Plants

Patrick Smrz is a garden designer. He first came across EM in 2005. "My wife picked up a bottle of EM-Active to try out." Partrick Smrz started his first trials with a very difficult indoor plant. "I watered the plant with EM-Active but didn't give it any other special attention.

Some time later I noticed that the plant had grown and flowered; that was when I decided to try it out on water plants too. I found it helped them to take root much better. These initial experiments convinced me. Since then, I regularly use EM in my garden centre and recommend it to my customers."

Engelbert Bergmaier-Russman was named "Gardener of the Year" in 2010 and operates a nursery business with 4 sites. He first heard about Effective Microorganisms in 2004, did some more research and was very impressed. Convinced of EM's benefits, he implemented them across the nursery overnight.

"To this day I have never regretted taking that step; quite the opposite. I am truly impressed by the many benefits and positives they have brought," explains Mr Bergmair-Russmann. "Not only does using Effective Microorganisms save money and effort, it's also all done without any chemicals involved: when we work with nature instead of against it we all benefit."  

The Schützenhofer's family business in Rohr im Kremstal (Upper Austria) specialises in vegetable production, herbs, ornamental plants and floristry. It has been using Effective Microorganisms since 2003. The family has put together its recipe for a low-maintenance garden.

There are many good reasons to mulch, i.e. put plant materials on the soil: Less work for you, protection for beneficial organisms and combating pests, recycling "waste materials", humus development, and mulched areas are more visually appealing.  

For a long time Ahrntal and, in particular, Sand in Taufers have tried to juggle the requirements of a region which focuses heavily on both agriculture and tourism. Searching for a solution to this problem, a group of dedicated people from our community, mainly primary and middle school teachers as well as some community leaders and the composting site, initiated the use of Effective Microorganisms about 2 years ago.

EM is short for Effective Microorganisms. They consist of a mixture of beneficial, naturally occurring microorganisms, such as yeast, lactic acid cultures and photosynthesis bacteria, which have also been used to prepare and conserve food since time immemorial.  

Dr. Joachim Kreuzinger is a vet from Allhaming (Upper Austria) and has worked successfully with EM technology since the late 1990s. He was introduced to EM by a farmer friend: "He told me that since he'd been using EM his slurry was much more liquid and the fly population had radically depleted.

This made me curious and I began to try EM for myself. After a few successful trials I was convinced of its benefits and I've been increasingly using EM in my work as a vet ever since."    

Alois Pein, a Multikraft retailer from Deutsch-Goritz, Austria, used to work as an adviser on animal feed. Ulrike Hader (Managing Director of Multikraft), who has always believed in ecology, introduced him to Effective Microorganisms (EM) and he “found them to be simply excellent”.

As an expert in animal feed and, more recently also an expert in EM, Mr Pein has extensive experience of the use of the supplementary foodstuff FHE (Fermented Herbs Extract) in animal husbandry, the use of MK Multisil in silage and the use of many other Multikraft products in agriculture.  

In 2004, after experiencing problems with maize kernel silage in the hot summer months, farmer Karl Totter discovered EM technology. After advice from an EM retailer and the use of EM products and MK Multisil, the problems were resolved in just a few days.

Farmer Karl Totter operates a pig fattening business with 990 finishing places. He has worked for the business since 1992 and took it over in 2007. The agricultural area is 65 ha.

Dr. Nicole Herout lives in Lower Austria and operates a centre for holistic veterinary medicine. She is the manager of the St. Nikolaus stables and, since 1997, has been a specialist veterinary homoeopath.

In her veterinary work, Dr. Herout has been using and recommending EM technology for many years. It fits perfectly into her overall concept of natural, effective and sustainable treatment of animals.  

Farmer Walter Ruppnig, from the Hanslbauerhof farm, operates an agricultural business (dairy cattle breeding) and wine tavern in Holstein, Carinthia. Walter Ruppnig has been successfully using FHE (Fermented Herbs Extract) in dairy cattle breeding since 2010.

