Mycorrhizae - anyone use this before?

[jmansweed]

ta2dguy, If Umbra doesn't mind letting me interject:

I'm not 100% soil myself - at least not in the compost, bio-dynamic sense. I'm waiting for the lightning to strike however. I can't tell you how often I find the most experienced growers rely on "Living Organic" soils to feed the plant. They all have tried methods we are all familiar with but choose ultimately to go that route. I myself currently have 6 different soil mixes I'm working with to do a head to head with my current methods. We shall see.....

Yeild can be substaincial under Living Organics with some practice but typically plants grow more slowly, produce less and are generally smaller. The product however, is superior IMO. Nothing compares to real organically grown herb - properly dried and cured. This I'm sure is why most growers go this route other than the obvious benefits to the environment and their pockets.

I'm not sure as to which Myco to go with yet, and even after my experiments would not be able to recommend an alternative for Hydro - so stick with the Great White - it's highly recommended usually.

 

[legalize_freedom]

This is why I didn't just jump into organics yet...I know I have more to learn (and gallons of other stuff to use up while I'm learning)

Ta2guy..I read that article to. The last Max Yeild I got had some cool articles on soil, organics and microbial life. This has really gotten to be one of my favorite magazines...every issue has informative info. They have a color poster you can get with 32 color photo's of different microbes, and a 31 page manual with a description of each microbe, what it does , if it's a good guy or a bad guy...etc. Then there was an article about Azospirillum, you guys see this? It's supposed to be being used and increasing yeilds of 5 to 20%. I would paraphrase it for ya, but if your interested in it you can probably read it on their website, better than I could tell you. I guess people just started messing with this microbe this yr, but they are haveing some good results from it.

 

[jmansweed]

LF -

These Nitrogen Fixating bacteria are called diazotrophs. In the soil food web organisms that literally pull Nitrogen from the air are vital. Lets assume for example, under outdoor conditions, we allowed our plant to run it's cycle. Dying and decomposing back to the Earth after flowering etc. We are all familiar with this process. Very broadly put, plants draw nutreints from the soil, convert them to usable sugars and carbs, then flower and reproduce, then die. Undisturbed, they will naturally decompose into the soil replenishing some of what it exhausted. The "some" is key here. Over time all the nutrients will be used up - expended in growth energy. The food has to come from somewhere? (I'll omit adding animal waste and rain etc. as soil builders for this discussion purposes) That is where Nitrogen Fixating Bacteria have such an important role. Specifically because N plays such a predominate role in life generally.

The atmosphere contains large amounts of Nitrogen . Azospirillum can draw this atmospheric nitrogen gas in and converts it into usable ammonium nitrate. It works like Rhizobia for example, which asists things like Alfalfa, peanuts and clover (legumes) to replenish Nitrogen weak soils through developing symbiotic relasionships with the root systems. I believe Azotobactor is similar but may not be as symbiotic. Keep in mind as well, that Nitrogen fixating bacteria usually are only prolific in Nitrogen weak soils.

Here's a place to buy it:

http://www.extremepumpkinstore.com/ccp0-prodshow/azos.html

 

[ta2dguy]

thanks lf, i think i have that copy of maximum yield here. i will have to go look at it i have just been too busy reading other stuff and gardening. i am interested in the organic/soil grow but am also interested in an organic-hydro grow. sooo many things to play with and so little time. thanks to all for your time, help and input.

 

[legalize_freedom]

LOL...Thanks Jman. This is why I didn't go into much detail with it, I figured I'd be preaching to the choir. Thanks for the description.....so much to learn! I find myself reading and re-reading the same thing twice trying to absorb this stuff. Jman, or anyone for that matter, can you recomend any good books on organic gardening, and the use of microbes etc? I'm a book worm, and have already bought about every book on mj that is avaliable.

 

[BBFan]

Great thread guys and some interesting info.

I just started playing with the soil in this regard and went with Happy Frog (which is supposed to be high in myco). Added a product called Bio-Tone- supposed to be loaded with all sorts of beasties.

Interesting comment JMan regarding the molasses. It's the only reason I add it. But your opinion is that it actually defeats the purpose?

 

[jmansweed]

Hey BB,

I'm not sure which comment I made about molasses. Under organic soil I find serious benefits from added molasses. It primarily feeds bacteria however, I'm not saying Fungus ignores molasses but Humic acids are more associated with fungi growth. Both obviously enhance microbial life.

t2dguy is using synthetic DNF to feed his plants - which is all good - but could have some conflict with microbial life and sustaining effective populations - specifically bacteria. The same bacteria he would be feeding by adding molasses. From what I know of your all natural scenerio, I'm guessing this will not happen. So keep using it IMO. I love molasses, I've started with Earth Juice Hi-Brix recently. The solution works well.

Best of luck............

 

[Droopy Dog]

At least check out MycoGrow produced by FungiPerfect. xxxfungi.com.

~$6/oz, enough for 12 gallons of mix (150-250 plants). Great White is what, $45 or so?

DD

 

[umbra]

At least check out MycoGrow produced by FungiPerfect. xxxfungi.com.

~$6/oz, enough for 12 gallons of mix (150-250 plants). Great White is what, $45 or so?

DD

I paid less than $30

 

[dirtyolsouth]

I love using mychorizae and beneficial bacteria in my organic soil. How about another affordable option? Blue Mountain Organics makes some great organic products that are very inexpensive... I use their Super Plant Tonic ($7) and have had great results with my organic soil mix. I've also read threads on other forums with positive reviews on all their organic nutes...

hXXp://cgi.ebay.com/Super-Plant-Tonic-Organic-Fertilizer-Enhancer-by-BMO_W0QQitemZ260523312283QQcmdZViewItemQQptZFertilizer_Soil_Amendments?hash=item3ca866449b

This tonic contains the following : Artesian Spring Water, Worm Castings, Mycorrhizal Fungi, Coral Calcium, Unsulphured (Blackstrap) Molasses, Endo and Ecto Bacteria, and Humic Acid derived from Oak Leaf & Peat Compost. ​

 

[legalize_freedom]

Great thread guys and some interesting info.

I just started playing with the soil in this regard and went with Happy Frog (which is supposed to be high in myco). Added a product called Bio-Tone- supposed to be loaded with all sorts of beasties.

How do you like that Happy Frog BB?

 

[BBFan]

How do you like that Happy Frog BB?

Hey LF- How you doing?

I just started using Happy Frog. Along with a new nute brand (Humboldt Nutrients Organic), too many things new going on to say which did what, know what I mean? I think the activity in the soil created more available nutrients, so I need to cut back on feeding even more than I did.

Humboldt offers several innoculants with mychorrhizal species and other bacteria and enzymes (I think they have 5 different products)- I'm looking into them now and will decide whether to try them for my next grow- but I'm not sure the soil needs them.

So, in a very long-winded response to your question- I don't know how I like it. I am willing to try it again, but my first impression is that it's a little hot and requires care when it comes to feeding.

 

[legalize_freedom]

Thanks for the response...I'm doing okay. I have been looking at the Humboldt County nutes, I don't know if it's the graphics or what but something always pulls me towards them when I go into the hydro store.

I think all of the FF soil with the exception of Light Warrior can be a little too hot for seedlings, and young plants.

I'm going to really search my area for a nice base soil this spring to add amendments to, and hopefully just feed with teas, if I need to add a certain something, I have the free-bee bottles from the new General Organics give away. But I'd really like to try to only use certain guano's and such to make various teas for different cycles of the plants life. This is my aim anyway, but still have alot of researching to do, to really get a grasp on this whole organic method.