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IMO5 Manure Ferment, Black Soldier Fly Maggots, LAB on Seedlings

June 1, 2025 · by Drake Weinert

Drake opens with IMO5, what he calls bio: manure fermented with yeast, LAB, and minerals. He walks through the ratio used at Master Cho's Muju farm — manure plus 10 to 20 percent IMO4 foundation, fermented with yeast, seawater, and LAB.

He answers a foliar spray question: LAB is good on young plants like six-foot tomato seedlings, and it helps sunflowers resist powdery mildew. He also recaps last week's black soldier fly recipe — IMO4, a bit of OHN, and fish amino acids left out in water to draw maggots.

A member asks whether alpaca manure can become chicken feed. Drake isn't sure, since Master Cho warns against horse manure and alpacas seem closer to horses than cows, but alpaca manure works well for black soldier fly, and goat and sheep manure can be fermented. Cow manure, he says, is the best of the bunch.

He closes the usable segment by pointing out you don't need Master Cho's exact ingredients — use whatever waste product is local, like mac nut cake instead of sesame cake, to keep costs down.

Questions answered

  • 1:30 What is IMO5 and how is it made? — Drake calls it bio: fermented animal manure made with enough yeast, LAB, and minerals.
  • 9:39 IMO4 batch finished today — what next? — Get it out on the land and do the soil foundation with it.
  • 12:33 Should I spray LAB on young tomato seedlings? — Yes, LAB is always good on young plants because it protects them.
  • 13:14 Why do my sunflowers keep getting powdery mildew? — LAB sprayed on young sunflowers helps them resist the mildew and collect more light.
  • 13:59 How do you make black soldier fly maggots from manure? — Mix IMO4 with a bit of OHN and fish amino acids in water and leave it out, and it draws in maggots feeding on the microbes.
  • 14:37 What is the ratio for making IMO5? — Manure plus about 10 to 20 percent IMO4 foundation, fermented with yeast, seawater, and LAB.
  • 21:15 Can alpaca manure be fermented into chicken feed? — Not sure — Master Cho warns against horse manure and alpacas seem closer to horses than cows, but alpaca manure works well for black soldier fly.
  • 22:02 Which animal manures ferment best into feed? — Goat and sheep manure work, and cow manure is superior; horse manure is not recommended.
  • 29:39 Do you have to follow Master Cho's exact recipe? — No — use whatever waste product is local to cut cost, like mac nut cake here instead of sesame cake.

Topics: imo4, imo5, lab, black soldier fly, fish amino acid, ohn, powdery mildew, manure, alpaca, cow manure, seedlings

KNF Office Hours is a free live Q&A every Sunday at 9 AM HST. Bring your question to pureknf.org/learn/questions or join live.

In this episode

  1. 0:00 Intro and I Ching reading
  2. 1:30 IMO5: fermenting manure with yeast and LAB
  3. 6:08 Doing God's work and community check-in
  4. 9:39 IMO4 finished, membership meeting next Sunday
  5. 11:11 Master Cho's Muju farm feed-mixing footage
  6. 12:33 LAB foliar spray for tomato and sunflower seedlings
  7. 13:59 Black soldier fly recipe: IMO4, OHN, fish amino acids
  8. 14:37 IMO4 vs IMO5 ratios explained
  9. 21:15 Can alpaca manure become chicken feed?
  10. 22:02 Best manures for fermenting into feed
  11. 22:45 Feed batch weights: 20kg and 40kg mixes
  12. 29:39 Using local waste products like mac nut cake
  13. 30:14 Feed mixing demonstration continues

Transcript

Auto-transcribed with Whisper. Click any timestamp to play from there.

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