How is FHE used?
- Round bale pressing with 2 litres of FHE per bale (approx. 1 ½ m³)
- FHE Active is applied to the surfaces of the stalls for the cattle and pigs and added to the slurry (gives around 1 litre of FHE per litre of slurry)  

Stefan Missoni from the Bartl farm has a herd of Holstein Frisian dairy cows. On average, he has 37 dairy cows at his farm in Carinthia. Stefan Missoni has been successfully using FHE (Fermented Herbs Extract) in dairy cattle breeding since 2009.

How is FHE Active used?
FHE diluted 1:10 is poured over the food presented using a watering can. (25 litres of FHE per week with an average stock of 37 dairy cows).  

Albert Petschar operates a dairy cattle farm. On average, he has 50 dairy cows at his farm in Carinthia.

Albert Petschar has been successfully using FHE (Fermented Herbs Extract) in dairy cattle breeding since 2003.    

Hannes Pock operates a pig breeding and fattening farm. From animal feed to field treatment - he uses EM technology throughout the entire cycle. "It starts with silage for feed and extends over the entire farm. By treating our sties, we have a good climate inside them, no stable flies and we've noticed a general increase in the well-being of the pigs.

We also treat the slurry, which is an excellent method of re-use as the plants can then digest the slurry more easily and it provides an excellent basis for the next batch of silage."

Monika and Otto Hurnaus operate a farm with suckler cows. On average they have 20 suckler cows on their farm in Lower Austria.

The farming couple have been successfully using FHE (Fermented Herbs Extract) in suckler cow husbandry since 2000.
 

"Microorganisms have made such an impression on me," says Lydia Waldbauer, "that there's virtually no part of my life unaffected by them and many other people I know now can't do without EM either. Especially once they hear about my cat Wuschl. She had injured herself and was struggling to get better.

The vet said the best thing would be to put her to sleep – he suspected that she had a tumour. I think there was something in her digestive tract. I just wanted to give EM a try – and I was a little surprised but absolutely delighted with the result: Wuschl is still roaming through the garden fit as a fiddle."  

Mr. Schmidhammer took over as manager of the Hameter shrub nursery in 2004. The Gärtnerei Hameter nursery provided the backdrop to the Austrian TV series "Der wilde Gärtner" (The Wild Gardener) with cabaret artist Roland Düringer, and Mr. Schmidhammer was on hand to advise the team. He told us about the use of EM in shrub propagation: "Since we started using EM, diseases have disappeared and there are no failures any more", explains Schmidhammer, describing the success.

He began using organic plant strengthening in his business back in 2009. Using organic fertiliser in combination with chemical pest control didn't have the desired effect. He changed course again after attending a seminar on EM. By using EM, Gärtnerei Hameter can now do without chemical pest control altogether.  

Engelbert Bergmaier-Russman was named "Gardener of the Year" in 2010 and operates a nursery business with 4 sites. He first heard about Effective Microorganisms in 2004, did some more research and was very impressed. Convinced of EM's benefits, he implemented them across the nursery overnight.

"To this day I have never regretted taking that step; quite the opposite. I am truly impressed by the many benefits and positives they have brought," explains Mr Bergmair-Russmann. "Not only does using Effective Microorganisms save money and effort, it's also all done without any chemicals involved: when we work with nature instead of against it we all benefit."  

DI Franz Hummer is a real expert in the field of Effective Microorganisms (EM). As a conventional farmer, Mr. Hummer is himself a keen user of MK Plant Power for leaves and soil and he told us about his experiences involving use in rotting straw. "I use Effective Microorganisms because they help create a sustainable, healthy soil environment organically.

This helps restore, or in my case maintain, the essential balance required in nature. If the ground is healthy, fusarium fungi have little chance to develop."  

Farmer Helmut Brunner operates a 10 ha farm on the Northern edge of Linz in Upper Austria. The region is dominated by granite rock and acidic soil.

Since May 2002, Helmut Brunner has been regularly using EM Active, FPE (Fermented Plants Extract) and MK 5, and is delighted with the excellent yields.  

"I've been treating ponds with EM since 2002", says Peter Painer, who runs a garden centre in Eggersdorf. "I came across it purely by chance. My pond was completely covered in algae after a storm

In a conversation with Dr. Manfred Kriegl, I discovered that there was a product to combat algae that is not only biological but also works without any harmful side effects. So I gave EM a try and I'm still impressed to this day."  

