My First Time Collecting Indigenous Microorganisms (IMO1)

The foundation of Korean Natural Farming (KNF) are Indigenous Microorganisms (IMO). IMO are microbes found in your area that have adapted over years, decades—perhaps even centuries—to your unique climate. These microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, and yeasts) are perfectly suited for facilitating soil fertility in nature and with KNF, we bring that fertility into our home gardens.

IMO collection, white fungi/mold up close

In order to do this, you must first collect the IMO from a local forest. Once you’ve collected the IMO you process them through several modes (IMO2, 3, and 4) until they are ready to be applied to your garden.

The first step is collection

My struggle to collect IMO

I had trouble collecting IMO when I first started! In fact, it’s only been till recently I’ve been able to collect any at all. My climate is very dry, unlike the conditions most KNF teachers are collecting their IMO (South Korea and Hawaii). I’ve struggled to find substantial mycelium strands, let alone developed networks in the wild.

After three failed attempts to collect IMO, I decided to give it another shot and was able to take home some nice white fuzzy rice! This only happened once I tried collecting during our brief shoulder season (late-May) shortly after a rare rainfall.

If you’ve struggled to capture IMO, don’t give up! You can do it.

How to collect IMO

Before diving into the step-by-step process, there are a few things you should know in order to get a great collection. These conditions are helpful for finding an environment that is suitable for IMO.

3 Environmental Factors

The forest needs to consist mostly (if not entirely) of deciduous trees. Conifers drop needles and this can cause highly acidic soil that can make it more challenging for mycelium and other microbes to thrive.
Look for slightly damp conditions. Not soaking wet; not bone dry. This could be near a body of water or on the bank of a river. Anywhere the soil might be semi-consistently moist throughout the year.
3. Ideal IMO collection will occur in an area of the forest that has experienced minimal human disturbance. You want to look for a place that has been left untouched for as long as possible.

Having mentioned those three conditions, of course, you can only do your best and not everyone will be able to find the most ideal environment. Use what you have and try many times.

Ingredients

Brown Rice (2-5 cups, depending on how much IMO1 you want to make)

Supplies

Collection Container (I use a square worm bin with 1/4 inch perforations on the bottom)
Paper Towels or Thin Cloth that can cover the top of your collection container + a way to attach this (I use string to tie, others use staples if attaching to a wooden box)
Protective covering (I use a plastic planting tray liner with 1-2 inch holes)

Step by Step Collection Process

1. Cook brown rice and allow to cool

2. Place cooked and cooled brown rice in your collection container. Spread it out evenly across the container and fill only up to 2/3 full. You need to allow airflow above the rice and space for white fungi to develop if needed.

Brown rice in a black plastic tote with perforations on bottom, lined with burlap. — I’ve lined my collection box with burlap so that no rice falls through and minimal critters crawl up intro the rice

3. Cover your container with either the paper towels or cloth.

I used a very thin kitchen towel and tied it with kitchen twine.

4. Cover your cloth with the protective covering.

Placing protective covering over collection box in the forest — Cover your collection box to keep the debris from pressing down the cloth into your brown rice.

5. Bring your collection box into a deciduous forest. Find a place where the soil beneath the leaf litter is slightly damp and mycelium strands are easily identified.

6. (Optional) To further ensure a good collection, remove container covers and place a few strands of mycelium directly on top of the cooked brown rice.

7. Place mycelium and other leaf/sticks debris on top of covered container. This will allow microscopic organisms to pass through from above and below the collection container to colonize the brown rice.

Adding debris to the top of collection box in the forest — I’m placing leaves and mycelium-rich materials from the forest floor.

8. Hide your collection container as best as possible so that it is not disturbed by animals and/or people who might find it.

Hidden collection box with log and forest debris covering — To my knowledge, no one found my collection box after disguising it with forest debris and leaf litter.

9. Leave the container in the forest for 3-5 days before checking in on microbial development.

IMO Collection box with minor fungal development on brown rice — You can see very slight white fungi development around the mycelium strand I placed in the box. This is day 5 with temperatures between 45-65 degrees Fahrenheit.

10. Depending on your average temperatures colonization will occur quickly or slowly. This is highly dependent on your unique climate and so cannot be stated as an exact science. As a starting point, in temperatures between 50-70, you may expect collection to take up to 10 days. In warmer temperatures between 70-90+, you may expect collection to take as little as 3 days. You are looking to take home the collection box when white fuzz has overtaken your brown rice.

Zoomed out collection box after IMO1 colonization has occurred. — After 10 days, white fuzz has almost completely enveloped the brown rice.

Collection (IMO1) to Cultivation (IMO2)

After collection your IMO1, you are ready to take it home and preserve it with brown sugar (equal parts, by weight of your brown rice) into IMO2.

IMO2 - brown rice that has been colonized with IMO1 and preserved in brown sugar — IMO2 is a shelf stable IMO1 collection; the first step in cultivation.

If you have yet to try IMO collection, or you haven’t successfully caught any IMOs, give it a try (or try again)! The satisfaction I felt in finally getting a full collection was immense. This is going to be easier for some than it is for others (like myself), but, I’ve been convinced that IMOs can greatly benefit my garden as potentially the most potent amendment.