Microbes & Beneficials

[Mr&MrsPurplekush]

Hey, if you were running the complete General Organics line, with Liquid Karma, Foxfarm ocean forest soil with the ancient forest amendment,Plant Success,(gasps)and only used non-harmful water (no clorine or choramine or whatever)...is there a way to tell if your microbes are alive? The plants are magnificent, so im just wondering out of curiosity not worry. If anyone knows of a test or experiment to tell of the little guys are still there a few months in i'd love to hear it. Thanks.

[MmmSquirrel4Dinner]

There are always little 'critters' roaming around in the container, not as many as when you first introduced them but some non the less.

 

And if you need some GREAT in Depth analysis concerning bio-catylists and beneficial bacteria and beneficial fungus PLEASE watch this grower on youtube. SUBLBC

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kg86nU2ksOM

 

He (SUBLBC) has a wonderful series of grows on blue dream and how he has documented a 7 pound harvest using 4000 watts of light in 66 days (flowering days).

 

He Talks A LOT but he knows his stuff.

[1337Gr33n]

i am no scientist, and i have only been growing less than a year. ao, take my ideas with a grain of salt against the larger community of ideas about this. But my understanding is that you want to have both kinds of helpful microbes, fungal in veg and mycorrhyzal in bloom. To that end, i use the Oregonism.

it has:

6 endo mycorrhizae species

6 ecto mycorrhizae species

2 trichoderma

13 strains of beneficial bacteria

Yucca

Soluble kelp

 

Also, GrowCo has a few issues left (free by the door) of Urban Gardener. The most recent issue there has an article on the benefits of Trichoderma. Really great stuff for the gardener in ANY medium. There is also a nice article about Coco Coir growing. The front page article is on "Organics Indoors". I recommend it obviously. )

[welj31]

There are always little 'critters' roaming around in the container, not as many as when you first introduced them but some non the less.

 

And if you need some GREAT in Depth analysis concerning bio-catylists and beneficial bacteria and beneficial fungus PLEASE watch this grower on youtube. SUBLBC

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kg86nU2ksOM

 

He (SUBLBC) has a wonderful series of grows on blue dream and how he has documented a 7 pound harvest using 4000 watts of light in 66 days (flowering days).

 

He Talks A LOT but he knows his stuff.

 

Very good video Thanks

[GanjaWarrior]

Hey, if you were running the complete General Organics line, with Liquid Karma, Foxfarm ocean forest soil with the ancient forest amendment,Plant Success,(gasps)and only used non-harmful water (no clorine or choramine or whatever)...is there a way to tell if your microbes are alive? The plants are magnificent, so im just wondering out of curiosity not worry. If anyone knows of a test or experiment to tell of the little guys are still there a few months in i'd love to hear it. Thanks.

they are....when u harvest the plant you can tell..... just trust it. its in there....keep giving them ro water and avoid any of the types that talk for hours and tell you the 57 things you need to put in.....i run just general organics....NOTHING else. when i harvest my dirt smells grand and is just full of fungus n what not. you can really tell....hold one up with the organics n another root ball without i can see the dif from across the room. just remember keep it simple, they talk too much its gobblygook, if the grow shop says you need it odds are hes got a car note to make.

Edited April 25, 2011 by GanjaWarrior

[Green-Nubie]

they are....when u harvest the plant you can tell..... just trust it. its in there....keep giving them ro water and avoid any of the types that talk for hours and tell you the 57 things you need to put in.....i run just general organics....NOTHING else. when i harvest my dirt smells grand and is just full of fungus n what not. you can really tell....hold one up with the organics n another root ball without i can see the dif from across the room. just remember keep it simple, they talk too much its gobblygook, if the grow shop says you need it odds are hes got a care note to make.

 

 

 

 

myco grow soluble is the best and cheapest iv found.. The best place ever..fungperfict

 

 

1/2 teaspoon to a gallon.. works great to farm also..

[Mr&MrsPurplekush]

Awesome, thanks for the quick responses!! i am still considering adding either "vegan compost tea"(not sure company name) or Foxfarm Bushdoctor just to be safe. Also the newest Urban Gardener is BOMB! for organic growers.

[masonstone]

hi i got some" Organica " plant growth actifier @ menards marked down to like 6 bucks ..from 16 or so ...has alot of the good stuff love the root and stem girth .1st comment thanks !

