grow Cannabis Plants

Korean natural farming is an excellent way to grow cannabis in an organic and eco-friendly manner, and it builds on the traditional wisdom that’s perfected by Korean (and Japanese) farmers. 

KNF is a sustainable way of growing cannabis that uses indigenous microorganisms and organic materials, replacing store-bought fertilizers and amendments. This system is an all-encompassing method that boosts your plant’s growth and health, improves yields, and reduces your reliance on chemical fertilizers and pesticides. 

So, what are you waiting for? Use this guide to get started and try your hand at Korean natural farming.