mycorrhiza

[rusty]

Any one here use this type of stuff with noticable success-- especially in containers but not limited to?

If so-- which brand and how much per plant / pot?

[MissS]

I use MycoGro on my seedlings. If find that it prevents damping off disease. I have never had damping off on a plant since I started using it. I will also give it a sprinkle when I up-pot my seedlings. I may or may not use it when I plant out and for that I have not noticed any noticeable benefit. Just a little sprinkle will do as it's very concentrated.

[rusty]

Thanks Patti

[AKgardener]

Wait what haha !! I literally just ordered some because I watched a video the other day and I was like ohhhh I gotta have that cause maybe that is what I need since my roots are not growing!! I got the mycos from amazon just arrived

[Tormahto]

It's in ProMIx BX, the only quality seed starting medium available around here. For 3" pots, a compressed bale lasts me several years.

[zeuspaul]

I water my seedling pots with MycoGrow ( https://fungi.com/products/mycogrow_soluble ) before planting them in the garden and in the containers. I have only been doing it for two years. I am doing it because I have read it can benefit the plants. I can't confirm any improved results. The Espoma Garden-tone and Tomato-tone and Bio-tone starter fertilizers all claim to have various fungi and microbes. Also the Kelloggs Organic Tomato Vegetable and Herb Fertilizer which I also use also has mycorrhiza listed.

Now my latest addition is going to be worm castings.

<snip>
Worm castings (or vermicompost) are worm excrement. The castings are made up of live biological organisms, including fungi, actinomycetes, beneficial bacteria, pseudomonads, plant growth regulators, yeasts, molds, trace elements and Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium (N-P-K). Castings actually contain a perfect mix of nutritional needs.
<snip>
https://inchbyinchaz.com/blogs/how-to/w ... m-castings
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biotone.png

[rusty]

You gonna do mail order worm castings or gettum local?

[Toomanymatoes]

I am not convinced it isn't just a waste of money and typical marketing hype.

While mycorrhizae are definitely an integral part of a healthy soil and plant ecosystem, there are many different strains and they vary with which plant species they form a symbiotic relationship with. Some products you can purchase have many different strains, some just one or two that are the most common. So, the product you purchase may not contain the appropriate strain for your plant. Furthermore, I question the viability of these additives because I believe they need to be properly stored to remain viable.

I could be wrong and would be happy to read any evidence that supports the use of these as a supplemental product marketed to the average consumer. I do know mycorrhizae supplements are used in research labs etc., but they use the appropriate strains (unless testing different strains is part of the experiment) and storage conditions.

I also wonder if I could just use some natural dirt as an inoculant. Mycorrhizae are everywhere in our soil already. I suppose there could be issues with the lack of sterility (especially if you bring it inside) etc, but something I have been curious about.

[MissS]

@Toomanytomatoes here is some findings from over at TV. I have included a pic of my friend Dutch's experiment. The two plantings on the right are the control group. http://tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t ... Actinovate

image.png

[Toomanymatoes]

@Toomanytomatoes here is some findings from over at TV. I have included a pic of my friend Dutch's experiment. The two plantings on the right are the control group. http://tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t ... Actinovate

image.png

I appreciate the information. Hobbyist experiments will never be convincing to me. I have no idea how this person conducting this experiment, but the first issue I can point out is the plants are not randomized at all. How do you know it wasn't the position under the light that made the difference? watering differences? What other differences were not accounted for? Maybe the additives simply broke down and created a nitrogen source (or even included one) for the plants? Maybe it does help, but only if the growing space is too small for the plant. Could be many things.

I have not really delved into the scientific literature on the use of mycorrhiza in agriculture/gardening, and like I said, there may be strong evidence to support it. I have no idea. However, I have a strong distrust of companies where there are little to no regulations regarding the claims they can make for their products. The gardening industry is rife with it.

[AKgardener]

I did buy the pro mix for my winter garden I was pleased that it had no gnats thus far and even thought it claims it gots the fungas in it I have no reference to go buy on only that I saw a couple of vidoes on you tube and thought hey this could be a good thing.. I will be doing my own test just on a few plants tomatoes only.. guess will see.. I did buy new soil called sunshine#4 it was cheaper than the pro mix it claims to have the fugas in it as well now Im really confused haha

[zeuspaul]

You gonna do mail order worm castings or gettum local?

