How to make Oriental Herbal Nutrient (OHN) for natural farming

By Ellaine Kryss Hubilla

Oriental Herbal Nutrient (OHN) is used in natural, also known as organic, farming to restrain the growth of anaerobic bacteria, which usually thrives without the presence of oxygen, that can cause diseases in plants. OHN is used not only to prevent these pathogenic bacteria from harming crops, but also to promote aerobic microorganisms that benefit the soil and  plants by improving their resilience to various environmental stresses like wind, heat, drought, and so on.

OHN is a mixture of edible, aromatic herb extracts. Herbs with prebiotic components such as ginger root (Zingiber officinale), turmeric root (Curcuma longa), garlic cloves (Allium sativum), licorice root (Glycurrhiza uralensis), and cinnamon bark (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) are usually used. The prebiotic elements found in these herbs encourage the growth and activity of beneficial microorganisms like bacteria and fungi that can help enrich the soil.

Materials:

1 kilogram garlic cloves

1 kilogram ginger

200 grams Muscovado (or 1 liter of molasses)

2.2 liters of pure coconut vinegar

200 grams of chilli

100 grams of Panyawan, a.k.a Makabuhay (Tinospora rumphii)

Procedure:

1. Skin the garlic and ginger (or any combination of herbs of your choice) and cut garlic cloves in half and slice ginger into quarter of an inch.
2. Mix the sliced herbs with 1 liter of molasses.
3. Cover the mixture tightly and seal the container with masking tape.
4. Label the mixture with the name and the date of fermentation, then leave it for 3-5 days.
5. After the first stage of fermentation, open the cover then add 2.2 liters of pure coconut vinegar.
6. Cover the mixture again and seal it with masking tape, leave it for 10 days
7. After 10 days, extract the liquid to another container. Label it ‘first extraction.’ This is the only time you can use the mixture as feed for animals.
8. After the first extraction, add 200 grams of chilli and 100 grams of panyawan, leave it for 10 days.
9. After 10 days, proceed to the second extraction. Repeat the procedure in number 8 for the third extraction.

Dosage: 

Mix 2 tablespoons of OHN with 1 liter of clean water. In severe cases, double the dosage if needed.

Application:

For plants, use the second and third extraction. Prepare the same dosage and spray it on the plant parts affected by insects. Do this 1 to 3 times a week. Stop the application when there are no more insects or pests.

For animals, use the first extraction only. Mix the prebiotic with drinking water using the  dosage indicated above. Do this 2 to 4 times a week.