How to Make FFJ Fertilizer: Fruit Ferments & JADAM

Fermented Fruit Juice (FFJ) is a sugar-extracted fruit preparation used in Korean Natural Farming. It is not the same as water-based JADAM Liquid Fertilizer (JLF), and neither is a laboratory-standardised NPK product. Choose one method, record the ingredients, and follow its own preparation and application guidance.

FFJ, FPJ and JADAM: understand the difference

FFJ uses fruit and brown sugar. Fermented Plant Juice (FPJ) uses other plant material; the names describe the input, not a guaranteed nutrient analysis. The Pure KNF Foundation sugar-ratio guidance distinguishes fruit from growing tips, so a leafy FPJ recipe should not automatically become your FFJ recipe.

JADAM takes a different approach. In his 2016 liquid-fertilizer lecture, Youngsang Cho describes using nearby grass and crop residues with water. JLF is not a sugar-based FFJ, nor is it JADAM Microorganism Solution (JMS). Use the original JADAM instructions for the chosen feedstock and container rather than combining several recipes.

How to prepare a small FFJ batch

Begin with a manageable batch rather than a barrel. Set aside clean utensils, a scale, a strainer, a labelled food-contact container and a breathable cover. Keep agricultural ferments separate from food preparation.

1. Select fruit: use a known fruit source without visible rot or chemical contamination. Record the fruit and preparation date.
2. Weigh the ingredients: Pure KNF gives equal fruit and brown-sugar weights as a fruit example. This means 500 g of fruit with 500 g of sugar, not equal cup volumes. Its growing-tip guidance uses a different sugar proportion.
3. Mix and leave headspace: combine the ingredients and leave room above the mixture. Do not add water simply to make this look like JLF.
4. Cover and monitor: use a breathable cover, keep the batch protected from pests, and check its condition. Do not pressure-seal an actively fermenting vessel.
5. Separate and label: when the chosen method reaches its straining stage, collect the liquid and label its ingredients and date. Do not treat bubbling or a pleasant smell as proof that it is safe to consume.

The University of Hawaii SA-7 fermented plant juice bulletin explains sugar extraction, separation and gas-producing storage. It concerns FPJ: its timing is not a universal FFJ completion date. Temperature, ingredients and method affect the process. Do not stretch an unfinished or questionable batch into a fixed seven- or fourteen-day rule.

Compare the methods before choosing a recipe

The comparison below separates ingredient choices from claims about potency. A plant name does not establish how much soluble nitrogen, potassium or phosphorus reaches the finished liquid.

Dilution and application: keep the advice method-specific

There is no single dilution that fits FFJ, JLF, worm leachate and compost tea. The Pure KNF January 2026 plant-juice demonstration describes a 1:500 dilution. Treat that as guidance for its preparation, not a universal cannabis feeding prescription or a dose for JLF.

Write down whether a recipe means concentrate-to-water or concentrate-to-final-solution. For example, one part concentrate to 500 parts water means 1 mL plus 500 mL water. Use consistent measuring units and keep the method name beside the ratio.

For an unanalysed preparation, begin with a limited trial and an untreated comparison rather than changing the whole garden at once. Record the batch, dilution, substrate, date and plant response. A feeding interval cannot be selected reliably from the word fermented alone. Plan nutrition with the nutrient and feeding guide, and consider water quality in the irrigation guide.

Do not assume a soil application is also suitable for leaves or flowers. Avoid spraying unvalidated homemade ferments on material intended for consumption or inhalation. Do not add a ferment to an aerated compost brew merely because another recipe calls it a microbial activator.

Storage, odors and questionable batches

Actively fermenting liquids can produce gas. Keep pressure from building in the vessel, keep labels readable, and keep containers away from children, pets and food storage. These preparations are agricultural inputs, not drinks.

The Pure KNF storage discussion describes additional sugar for preservation after extraction. That is a separate step: the initial fruit-to-sugar ratio does not establish a shelf life for every batch. Do not promise one or two years of storage, or indefinite usable strength for a water-based ferment.

Strong odor can accompany decomposition, but odor alone does not identify useful organisms, nutrient content or safety. Stop using a batch if its ingredients or handling history are uncertain. Do not try to rescue an unknown contaminated preparation with LAB, biochar or extra sugar.

Choose botanical inputs without inventing a nutrient chart

Use identified, uncontaminated materials from a known source. A directory of comfrey, nettle, kelp or willow cannot substitute for testing the finished preparation. Avoid assigning exact hormones, vitamins, mineral availability or disease protection solely from the plant name.

These sources describe farming practices, not proof that homemade FFJ increases cannabis terpenes, cures deficiencies or replaces a complete nutrient programme. Keep expectations tied to observations and testing. For a broader soil strategy, continue with the related soil-preparation guide.

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