All rights reserved.

No part of this manual may be used or reproduced without written

permission except in cases of brief quotations embodied in articles and books.

The information in this manual is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. All

recommendations are made without guarantee on the part of the author and TeraGanix,

Inc. The author and publisher disclaim any liability in connection with the use or misuse

of this information.

EM®, EM•1®, EM Technology®, EM·X®, Pro EM·1®, EM Super Cera®, EM·X Gold®, and Effective

Microorganisms® are either registered trademarks or trademarks of EM Research

Organization, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries.

About TeraGanix, Inc.

®
TeraGanix, Inc. is the exclusive distributor of all EM Technology products
throughout the USA and Canada. Contact TeraGanix at:

Telephone: 866.369.3678 x81

Fax: 817.394.1426
email: info@teraganix.com
Web URL: www.teraganix.com
US Mail: 14193 US HWY 69 South, Alto, TX 75925

To Place an Order:
Online: Go to www.teraganix.com and choose “Shop” or “Products” to browse
our online catalog. For advice on what to order, choose “Solutions” for product
use guidelines and application rates.

Phone: Call 866.369.3678 x81 between 8am - 4pm EST. A customer service
representative can answer questions or take your order.
 ®

Contents

Introduction ................... 4

Combining With Nutrients ................... 6

Growing Media & Planting ................... 7

Water Conditioning ................... 8

Hydroponics Systems ................... 10

Foliar Applications ................... 11

Cut Flowers ................... 12

Crop Residues ................... 13

Maintenance & Equipment ............. 14

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Introduction

What is EM Technology®?

Introduced in 1982, EM Technology® is widely used in over 120

countries to promote plant vigor and root growth of healthier
plants and crops, clean water, control odor, manage wastes,
and promote healthier people and animals.

The original, authentic Effective Microorganisms® product,

EM•1®, is a liquid microbial product including thirty strains from
three groups of naturally occurring beneficial bacteria: Yeast,
Photosynthetic Bacteria, and Lactic Acid Bacteria. EM•1® works
together with microbes in the area to which it is added to
promote a healthy environment for beneficial microorganisms
and larger forms of life including insects and worms, pets and
livestock, and people.

EM•1® provides a broad spectrum of beneficial microorganisms,

enzymes, trace minerals, and various organic acids, all essential
ingredients to support healthy soil and plants. The microbes
also support the growth of other beneficial organisms like
mychorrizae, worms, and insects already in your soil, bringing
nature back in balance. The microbes convert organic matter
to a usable food source for plants, making fruits and vegetables
taste better, and they will be more nutritious and last longer.
Microbes produce polysaccharides that feed mycorrhyzae,
which in turn produce glomalin (glomalin-related soil proteins
or GRSP). Glomalin is the glue that holds the soil together and
retains moisture, improving drought resistance. Both humates
and glomalin contribute to soil stability.

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EM•1® Microbial Inoculant has been used in greenhouse
operations around the world. Some of the largest floral growers
in Latin America have been using it for years. Both vegetable
and floral crops are grown commercially around the world with
EM•1®.

Healthy soils grow healthy plants. Healthy soils require organic

matter, like compost, microbes, and moisture to support an
environment that suppresses diseases and helps plants absorb
nutrients. The result is strong plants and healthier flowers and
higher quality fruits and vegetables that naturally resist diseases
and pest. Both soils and soilless media treated, and hydroponic
systems also benefit from the use of EM Technology®. This
brief document provides information for treating plants,
water systems, and the entire greenhouse environment. EM
Technology® can improve many aspects of greehouse growing,
from plant vigor and root growth, to water conditioning, and
operations support.

Also use in composting, soil

conditioning and for growing
flowers, lawn and grass, trees
and shrubs, vegetables and
garden ponds.

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Combining With Nutrients

EM•1® Microbial Inoculant is a solution of beneficial microbes
and metabolites. These metabolites contain dozens of
enzymes, trace minerals, some plant hormones, and organic
and amino acids. EM•1® is not a replacement for nutrients
required to sustain complete plant growth. You still need to
add nutrients according to plant needs. Simply add EM•1® as
part of your nutrient mix.

Mix a nutrient solution of 1.5% in water. Mix in EM•1® at 3-5%

of the total mix and apply with irrigation water.

If watering more than once daily, EM•1® can be added

continuously at a rate of 1:10,000 in the water lines using an
injection pump.

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 Growing Media and Planting
Potting soil and soil-less media are often sterile. They lack the
beneficial microbes in the media to convert nutrients for the
plants, to synthesize vitamins and polysaccharides, and to
increase the growth of other beneficial microbes that support
plant health and vigor. Add 1oz of EM•1® per 20lbs of potting
soil or soil-less media. Mixing potting soil on site offers a great
opportunity to inoculate with EM•1®. Simply mix 1-2 gallons per
cubic yard of material.

Soaking seeds in an EM•1® solution stimulates seed germination

which increases germination rates and generates healthier and
sturdier seedlings at the same time. Applying EM•1® to the media
at the time of transplanting helps seedlings by conditioning the
soil and converting organic materials into rich humus food for
plants. Note the extensive branching root system of the Gerbera
below, after treatment with EM•1®.

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Water Conditioning
Water retains traces of everything that comes into contact
with it. Small particles in the water, or dissolved solids, have
tiny charged ions that cause solids particles to stick together
with the water molecules, forming clusters of water molecules
with impurities trapped inside.

