Updated 2026 | Organic Farming
Juan Magsasaka has covered Korean Natural Farming inputs since 2015. This 2026 pillar brings the full Liquid Organic Fertilizer series together in one place, with corrected nutrient figures, current material costs, and a ready-to-use application schedule.
Every peso a small farm spends on imported inorganic fertilizer is a peso that could stay in the household instead. Liquid Organic Fertilizer, built from materials most households already throw away such as overripe fruit, fish trash, weeds, and animal manure, is one of the most accessible ways for a Filipino farmer to cut that cost without cutting yield. What has changed since our original 2015 guides is not the technique, it still works exactly as taught by DOST-PCARRD, but the pricing, the corrected nutrient data, and a clearer picture of how the four inputs fit together into one program.
📋 Table of Contents
- Why Make Your Own Liquid Organic Fertilizer
- The Four Core LOF Types: Comparison at a Glance
- General Materials and Equipment You Need
- Fermented Plant Juice (FPJ): The Growth Booster
- Fermented Fruit Juice (FFJ): The Flower and Fruit Booster
- Fish Amino Acid (FAA): The Nitrogen Powerhouse
- Tea Manure (TM): The Micronutrient Tonic
- Cost of Production, 2026 Estimates
- Building Your LOF Application Schedule
- Storage, Safety, and Mistakes to Avoid
- Frequently Asked Questions
- All Juan Magsasaka Organic Farming Guides in One Place
1 Why Make Your Own Liquid Organic Fertilizer
Liquid Organic Fertilizer is a general term for nutrient extracts produced by fermenting plant material, fruit, fish waste, or animal manure with sugar or water. The sugar draws out juice and nutrients through osmosis, and the resulting liquid feeds both the crop and the soil microorganisms that make nutrients available to plant roots. None of the four inputs in this guide require special equipment. A basin, a plastic pail, and a glass jar are usually enough to start.
The four inputs are not interchangeable. Each is built around a different nutrient strength and crop stage, which is why most organic farms use two or three of them together in a rotation rather than relying on a single input all season.
2 The Four Core LOF Types: Comparison at a Glance
| LOF Type | Main Material | Fermentation Time | Best Used For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fermented Plant Juice (FPJ) | Young shoots, leafy weeds, kangkong tips, madre de cacao shoots | 5 to 7 days | Vegetative growth, leaf development |
| Fermented Fruit Juice (FFJ) | Ripe banana, papaya, squash, root crops | 7 days | Flowering and fruit setting |
| Fish Amino Acid (FAA) | Spoiled fish, fish trash: bones, heads, internal organs | 30 days | Nitrogen source, vegetative stage |
| Tea Manure (TM) | Partially dried cow, carabao, horse, or sheep manure | 7 days | Micronutrients, quick deficiency relief |
3 General Materials and Equipment You Need
- Ceramic pot, plastic pail, or plastic drum, sized to your batch volume
- Basin, wooden ladle, kitchen knife, chopping board
- Crude sugar, locally called muscovado, or molasses
- Net bag or cloth bag, string or rubber band, marking pen
- Dark colored glass jars for storage
- A cool, dry, shaded storage area, away from ants, cockroaches, and household pets
4 Fermented Plant Juice (FPJ): The Growth Booster
FPJ is made from young, actively growing shoots and leaves, most commonly kangkong tips, sweet potato tops, or madre de cacao shoots, harvested early in the morning while sugar and enzyme activity in the plant tissue peak. The shoots are chopped and mixed with an equal weight of crude sugar, then packed into a container and left to ferment for 5 to 7 days in a cool, shaded place. Because the plant material is actively growing, FPJ is highest in natural growth hormones and enzymes, and is most often used as a starter tonic for seedlings and during the leafy, vegetative stage of a crop, diluted at roughly 1 to 2 tablespoons per liter of water.
5 Fermented Fruit Juice (FFJ): The Flower and Fruit Booster
FFJ is made from sweet, ripe fruits, fruit vegetables, and root crops, blended with sugar and fermented for a short period. The extract is applied to promote flowering and fruit setting because ripe fruit is naturally rich in phosphorus and potassium.