[CaffeineForAll]

Hey, if you were running the complete General Organics line, with Liquid Karma, Foxfarm ocean forest soil with the ancient forest amendment,Plant Success,(gasps)and only used non-harmful water (no clorine or choramine or whatever)...is there a way to tell if your microbes are alive? The plants are magnificent, so im just wondering out of curiosity not worry. If anyone knows of a test or experiment to tell of the little guys are still there a few months in i'd love to hear it. Thanks.

 

If you want to know, you need to send it to a lab like this http://oregonfoodweb.com/

 

Anyone who acts like they know whats going on in their soil or compost without testing, is the same as these growers who say there meds are 20%thc because the seed bank says so, then when they get it tested they pout and blame the lab for their 10% readings.

 

Its not cheap, but if you want to KNOW and not ASSUME, you need to get it tested by a qualified lab, period.

 

As for beneficial's to add, stay away from anything with Trichoderma. Long story short, it will dominate your soil, which drops ph to around 5 in the medium, and locks up N+P early. Don't believe me, google it.

 

Ecto myco does not, repeat DOES NOT, form a relationship with cannabis. The ONLY one that forms a relationship with cannabis is the Endo strain Glomulus Intraradices. 2 sources of this that are very cheap. Pro-Mix BX (or they sell it as "Myke", but its hard to find), or Xtreme Gardening's Mykos (Owned by RFI).

 

These are the only two manufacturers of Glomulus Intraradices in the world. Everyone else buys from them, and then hammers it into a powder, mixes it with some other strains or "propagules" which is a fancy word for "It might be alive, but we don't know". Those extra strains are ultimately ineffective unless you are growing some pine trees/shrubs or the occasional birch tree.

 

As for beneficial bacteria, Bacillus Subtillus is the most commonly used, but this is more for preventing bad fungus (and sometimes good fungus) from growing. The only bacterial beneficial I mess with now, is Azos from Xtreme yet again, and again, they are the only ones who possess the technology to make it for store shelves. Its a nitrogen fixing bacteria, and also generates some plant hormones. It can even be used as a rooting paste. I just finished up my trials with it, and I wont run another organic plant without it. Reduced my nitrogen inputs by half. Not to mention ridiculous healthy growth that was better than the plants that did receive heavy nitrogen inputs.

[masonstone]

If you want to know, you need to send it to a lab like this http://oregonfoodweb.com/

 

Anyone who acts like they know whats going on in their soil or compost without testing, is the same as these growers who say there meds are 20%thc because the seed bank says so, then when they get it tested they pout and blame the lab for their 10% readings.

 

Its not cheap, but if you want to KNOW and not ASSUME, you need to get it tested by a qualified lab, period.

 

As for beneficial's to add, stay away from anything with Trichoderma. Long story short, it will dominate your soil, which drops ph to around 5 in the medium, and locks up N+P early. Don't believe me, google it.

 

Ecto myco does not, repeat DOES NOT, form a relationship with cannabis. The ONLY one that forms a relationship with cannabis is the Endo strain Glomulus Intraradices. 2 sources of this that are very cheap. Pro-Mix BX (or they sell it as "Myke", but its hard to find), or Xtreme Gardening's Mykos (Owned by RFI).

 

These are the only two manufacturers of Glomulus Intraradices in the world. Everyone else buys from them, and then hammers it into a powder, mixes it with some other strains or "propagules" which is a fancy word for "It might be alive, but we don't know". Those extra strains are ultimately ineffective unless you are growing some pine trees/shrubs or the occasional birch tree.

 

As for beneficial bacteria, Bacillus Subtillus is the most commonly used, but this is more for preventing bad fungus (and sometimes good fungus) from growing. The only bacterial beneficial I mess with now, is Azos from Xtreme yet again, and again, they are the only ones who possess the technology to make it for store shelves. Its a nitrogen fixing bacteria, and also generates some plant hormones. It can even be used as a rooting paste. I just finished up my trials with it, and I wont run another organic plant without it. Reduced my nitrogen inputs by half. Not to mention ridiculous healthy growth that was better than the plants that did receive heavy nitrogen inputs.

[masonstone]

well anyway the organica plant actifier works great .and has trichoderma AND provided girth

[t-pain]

is there a way to tell if your microbes are alive? If anyone knows of a test or experiment to tell of the little guys are still there a few months in i'd love to hear it. Thanks.

 

http://www.gardeningwithmicrobes.com/microscope.shtml

 

Tim has also designed microscopes specifically for view soil organisms in both compost and compost tea. The filters he has incorporated create some amazing and unique images. These microscopes are available to purchase for as little as $300 by clicking here.

 

so if you get a high enough powered microscope you should be able to see the living microbes and such. note: i've not used this product, just passing info along.