Organic and Biological products for healthy soil and plants

Here are a few links to some products to help maintain rhizosphere organisms such as helping to encourage and maintain soil mycorrhizal relationships and mycorrhization helper bacteria (MHB)


Soil Syrup
http://www.algoflash.com/SoilSyrup.htm
Actino-Iron
http://www.surefill.com/products/iron.asp

Mighty Myco
http://homeharvest.com/beneficialmicroorganisms.htm

Beneficial microbes
http://www.advancednutrients.com/landing_pages/piranha_landing.html
http://www.advancednutrients.com/landing_pages/tarantula_landing.html


Actinovate - anti-fungicide
http://www.spray-n-growgardening.com/prodinfo.asp?number=ACT


TTY,...


Ron

thanks Ron interesting reading....

I would like to add a product to the list. Mosserlee has a product called NO DAMP OFF.. It is finly cut sphagnum moss intended for growing hard to get seeds. The moss prevents fungi, and I used it again last year, after a long interlude, and it worked wonderfully at preventing damping off organisms. They have a website where you can order. It is about $4 for nearly a gallon of the stuff and is incredibly light where mail is concerned. Frank

Good links, Ron!

Folks need to change the mindset on use of high-phosphorus fertilizers. I've read that high levels of phosphorus are toxic to these soil biota. I find reading about these sybioses very fascinating!

Joseph

I also have read that high Phosphorus is toxic to those unusual bottle brush genera
from Australia, particularly Banksia. Because of the vast grass fire habitat economy in Australia, they have developed Phosphorus fixing nodules on the roots like legumes due with Nitrogen fixing bacteria. A grass fire is equal to a sudden availability of P, that needs to be GATHERED SUDDENLY too, and the Banksias are able to do this. I think there is another genus, Callisia or something like this that is another bottlebrush that does too. This is why Americans have had such little success with them. These genera also like the Proteas, don't drop their seeds until a fire sears the pods. The seeds then , having been seared by the fire, are primed to germinate, in the next rain, and gather all the P before it runns off in the rain.

I was in Au in 1969, and took a day trip up into the Blue Mts west of Sydney, about 80 miles. The highlight of the trip for me was when we came upon the termite mounds up in the mtns. The gave the impression of a cemetery, with all the stones 4 to 5 feet high, and no inscriiptions. This is where I came upon
the Banksia ericifolia. What a site to behold. It was a stout woody open bush like a Rhododendron, with tough leathery leaves like the same. The blooms were very complex. The entire bloom complex, was about 2.5 to 3 inches in diameter, and about 5 inches in heighth, and absolutely VIRTICAL. These flower heads reminded me of true fir cones, in their virtical nature and size. These flower cones were made up of hundreds of HORIZONTAL, tubular flowers, that spiraled around the stem. The pistils were very showy, and a bright salmon color. These were surrounded by a cluster of long scarlet red stamens.
The bush was about 5 feet high and wide, and had maybe 30 bloom heads on it, and not one of them were off vertical. This specie, and the age of the bush there is a fire indicator. If the bush is 10 years old, and it takes flame to make the seeds germinate, you know then that it has been 10 years or so since the fire.

I suspect, that we will be seeing some of those kinds of seeds showing up on ebay in the next few years following the Au fires in the news. Frank

I know when I dip the seedling root in the mycorrhizal fungal inoculant of newly sprouted JMG seeds and plant it, when I go to transplant it to its grow-out container I find a dense mass of roots all through the potting medium, not just growth that seems to extend laterally and down at the bottom of the rooting container. It is most impressive.