Choosing Materials
- Locally produced, free from insect pests and disease
- Not fit for human consumption, overripe or reject-grade produce works well
Good options include ripe banana, papaya, strawberry, chico, ripe squash, matured carrot, camote, cassava, and gabi. Citrus fruits are not recommended, since their acidity interferes with fermentation. A combination of banana, papaya, and squash is widely used because it has been shown to be effective for flower induction and fruit setting.
Steps in Making FFJ
- Collect ripe, pest-free fruits or vegetables that are in season.
- Chop the materials into small pieces so the juice extracts easily.
- Mix 1 kg chopped material with 1 kg crude sugar or molasses in a basin, using your hands to coat every piece.
- Pack the mixture into a net bag or cloth bag, place it inside a pail or ceramic pot, and weigh it down with a stone.
- Cover the pail with paper or cloth and secure with string, leaving room for gas to escape. Label the container with the processing date and expected harvest date.
- Store for 7 days in a cool, dry, shaded place, protected from cockroaches and mice. The extract will turn from yellow orange to brown and smell sweet and slightly alcoholic. After 7 days, squeeze the bag to extract the remaining juice.
- Strain into a dark glass jar, cover loosely to let gas escape, and store in a cool, shaded place. Letting it rest one more week before use improves potency.
Uses and Application Rates
- Flower inducer and fruit setter: spray on leaves at 2 to 4 tablespoons per gallon of water, starting at flowering through fruit set.
- Soil microbial activator: apply directly to soil at 1 teaspoon per liter of water.
- Compost accelerator: spray onto animal bedding or compost piles to speed decomposition.
- Livestock and human drink: a 20 percent FFJ solution is used as a refreshing drink for both people and livestock.
6 Fish Amino Acid (FAA): The Nitrogen Powerhouse
FAA is made from spoiled fish and fish trash, such as bones, heads, internal organs, and skin, combined with crude sugar and fermented for about 30 days. It is one of the most accessible nitrogen sources for coastal and inland farms alike, since fish trash is available free or at low cost from wet markets, fish ports, and processing plants.
Choosing Materials
- Not fit for human consumption
- Already considered waste
- Free from chemical contamination
- Free or available at low cost
Steps in Making FAA
- Collect fish trash from the marketplace, fish port, or processing plant. Collection frequency depends on your production volume.
- Chop the materials into small pieces to make juice extraction easier.
- Mix 3 kg chopped fish material with 1 kg crude sugar or molasses in a basin, coating every piece thoroughly.
- Transfer the mixture into a glass jar or plastic pail.
- Cover with cloth or paper and secure with string. This allows air in and lets fermentation gas escape.
- Label the cover with the processing date and expected harvest date.
- Store for 4 weeks in a cool, dry, shaded place, secured against pests and pets.
- Strain the fermented extract into a dark colored glass jar, cover with paper, and store in a cool, dark place.
Uses and Application Rates
- Nitrogen source: foliar spray during vegetative stage at 1 teaspoon per liter of water, or apply directly to soil to boost microbial activity.
- Compost accelerator: apply to compost piles as an energy source for decomposing microorganisms.
Why Use FAA
- Raw materials are always available and inexpensive.
- Safe to handle, with low risk even if accidentally ingested.
- Slow nutrient release provides a steady nitrogen supply.
7 Tea Manure (TM): The Micronutrient Tonic
Tea Manure is the liquid produced by soaking partially dried manure from cows, carabaos, horses, or sheep in water for one week. Unlike FAA or FFJ, TM is not fermented with sugar. It is closer to a mineral steeping process, and the result is a dark brown liquid rich in trace elements and micronutrients rather than a concentrated nitrogen source.
Choosing Materials
- Partially dried manure from sheep, cow, carabao, or horse
- Rainwater or underground water, free from chemical contaminants
- A sturdy plastic drum, since metal containers can rust
Steps in Making TM
- Collect one sack of partially dried cow, carabao, or horse manure.
- Place the manure inside a plastic or jute sack to form a tea bag.
- Lower the manure tea bag into a 200-liter plastic drum, weighed down with a stone.