Toni Ithaler is a primary school head and an EM pioneer in Eastern Styria - out of a combination of passion and conviction. When Toni Ithaler talks about his work as a primary school head at Nestelbach in Eastern Styria, you almost want to be a child again. The Styrian native sees his work very much as a vocation.

His dedication is apparent not just from his stories about "his" children, but also in his commitment to a healthy lifestyle. Toni Ithaler uses EM for various purposes on his smallholding. He has put together formulae for pond treatment using EM for Multikraft.

Using EM meant that there were no losses, whereas other ponds nearby suffered total loss as a result of the high temperatures. Fish harvesting revealed the second positive effect: not one carp was affected by carp louse, nor did the fish have any other illnesses.

All fish were in very good condition, which lasted for the entire cultivation time. Another positive effect of the Effective Microorganisms was on the quality of the fish meat. Everyone who consumed these EM carp observed an improvement in the fish’s taste, quality and shelf life.

For a long time Ahrntal and, in particular, Sand in Taufers have tried to juggle the requirements of a region which focuses heavily on both agriculture and tourism. Searching for a solution to this problem, a group of dedicated people from our community, mainly primary and middle school teachers as well as some community leaders and the composting site, initiated the use of Effective Microorganisms about 2 years ago.

EM is short for Effective Microorganisms. They consist of a mixture of beneficial, naturally occurring microorganisms, such as yeast, lactic acid cultures and photosynthesis bacteria, which have also been used to prepare and conserve food since time immemorial.  

Otto Hurnaus is a farmer, EM advisor, inventor, father and former manager of the Peilstein sewage works. "In my ponds, I watched how the combination of my EM Ceramics, EM-Active and ZeoBas (basal rock dust) broke down sludge more effectively and improved the oxygen content in the water. The Swirler improves the oxygen binding.

Later, when I tested the injector model (swirler with additional air shafts), it emerged that this model increases the oxygen binding in the water even further", says Otto Hurnaus.  

Markus Wendler began managing sewage works in 2007. His customers are more than satisfied with the EM results. "Initially they are all sceptical and would prefer to use chemical agents. But as soon as they see the success of using EM, they are all delighted.

Not only does the small sewage works run smoothly again, but bad odours are almost totally eliminated and sewage sludge formation is reduced.“

For a long time Ahrntal and, in particular, Sand in Taufers have tried to juggle the requirements of a region which focuses heavily on both agriculture and tourism. Searching for a solution to this problem, a group of dedicated people from our community, mainly primary and middle school teachers as well as some community leaders and the composting site, initiated the use of Effective Microorganisms about 2 years ago.

EM is short for Effective Microorganisms. They consist of a mixture of beneficial, naturally occurring microorganisms, such as yeast, lactic acid cultures and photosynthesis bacteria, which have also been used to prepare and conserve food since time immemorial.  

Irene Weinfurtner, organic chef & slow food expert, on cleaning and care with EM: "Because my work as a chef means that I have to wash up lots of cutlery and wash my hands countless times each day, many conventional products aggravate my skin. So I now use the probiotic eMC cleaner every day.

I heartily recommend it! In a time when more and more people are suffering from allergies, these are products that clean, as well as looking after your health."

Barbara Colle is mother to two children, Mila (4) and Ida (2) and is an avid user of EM. She talks to us about her experiences with EM products and what she particularly likes about them, especially in relation to her children.

What do you think of Effective Microorganisms? I've tried a great many of them now and I can honestly say that I just know that I can rely on the quality, the ingredients and the environmental sustainability of the whole EM product
range.

Efficient utilisation of organic waste in the city - Effective Microorganisms make it possible. The multikosmos writer Margit Bittner carries out a simple test to show how Bokashi and the enthusiasm of her two daughters can help to make great use of organic waste even in the city and what she gets out of it.

Apple peel turns into flowers - when my four-year old daughter talks about how our kitchen Bokashi is made, it not only sounds charming, she actually knows what she's talking about.

Maria Weiss is passionate about baking. And she sees high quality basic ingredients as the key to delicious desserts and pastries.

She has already enchanted countless people with her delicious sweet creations. The secret is in the preparation.