FYI, these sources are all in the Garden Watchdog, and we encourage you to add your reviews for your favorite suppliers (many of them have no ratings, and would certainly appreciate hearing from their customers); or use the links and information to look for new potential sources ;o)

Algoflash: http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/c/1767/

Actino-Iron:
Fertisorb is linked to from the Sure-fill site, so they may carry Actino-Iron: http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/c/5635/

Garden Variety Organics carries it: http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/c/7178/ (other sources may, too)

Home Harvest Garden Supply: http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/c/603/

Advanced Nutrients: http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/c/6821/

Spray-n-Grow: http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/c/1768/

Mosser Lee: http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/c/7179/

Joseph, what exactly do you dip it in and where do I get some of it? Frank

Hi Frank,

I have used several products and the following are either ones I have used or plan to use this year:

Mycogrow http://fungi.com/mycogrow/index.html I liked the higher number of endomycorrhizal fungal species in the mix. I see they offer a seed treatment; haven't tried that one but it sounds useful. I will be trying the non-seed treatment product this year.

Root Maximizer Beneficial Fungi http://www.arbico-organics.com/1332704.html I will be trying this one this year.

Rooter's Mycorrhizae http://www.planetnatural.com/site/mycorrhizae.html This one was probably the first one I used.

Diehard Root Dip http://www.horticulturalalliance.com/DIEHARD_Transplant.asp I used this one to transplant some salvias I had started from seeds and the plants really established nicely. I hope these made it through the winter ok.

Biovam http://www.tandjenterprises.com/biovam_overview.htm I have used this one in the past. This page has an overview of the product.

Mycoboost http://www.megagro.com/mycoboost.htm?gclid=COPE8JWO6ZgCFQEpGgod8mlA1Q I have used this one in the past. This company also sells the Soil Syrup product that Ron mentioned above.

All of these products have a carrier of either fine soil or similar, in which the inoculant is found. I germinate all my MG seeds using the venerable baggie method. When the seed root gets to be about 1 to 2 inches long, they are ready for transplanting to the seed starting pot. I fill a dixi-cup full of water and put some of the mycorrhizal fungal product in another dixi-cup. I dip each seed root one by one first into the water then gently into the inoculum, then insert the rooted seed into a hole I have made using a big bertha chopstick; a pencil or your pinky finger will be suitable alternatives to big bertha chopstick. Insert the rooted seed down into the hole to a depth where the seed "head" (the seed part out of which the seed root is growing) is about 1/4 inch below the potting medium surface. Then gently firm up the medium against the root and over the top of the seed. I have found the seed can strip off the seed coat a bit more easily if it is 1/4 inch deep.

Does that help you visualize what I do here at home, Frank?

Joseph




This message was edited Feb 19, 2009 1:08 PM

Thank you very much, that must have taken a while. I went to your flicker album and it just blew me away. I use Picasa, and have discovered the fun of superimposing a name and or caption onto the image. I am sure you have tried it.

I have germinated 3 sunsmile violet into my little hydroponic culture toy. It only has 3 holes for plants, and I just did one seed per hole. I will never put all my eggs in one basket again. We'll see how the wet roots situation fares for these over the next month. Thanks again for the info links. Frank

Hi Frank,

Thanks for your kind words about the flickr web site. The photos always seem to look nicer when I see them on that web site.

I seem to recall there being a mycorrhizal fungus product for hydroponic systems. I wonder how that works. Is there a filter on the fluid system you have, Frank?

Joseph

The Mycorrhizal fungi and beneficial helper bacteria work synergistically in a symbiotic relationship with the plants rhizosphere and aerial parts

Piranha is the Mycorrhizal endomycorrhizal and ectomycorrhizal fungi booster product for solid medium growing and hydroponics
http://www.advancednutrients.com/landing_pages/piranha_landing.html

Tarantula is for the rhizosphere beneficial helper bacteria for solid medium growing or hydroponics
http://www.advancednutrients.com/landing_pages/tarantula_landing.html

Voodoo Juice is for the rhizosphere beneficial helper bacteria for hydroponic applications ( et al ? )
http://www.advancednutrients.com/landing_pages/voodoo_juice_landing.html


TTY,...


Ron



This message was edited Feb 24, 2009 9:06 PM

I liked the looks of their product "Voodoo Juice". One application works for the entire growing season. I would think such colonies would grow and endure in a container growing season?

