Updated 2026 | Organic Farming
Fermented Plant Juice, or FPJ, is one of the oldest tricks in Korean Natural Farming, and one of the cheapest inputs a Filipino farmer can produce. It uses young, fast growing plants such as kangkong tips or madre de cacao shoots, materials most farms already have growing along the fence line, and turns them into a growth tonic in about a week using nothing but sugar and time.
📋 Table of Contents
1 What Is Fermented Plant Juice
FPJ is made from axillary buds, young leaves, fast growing plant tips, and young fruits, mixed with crude sugar or molasses and left to ferment. The sugar draws juice out of the plant tissue through osmosis, and that juice carries out enzymes, natural growth hormones, and the community of microorganisms that live on every leaf surface. The finished liquid is applied to leaves and growing points, watered into the soil around the plant, or sprayed onto compost heaps and animal bedding to boost microbial activity.
Because it comes from actively growing plant tissue, FPJ is prized in Korean Natural Farming specifically for the growth stage of a crop, from germination through the vegetative period before flowering. It is not a nitrogen powerhouse like Fish Amino Acid, and it is not a flowering trigger like Fermented Fruit Juice. Its job is to push young plants to grow strong and fast.
2 Choosing the Right Plant Materials
Good FPJ starts with the right raw material. Choose plants that are:
- Young and fresh, harvested at their most active growth stage
- Free from insect pests and disease
- Abundant in your production area, so you are not stripping a crop you actually need
- Free from chemical contamination, meaning no recent pesticide or synthetic fertilizer application
Strong options include kangkong tips, legumes, and fast growing grasses, along with bamboo shoots, asparagus shoots, and the young growing tips of cucumber, squash, melon, watermelon, ampalaya, and other cucurbits. Weed species already growing in your field, young tree leaves, banana trunk tissue, and the young leaves and fruits of stress tolerant crops also work well and cost nothing to gather.
3 Equipment and Ingredients You Need
- Basin, ceramic pot, or plastic pail
- Net bag or cloth bag
- Paper or cloth for covering the container
- String or rubber band
- A stone or other clean weight
- Bolo or kitchen knife, plus a chopping board
- Marking pen, for labeling dates
- Dark colored glass jars for storage
- Crude sugar or molasses, whichever is available at the lower price in your area
4 Step-by-Step: Making FPJ
- Collect plant materials early in the morning while they are fresh and their natural microorganism population is highest. Do not wash the materials, since rinsing removes the microbes you need for fermentation.
- Cut the plant materials into small pieces so the juice extracts more easily.
- In a basin, mix 3 kg of chopped plant material with 1 kg of crude sugar or molasses. Mix thoroughly by hand so every piece is coated in sugar.
- Pack the mixture into a net bag or cloth bag so the extracted juice can ooze out from all sides.
- Place the bagged mixture into a ceramic pot or plastic pail, and weigh it down with a clean stone to compress the material.
- Cover the pot or pail with paper or cloth, secured with string or a rubber band. This allows air in and lets fermentation gas escape. Write the processing date and expected harvest date on the cover.
- Store the container in a cool, dry, shaded place for 7 days. Keep the storage area free of cockroaches and mice, since they will feed on the mixture and contaminate the extract.
- After 7 days, lift the bagged mixture and squeeze it firmly to extract the remaining juice.
- Strain the fermented extract into a dark colored glass jar. Cover with paper or cloth, not an airtight lid, so gas can continue to escape, then store in a cool, shaded place. FPJ becomes more effective if left to rest for one additional week before use.
5 Signs Your FPJ Is Ready
Over the 7 day fermentation period, the plant extract shifts in color from green to yellow, then finally to brown. A properly fermented batch smells sweet and slightly alcoholic, similar to fermented fruit. If the leftover plant residue after straining still smells fresh and grassy rather than sweet, give it a few more days before harvesting.
6 Uses and Application Rates
- Seed treatment: soak seeds in a 0.2 percent FPJ solution for 4 to 5 hours before sowing to encourage faster, more even germination.
- Growth enhancer: mix 1 teaspoon of FPJ per liter of water and spray on leaves, or apply directly to the soil around the plant, from seedling stage through the pre-flowering stage. Apply weekly, or adjust frequency based on how the plant is responding.
- Soil microbial activator: apply diluted FPJ to the soil as an energy source for beneficial microorganisms, which in turn makes more nutrients available to plant roots.
- Livestock drink: add FPJ to livestock drinking water at 1 tablespoon per liter to support gut microbial activity and improve nutrient absorption.
- Compost and bedding accelerator: spray onto animal bedding or compost piles to speed up manure and organic matter breakdown.
7 FPJ Dilution Rates by Growth Stage
| Growth Stage | Method | Dilution | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-sowing | Seed soak | 0.2% solution | 4 to 5 hours, once |
| Seedling to vegetative | Foliar spray or soil drench | 1 tsp per liter of water | Weekly |
| Pre-flowering | Foliar spray | 1 tsp per liter of water | Taper off as flowering approaches |
| Livestock | Drinking water additive | 1 tbsp per liter | As needed |
8 Mistakes to Avoid
- Washing the plant material before chopping. This rinses away the surface microorganisms that drive the fermentation.
- Harvesting late in the day. Morning harvest catches plants while enzyme and microbial activity is at its peak.
- Using an airtight lid. Fermentation gas needs somewhere to go. A sealed jar can build pressure or force the lid off.
- Applying FPJ to dry soil. Water the soil first, then apply diluted FPJ, to avoid scorching the roots.
- Skipping the label. With several batches of different LOF inputs going at once, an unlabeled jar is easy to mix up or forget entirely.
9 Storage and Shelf Life
Store finished FPJ in a dark colored glass jar, covered with breathable paper or cloth rather than a sealed lid, in a cool, shaded place away from direct sunlight. Kept this way, most farmers report FPJ stays usable for several months, with some batches holding up well past six months. Potency does gradually decline over time, so it is best to produce FPJ in batches sized to what you will realistically use within a season rather than stockpiling a large supply.
10 Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between FPJ and FFJ?
FPJ is made from young, actively growing plant tissue and is used mainly during the vegetative growth stage. FFJ is made from ripe fruit and is used to support flowering and fruit setting. They are companion inputs used at different points in the crop cycle rather than substitutes for each other.
Can I mix different plant materials in one FPJ batch?
Yes. Many farmers combine kangkong tips, legume shoots, and fast growing weeds in the same batch. A mixed batch often produces a broader range of enzymes and microbial activity than a single-plant batch.
Is FPJ a substitute for complete fertilizer?
No. FPJ supplies growth hormones, enzymes, and beneficial microorganisms rather than a full spectrum of major nutrients. It works best as part of a rotation with Fish Amino Acid for nitrogen, Tea Manure for micronutrients, and Fermented Fruit Juice for flowering and fruiting.
11 More Organic Farming Guides
FPJ is one piece of a full organic fertility program. Continue building your system with these related guides.
FFJ, FAA, and Tea Manure production, costs, and application rates. Existing Guide →🌾 Rice Straw Composting Guide
Turn rice straw waste into solid compost using urea and the JICA-PhilRice method. Existing Guide →
Tags: Fermented Plant Juice Philippines, FPJ Organic Fertilizer, Korean Natural Farming Philippines, Kangkong Fertilizer, DIY Organic Fertilizer, Organic Farming Tips
Source reference: content adapted from the DOST-PCARRD online course on Organic Fertilizer for Sustainable Agriculture, cross-checked against standard Korean Natural Farming production practices. Application rates are general guidelines, always test on a small area first when trying FPJ on a new crop.
0 Comments