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LAB Troubleshooting, Pruning Fruit Trees, IMO Soil Mix

February 1, 2026 · by Drake Weinert

Ethan asks about a batch of lactic acid bacteria serum he forgot to strain — curds and fats still floating in it. Drake and guest Mark walk through the fix: check the smell, check for anything growing on top, then run it through a fine filter like a t-shirt to pull the clear whey off the curds and fats.

Mark, back from a KNF certification class, and Drake trade notes on the week. They cover charring bones for a structure input — Drake explains why his batch under-charred, since he timed the fire for the barbecue instead of catching it at peak flame — and talk through why mastering the basics, not chasing advanced tricks, is the real skill.

Christoph is mixing soil blocks and asks whether to wet them with seed soak solution plus a bit of LAB — Drake says use what you have on hand. On plant troubleshooting, Drake's checklist is food, cleanser, structure, and medicine before chasing a specific pest or disease.

Pruning questions close the show: dab LAB on fresh cuts, time cuts to a rising or peak tide when you can (the Mahina Moon Calendar app helps), and air layer valuable trees, including a listener's 100-year-old apple tree, to save the genetics. Drake also covers a 40-40-20 coco coir, compost, and aeration soil mix — add 5-10% foundation IMO and water it in — and confirms the second-Tuesday potlucks are still going, with about 80 people at the last one.

Questions answered

  • 12:16 LAB batch wasn't strained — did forgetting to strain the curds ruin it? — Check the smell and look for growth on top; if it smells fine and nothing's growing, strain it through a fine cloth like a t-shirt and salvage it.
  • 28:30 Why didn't the bones char hot enough for a structure input? — Drake timed the charcoal fire to be perfect for the barbecue instead of catching it at peak flame, so the bones didn't burn down enough.
  • 36:58 What should wet a batch of soil blocks — seed soak or LAB? — Use whatever you already have on hand; seed soak solution works well for wetting soil blocks meant for germinating seeds.
  • 39:27 A plant has blight or ants — where do you start? — Check the basics first: is it clean, fed, housed, and free of sickness, before chasing the specific pest or disease.
  • 47:26 How should you think about pruning 17 newly planted fruit trees? — Dab LAB on fresh cuts, and where you can, time pruning to a rising or peak tide so less sap pulls up through the wound.
  • 54:57 Is air layering worth the extra step after pruning? — Yes — it takes four to six months to root, but it gives you a genetic clone of the tree, useful for passing on genetics to others.
  • 55:34 Does natural farming actually improve flavor and bag appeal? — That's where KNF shines most — minerals build terpenes, and terpenes drive flavor and aroma.
  • 56:20 Will KNF work in a 40-40-20 coco coir, compost, and aeration soil mix? — Yes — mix in about 5 to 10 percent properly made foundation IMO and water it into the blend.
  • 58:52 Is there ever a time a plant wouldn't benefit from correct KNF? — Not that Drake can think of, as long as you don't overwater it — feed it three or four times a month and it's fine.
  • 59:28 What should be done with a 100-year-old apple tree? — Air layer it right away to save those genetics before they're lost.
  • 1:00:48 Are the second-Tuesday potlucks still happening? — Yes — about 80 people came last month, and next time they'll cover the cleanser solution and taste-test a canned batch.
  • 1:02:00 Any plans for another certification class in Hilo? — Maybe eventually, but nothing is scheduled — Drake just finished one and isn't rushing into the next.

Topics: lab, imo, pruning, air layering, soil block, seed soak, terpenes, coco coir, biodynamic, fruit trees, structure input, potluck

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 I Ching Reading
  2. 12:16 LAB Question: Unstrained Curds
  3. 28:30 Charring Bones for Structure
  4. 36:58 Soil Block Mix with Seed Soak and LAB
  5. 39:27 Basics First: Food, Cleanser, Structure, Medicine
  6. 47:26 Pruning Fruit Trees
  7. 54:57 Air Layering to Save Genetics
  8. 55:34 Flavor, Aroma, and Terpenes
  9. 56:20 KNF in a Coco Coir Soil Mix
  10. 1:00:48 Second Tuesday Potlucks
  11. 1:02:00 Next Certification Class
  12. 1:03:15 Closing Thoughts and Prayer

Transcript

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

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