Anyone have any experiance with using this. Ive read all over the place that it is wonderful for potted plants and any plants for that matter. Its susposed to help with micro organisms in the soil and allow for more nutrient uptake by plants roots. just wondering if anyone has used it before. Here is something interesting i read. Mycorrhizal fungi live within the roots of most plants in a mutually beneficial relationship (symbiosis). They help roots scavenge more nutrients and water from the soil in exchange for sugar to make the molecules they need to live and grow. These fungi extend long threads, called hyphae, outside the roots. The hyphae transport phosphorus and other nutrients into plant roots. Mycorrhizae also enable plants to use water more efficiently and resist pests. Pfeffer and co-workers study the most common type of mycorrhizae, which are called endomycorrhizae because the fungi live inside-rather than between-root cells. They are also called arbuscular mycorrhizae because of the treelike structures (see photo above), or arbuscules, they build within the cells. The branches transfer nutrients to the plant cells in exchange for sugar for the fungi. The trunks of the arbuscules attach to the hyphae. http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/may01/fungi0501.htm
mychorrizae is great for promoting thick stocks and intricate root systems. With my experience, when u use mychorrizae, u typically need larger pots. The plants WILL take up the enitre pot eventually. usually a 4 -7 gallon will do it.
The first thing to know about Mycorrhizal fungi is that you can make your own. Compost teas do a fine job of building mycorrhizal; just add some sawdust or fine wood chippings to your tea (as well as the usual molasses, etc) to build up a good amount of fungi (after a day, the bubbles on the top will be gloopy) and don't use an airstone, just lots of air. Voila! fungi for free! There are loads of different species of mychorizzal fungi, usually quite specific to the tree/plant whose root system they inhabit. In fact, the term "mychorizzal" covers pretty much any fungi that live in symbiotic relationships with plant roots. If you fed your ladies with a nice broad-spectrum fungi brew (tea), they should, in time and theory, build up a more cannabis-specific colony. A big old cannabis tree outdoors would probably be the best source for your wood chippings! Most fallen wood apparently as very high levels of mychorizzal fungi, so I'd recommend sawing up a piece of something you find in the woods (if it happens to be the trunk from the above-mentioned cannabis tree, even better). Conifer trees are said to have the highest concentrations of all, which allows them to grow in some fairly infertile areas. The thing with Mychorizzal is that they take some time to develop, so growing in pots, as most do, seems to me to defeat lot of their hard work; when the fungi are starting to really get established; harvest time! Even mixing the soil destroys their fine hair-like structures. Growing in a big bed of soil that is reused over and over, now that's a different story. Combined with "never-till" gardening practices, you could get some seriously powerful mycorrhizae. For fresh spores, I'd definitely try the dead-wood + compost tea method. Even dropping a pinch of local soil in the bucket should get you a massive population of all sorts of useful micro organisms, bacteria, fungi, etc., and if conditions are right over the course of the brewing, the good guys will win. Interestingly, I noticed when I added some aquarium drops to my water recently (because it's chloraminated, and I didn't have enough de-chloraminated water prepared) that I got a very fungal tea. I'm not entirely sure why. As well as being extremely gloopy-bubbled, there was a potent mushroom smell about it. The girls loved it, anyway. Here's a couple of articles about how to harvest your own bacteria, using "bait" left in the wild... http://www.sunseed.org.uk/page.asp?p=167 http://www.newfarm.org/features/0404/microorgs/index.shtml There's some related links worth checking out in the second URL, like the Mycorrhizae fact sheet... http://www.newfarm.org/depts/NFfield_trials/0903/factsheet_mycorrhiza.shtml As far as I know, no one has published information regarding which mychorizzal fungi are cannabis-specific; I mean, I'm surprised there isn't a "rootgrow" (as it's called in the UK) type product specifically for the big-spending canna growers. They just need someone to trek into the kush valley, grab a few soil samples. Ballabang! I'd probably buy it. But just once. I also noticed (while browsing the HDRA catalogue a while back) that "rootgrow" comes in different flavours, ie. "plus", and "roses" (Fruit & Garden Plants Mix). I wonder if anyone has experimented to see which is the best for cannabis. Anyway, DIY mychorizzal are more fun, and a lot cheaper. -mu ps. this post is derived from my elsewhere posts on the subject. pps. this kind of thing pops up in my flower bed, a sure sign I Got Fungi..
Does this only work for organic growers? They said not to use ferts which makes me wonder if non-organic growers couldn't do it.
Adding chemical ferts destroys the soil and its organisms, simple as that. That's why the world has such a soil erosion crisis. You could make some fungi, but if you add chemical fert afterwards, you spoil the whole show. Pointless exercise. Fungi are free, like almost every "fert" I use. Soil + chemical ferts = crazy, expensive growing. To do organic growing right, that is, "deep organic" growing, you can't use chemicals, at all. There's no need; organics are powerful. -mu
another one of the many reasons that I really am considering going organic. Every day I see more benefits to it and less benefits for non-organic growing. I might have to make a drastic change in the way I grow my women while they are growing. Organic is definately the way to go. Its good for the earth PLUS YOU GET SHROOMS IN YOUR GROWROOM!!!!
Dude! I could could talk all week about the benefits of organic growing! I mean all week. As for shrooms, it's an autumn (fall) like environment in the flowering chamber, so there is the possibility of not only having random shrooms in there, but specific shrooms. Fly Agaric comes to mind. It's a bit late in the year this year, but next year I plan to introduce some amanita spores, panthera, etc, just to see which ones might enjoy the good life with the girls. My aim, and it's coming along beautifully, is to have a real slice of the outdoors. My soil is literally crawling with mites, worms, fungi, bacteria, you name it. The girls love it. Aside from the numerous ecological and environmental benefits of organic growing, is the cost. The most expensive thing I've bought my girls was a pack of Epsom Salts, £1.50. It would have been a bottle of Seaweed Extract at £2.50, but someone bought it for me. I better stop now, before I get in the mood for a rant. -mu ps. not just shrooms!
Anything that is good for the environment is good for me. I never realized how bad it was for the earth to go non-organic until I started growing marijuana. I'm the type of person that likes to be in the environment. Sharing an environment in my own home and also minimizing wastes and costs just sounds a lot better to me. Plus add in the factor of how many benefits organic growing has. This thread will definately have a lot of help for me in my new organic chamber I will be creating.
Right on brutha! Next you'll be composting and worm-keeping, and mixing your own nettle and comfrey brews, and fermented urine, and hunting for bat caves, and collecting rabbit guano, and before you know it, smoking beautiful, zero-cost organic budz! To fully realise the importance of all this fungi and bacteria and stuff sure takes a lot of study, and practice, but to leap-frog your understanding, and multiply your learning, simply meditate deeply on every organic growers favourite mantra... Feed the Soil -mu