I ordered from Amazon.


However I should have made the purchase from Home Depot (free delivery) 4 cents per oz instead of 7 cents from Amazon.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Soil-Blend- ... /300795684

[MissS]

@Toomanymatoes you may take it as you will. I will say that I have been to Dutch's greenhouse and have witnessed his growing methods first hand. He is meticulous when doing experiments. There is no artificial light and his plants are on a drip irrigation. You should try using mycorrhiza yourself to form an opinion.

[Cranraspberry]

@zeuspaul I purchased the Brut Farm brand worm castings this year - they were a little over $30 for 30 lbs on both Amazon and Home Depot (free shipping). The castings were quite nice, nothing mixed in and the price was the best I could find.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Brut-Worm-F ... /317372585

Walmart also has Wiggle Worm brand for $25/30 lbs, but I haven’t tried that one personally: https://www.walmart.com/ip/seort/101318881

[zeuspaul]

Thanks @Cranraspberry I have been pulling my hair out trying to compare prices. It gets confusing with some sold as quarts and others sold as pounds. And then we don't know how moist a product might be.

The Brut Farm you linked is $1.17 per pound. The one I got from Amazon is $3 per pound if the 8 qt bag is 8 pounds which is my best guess. The one I referenced at Home Depot is $2.4 per pound. So indeed the Brut Farm seems to be the best deal.

I am inclined to give it a try and then I can compare it to the Amazon stuff I receive tomorrow at least visually. I won't be doing any side by side comparisons.

[zeuspaul]

The Brut Farm you linked is $1.17 per pound. The one I got from Amazon is $3 per pound if the 8 qt bag is 8 pounds which is my best guess. The one I referenced at Home Depot is $2.4 per pound. So indeed the Brut Farm seems to be the best deal.

And 83 cents per pound from Walmart! linked in post 14.

[MissS]

My Costco has 10lb bags of earthworm castings for $10.99 so Walmart wins.

[zeuspaul]

The Wiggle Worm sold at Walmart gets good reviews on Amazon. Better price at Walmart. I ordered and it should arrive in a week or so. I find it strange that I never considered purchasing this stuff in the past even though I have known it is good for soil. This seems like a good addition to my potting mix.

I read the ingredients on a bag of my new favorite potting mix and it contains worm castings!
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Kelloggs Patio Plus Premium Outdoor Organic Potting Mix

Aged recycled forest products, aged rice hulls, composted poultry manure, perlite, peat moss, hydrolyzed feather meal, dehydrated poultry manure, dolomite & oyster shell limes (as pH adjusters), bat guano, kelp meal, worm castings.
https://kellogggarden.com/products/kell ... atio-plus/

[zeuspaul]

Mychorrhizae and worm castings. My guess is it depends on the worm diet.

<snip>
Worm castings have high concentrations of two important components for soil health and plant growth: humic acid and mycorrhizae. Humic acid helps plants develop stronger root systems, increases microbial activity and nutrient availability, promotes the activity of enzymes and natural plant growth regulators, as well as, slowing pathogenic fungi build-up. Mycorrhizae, a beneficial soil fungus, attaches to the root system in a symbiotic relationship that helps the roots to absorb nutrients and increase water intake. Basically, a worm’s gut is filled with good microbes and bacteria that are distributed in the garden as they travel and munch throughout the day.
<snip>

https://gentleworld.org/the-wonder-of-w ... ycorrhizae.

[Cranraspberry]

I had purchased worm castings locally last year and they were ridiculously expensive - $12 for 4 lbs if I remember correctly. That being said they were very nice and dry. I’m using the remainder of that bag in my seed starting mix, even though I vaguely recall reading something about bagged castings not keeping well. The Brut were much more moist (guessing to get to the 30 lb weight) and had some clumps I needed to break up, but otherwise they looked pretty much identical.
Please let us know what you think of the Wiggle Worm! At that price I’m tempted to buy another bag to add to planting holes in a few months, but this year’s soil overhaul project has been so absurdly expensive already that I’m trying to not spend any more on “extras”.

On an unrelated note our local Home Depot had 8 lb bags of Tomato Tone in store the other day - that surprised me since I’ve never seen TT available online at HD before.