Joseph

I would like to add yet another product. Jiffy 107 pelets. Their largest ones. They are quite heavy for their relative size. Dry they are 2" in diameter and 7/8" thick. Soak them with warm water and they get to be almost 4" tall. These are made for growing forrestry seedlings. On Ebay, case of 486, post paid,
$70. That is $0.15 each in bulk. Frank

Very interesting thread. Thanks to Frank for sharing a little bit of Mycorrhizal with me to try it out. I am going to try them inside in the pots as well as outside on my MGs growing along the picket fence. Shall see if they keeps the Rust fungus from attacking my I. nil vines! Thanks for creating such a fascinating and informative thread, Ron!

FertiSorb doesn't sell Actino Iron, but growers whom FertiSorb knows really like the product. (See Terry's Feb. 19 post)

Ron -- have you ever used the Myco product on your "seeds" -- I'm just wondering if it may aid in germination.
I have the Granule, not the Soluble.

Thanks --

Terese

Hi Terese - I traditionally use homemade compost and other microbe rich mediums...this will be the 1st season that I am going to try a range of microbe boosting agents that are being offered ...e.g., Piranha,Tarantula and Voodoo Juice

The myco boosters should help germination by helping to prevent 'damping off' and assisting the new roots to take up nutrients...

Frank had posted on a related myco topic here
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/973448/

Mycorrhizal fungi and beneficial helper bacteria work synergistically...


TTY,...


Ron

Thanks -- i'm trying all this 'new stuff' -- as it's all new to me.... been searching all morning... hence the older thread brought back up...

got some "Worm poop" and now this Myco granule,and SUPERThrive and just starting to experiment.

When you only get a few of one type of seed, of something you really want to germinate... you'll try whatever it takes to get success.

thanks for the info

I just read the early test results of Trichoderma t22, and was thrilled that this is available now. It has not only been a predator on damping off fungi, it grows on the root system as the plants grow, further protecting them. It might even be a preventative folaiage spray in the southern climates for Rust, I haven't finished reading yet. Trichoderma sp. are a popular additive to the mico products because they prey on pathogenic fungi, but the T22 is a hybrid, from Cornell University, with hybrid vigor. It has been field proven to be superior to all the other Trichoderma species in aggressive behavior, and is commercially available, in granular form for row planting and as a wettable powder, for seed treatment. It is also said to help prevent seed rot. I came back here for the early links to the Organic sources that may carry it. ttyl

http://www.johnnyseeds.com/catalog/product.aspx?scommand=search&search=RootShield&item=9346


Frank

This message was edited Apr 11, 2009 8:56 PM

Frank i can't find the T22 for sale anywhere.... any ideas?

Here is an article on DG that gives some more info and also some sources:

http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/776/

Arlan

thanks Arlan...

he Soil and Composting Forum has threads about EM (Effective microorganisms) and bokashi. With Em you can compost all kitchen scraps, including meat, fish and milk. Their website is www.emamerica.com and there is a 10% discount on all products for DG people. (Use code DGarden - case sensative.) Eric, who is in charge there, recently wrote to me about findings of seratonin in soil. He's been very helpful with information on the EM and bokashi threads. He also loves Daves.

Another product which I am trying for the first time is a powder which I got in the Messenger coop. There is information on that at the Messinger web site and in the Messenger coop thread.

I have used EM to compost fish scraps I get from a friend who's a fisherman. It really knocks out the rotted fish odor. And my dogs love to lick up an drippings. They also want to dig up where I've buried it so I have to put fan covers or rocks over those spots.

There's a lot of good links posted here. You might want to cross-post this on the Soil and Comosting Forum where a lot of people are interested in this.

katiebear

I am trying beneficial nematodes to control fungus gnat populations. I just deployed the biocontrol agent yesterday...hope it works because the adult population has crossed the threshold from a few in number to being quite bothersome.

Joseph

Good information in this thread for container-growers and main garden-growers of MGs and other plants.