Conditioning the water means breaking up these molecule

clusters and removing the impurities. Since the molecules are
ionized, we can do this effectively by using a charge to pull the
clusters apart. EM-X® Ceramics helps to maintain clean water
lines from scale and other build up. Over time, the pores in
the ceramics will be plugged with the dissolved solids. The
ceramics can easily be cleaned and recharged by soaking
them in EM•1® for 24 hours. To set up a water conditioning
unit, fill a filter housing with K-type ceramics and install the
filter on a water line. 35mm ceramic pipes can be used to
make an in-line unit similar to the one pictured on the right.
These units are installed after a filter and are best if set up as
part of a circulation system.

Water Systems: EM•1® can be used in various types of water

systems from overhead irrigation, to ebb and floor to hand
watering. The application rates vary for each, as do the
injection points.

No Re-circulation: Water systems where the water is not re-

circulated, but filtered, inject EM•1® after the filter unit. Attach
directly to the water line at or near the same point as where
nutrients are injected.

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Hand Watering: Use a tank mix or injector in the water line. Tank
mixes with nutrients are OK as long as the mixture is diluted
with water. Generally, add a 3-5% solution of EM•1® with a 1.5%
nutrient solution.

Re-circulation Systems: Inject EM•1® at a rate of 1:500 at the

return water point.

Flushing The System: Microbes clean out slime and also grow
their own bio-film. This film can plug emitters. Depending on
water quality and the nutrient solution you use, you will need to
periodically flush the system. This may be bi-weekly, monthly, or
longer. When flushing, turn off EM•1® injection, remove emitters,
run a chlorine dioxide or peroxide solution to disinfect, and flush
with clean water. Re-connect the EM•1® and resume injection.
Reports from experiments with ceramics have demonstrated their
antioxidant effects in preventing rusting, increasing freshness in
refrigerators and extending the life of cooking oils.

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Hydroponic Systems

Hydroponic systems benefit from regular injection of EM•1®.

These systems generally lack the beneficial microbes in
the media to convert nutrients for the plants, to synthesize
vitamins and polysaccharides, and to increase the growth of
other beneficial microbes that support plant health and vigor.

Add EM•1® to the water line at a rate of 1:1,000 and maintain

that inoculation rate with each new addition of water.

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 Foliar Applications

Plants can get supplemental feeding through their leaves

through a foliar feeding program. If set up correctly, a large
amount of nutrients can be fed to the plants this way. You
cannot over apply: even spraying 5-8 times per day will benefit
plants. For best results, add EM•1® Microbial Inoculant at a
3% solution and spray at least 1 time per week. During times
of high disease pressure, apply 3 or more times per week. If
you have an automated fogging or misting system, apply at
a 1:1,000 rate and run continuously. Make sure you have the
correct concentration of micro nutrients in solution and climate
conditions to prevent phyto-toxic damage

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Cut Flowers

The high levels of beneficial enzymes and organic acids in

®
EM•1 help keep equipment clean and also help cut flowers to
maintain their freshness for longer.

Cleaning buckets and troughs:

®
Clean with a 1:100 (EM•1 : water) solution.

Preventing Shrink:
®
1 teaspoon EM•1 per gallon of water
1/4 teaspoon EM Super Cera® powder

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 Crop Residues

All plant wastes can be used to make compost on site. Adding

EM•1® Microbial Inoculant will accelerate the break down of
these materials into compost. An alternative method is to
created fermented material using a process we call Bokashi.

For composting, add one gallon of Activated EM•1® per cubic

yard of material and follow normal composting procedures. This
will not only speed up the composting process, but will increase
the total number of aerobic microbes in the finished product.
For the fermented, or Bokashi, method chop or grind the plant
wastes to ¼ inch or smaller, then add one gallon EM•1® per cubic
yard of material, plus one gallon of molasses, and enough water
to achieve 30-35% moisture. Finally, cover pile and allow to rest
for a minimum of 4 weeks.

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Maintenance & Equipment

Evaporative Cooling Systems

Evaporative coolers tend to develop problems in the cooling

pads as mineral deposits and algae clog the pads. As this occurs,
the efficiency of the unit decreases dramatically and starts to
harbor disease-causing bacteria. Keep the unit running clean
by injecting EM•1® Microbial Inoculant at a rate of 1:10,000 on
a continuous injection with fresh water. This will also serve as
a foliar feed system when the cooler is running.

Floors

With all the nutrients in the area, floors tend to get messy and
slippery. The microbes in EM•1® Microbial Inoculant can digest
these nutrients, keeping the floor free of slip hazards. If an
area tends to get worse than others, EM•1® Microbial Inoculant
can either be sprayed with a pressure washer or hose end
sprayer, or used in mop buckets. If using a floor machine, add
10 ounces to the water reservoir to clean.

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Special problems

Sometimes the corners or the glass in a greenhouse gets dirty

or covered with scale. To avoid this, periodically wash down
with a solution of EM•1® Microbial Inoculant and water, using
1 ounce of EM•1® per gallon of water. If the areas are already
dirty and scaled, clean and/or scrape them, using the above
mixture as a cleaning solution.

Spray greenhouse glazing with EM•1® diluted to 1oz per gallon
of water (1:128) weekly or bi-weekly to clean glazing and
maximize light transfer.

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 TeraGanix, Inc

16
Presorted Standard
14193 US Highway 69 South U.S. Postage
Alto, TX 75925 PAID
Coupon Code: _______
866.369.3678 Forth Worth, TX
Permit No. 194
®

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