- Pour in water, leaving a 20 percent air gap, and cover with cloth or net.
- Soak for one week.
- The tea is ready when it turns a rich dark brown.
Uses and Application Rates
- Foliar fertilizer: dilute with an equal amount of water and spray weekly through the growth cycle.
- Soil drench: apply undiluted before planting.
- Micronutrient boost: dilute with an equal amount of water and apply to soil for extra energy and trace minerals for microbial life.
- Compost activator: pour undiluted TM over a compost heap to spread moisture, beneficial microbes, and nutrients evenly.
TM is low risk. Because nutrient concentration is low compared to FAA or FPJ, there is effectively no danger of overdosing a crop with it, making it a good choice for beginners who are still learning application rates.
8 Cost of Production, 2026 Estimates
Actual cost depends heavily on your region, whether materials are free or purchased, and current sugar prices. As a general reference, wholesale raw sugar in the Philippines runs about 46 to 54 pesos per kilo in 2026, with retail wet market prices typically higher. Use the figures below as a planning guide rather than an exact quote, and check current prices with your local supplier before budgeting a larger batch.
| Input | Main Cost Driver | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| FPJ | Sugar only, if shoots are gathered locally | Lowest cost input, material is often free |
| FFJ | Sugar plus fruit, if not already free | Succeeding batches cost less since only sugar and fruit are repurchased |
| FAA | Sugar plus storage jar | Fish trash is usually free or very low cost from fish ports |
| TM | Manure sack only | No sugar needed, drum is a one-time investment |
9 Building Your LOF Application Schedule
- Seedling to vegetative stage: FPJ for growth hormones, FAA for nitrogen
- Mid growth, general maintenance: Tea Manure weekly as a foliar micronutrient boost
- Flowering to fruiting: FFJ to support flower induction and fruit setting
- Ongoing: FFJ or FAA sprayed onto compost piles or animal bedding to speed up decomposition
10 Storage, Safety, and Mistakes to Avoid
- Always label containers with the processing date and expected harvest date.
- Keep containers covered with breathable material, not sealed airtight, so fermentation gas can escape.
- Store in a cool, dry, shaded area away from cockroaches, mice, and household pets.
- Use dark colored glass jars for finished extracts to slow further breakdown from light exposure.
- Always dilute before foliar application, undiluted FAA or FFJ can burn leaf tissue.
11 Frequently Asked Questions
Can I replace commercial fertilizer completely with LOF?
LOF works best as a supplement that improves soil biology and reduces fertilizer cost over time, particularly for backyard and small-scale organic operations. Larger commercial plantings often still combine LOF with a base application of compost or reduced-rate inorganic fertilizer.
How long can I store finished LOF?
Properly sealed in a dark glass jar and kept in a cool, shaded place, most LOF extracts remain usable for several months. Potency does slowly decline over time, so producing in batches sized to your actual usage is more efficient than stockpiling.
Is rice straw compost the same as LOF?
No. Rice straw composting produces a solid soil conditioner over two to three months, while LOF inputs are liquid extracts used mainly as foliar sprays or soil drenches. The two are complementary, FFJ or FAA can even be sprayed onto a rice straw compost pile to speed up decomposition. See our separate Rice Straw Composting Guide for the full compost process.
12 All Juan Magsasaka Organic Farming Guides in One Place
Every related topic mentioned in this pillar has, or is planned to have, a dedicated article on this site. Use this as your navigation hub.
Turn rice straw waste into solid compost using the JICA-PhilRice technology. Existing Guide →🌿 Browse All Organic Farming Guides
See the complete Juan Magsasaka organic farming library. Full Library →
Tags: Liquid Organic Fertilizer Philippines, FAA Organic Fertilizer, FFJ Organic Fertilizer, Fermented Plant Juice, Tea Manure Organic Fertilizer, Korean Natural Farming Philippines, DIY Organic Fertilizer
Source reference: content adapted from the DOST-PCARRD online course on Organic Fertilizer for Sustainable Agriculture, cross-checked against published nutrient data for fish-based organic amendments. Figures and prices are provided as planning estimates, always confirm current local prices and lab-tested nutrient values before large-scale production.
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