Can anything be added to maintenance solution to make it a soil drench?
I have access to KNF maintenance solution, but my soil is rock hard and poorly structured. Is there anything I can added to maintenance solution to make it a soil drench? I am hoping to get it applied in time to work over the winter.
Thanks in advance.
Top answer
Soil Drench Formula
Food/FPJ 1:500
Cleanser/BRV 1:500
Medicine/OHN 1:1000
Structure/WCAP 1:1000
Protectors/LAB 1:1000
Sea Water 1:20
adding microbes IMO/LIMO/JMS and doing a 1 time till or forking to help breakup the compaction ...could also add organic matter to help break up the soil during forking or tilling ...if the soil is just really bad consider something like a lasagna garden or a hügelkultur to start and allow the life to move down into the harsh soil and improve it
Happy Experimenting
From the KNF library
From the KNF library
Drafted by Claude from Office Hours and the books
·
Sep 2026
·
3 sources
Drake recommends starting compacted soil with LAB protectors, IMO, and maintenance formula. Then he drenches with diluted seawater. (Office Hours Ep. 40, 14:58)
- Seawater does the structural work. It flocculates the soil and breaks up compaction. (Office Hours Ep. 40, 14:58)
- For Florida clay, Drake's list is calcium (WCA), seawater diluted 1:30, humic and fulvic acid, lactobacillus, and IMOs. Then keep applying maintenance solution. (Office Hours Ep. 12, 56:15)
- The manual adds diluted OHN as a soil drench before planting. It wakes dormant soil microorganisms. Its standard dilution is 1:1000. (Student's Manual, Basic Course, p. 27)
The 1:30 seawater ratio for clay differs from the 1:20 in the answer above. Both cite different sources, so start at the weaker ratio. (Office Hours Ep. 12, 56:15)
The library does not say whether a winter application will work in time.
Sources
- 56:15 Office Hours Ep. 12 (Dec 2021) — Desert IMO Collection, Lawn Biochar, WCA Bone Ratios · “Add calcium (WCA), seawater diluted 1:30, humic and fulvic acid, lactobacillus, and IMOs, then keep applying maintenance solution.”
- 14:58 Office Hours Ep. 40 (Jul 2022) — Soil Compaction, Seawater Drench, IMO3 Microscope · “then drench with diluted seawater, which flocculates and breaks up compaction”
- p. 27 Student's Manual, Basic Course · “Apply diluted OHN as a soil drench prior to planting to activate dormant soil microorganisms.”
