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Deer Park, WI

As planting season kicks off, thought I'd share a few thoughts on the use of mycorrhizal fungi.

Foremost, this stuff is not fertilizer. It is a vital component of the soil food web (If you havent already, pick up a copy of "Teaming with Microbes"). Myco is a microscopic fungus that sets up shop inside plant roots and subsequently tag-teams with the host plant to share nutrients and other beneficial chemicals. The scientific word for this unique marriage of organisms is "symbiosis". Myco's vast network of "hyphal extensions" reportedly enhances the reach of root systems up to 700 times. Wow, that's a lot more reach! Just think of how handy this set up is when your thirsty pumpkin is packing on ~40lbs per day late July.

I use myco as an "innoculant", something that is purposefully put in contact with developing roots. Myco does not come alive until it comes into contact with a plant root. While myco can be spread in the soil to boost inherent soil levels, the most "bang for your buck" (at ~$7.00/lb, the stuff aint cheap) will come from applying the powder directly to root formations.

As such, I personally do not willy-nilly toss it in the patch. I dip my pre-wetted seed into a myco/azos mixture just prior to being potted. Upon transplantation from the pot to the garden, I will sprinkle the same mixture on the root ball and in the planting hole.

Lastly, I drop a pinch or two on each node before burial as the secondary root system develops throughout the season.

Past experience suggests application rates as described above will warrant ~1-1.25lbs of myco per plant per season, and my plants are about 625sq ft apiece.

My personal preferences are by no means hard and fast rules. Those with deeper pocketbooks or enhanced knowledge may employ different strategies. However, for the cost-conscious grower looking to maximize their investment, I have found this approach to be both economical

4/23/2012 5:11:05 PM

Torrance, Ca.

Can you use to much, is it a "more is better kind of thing" if I add more, will I get a bigger pumpkin? Or will I just be wasting like to much vitamin in the human body?


And good read Joze!!

4/23/2012 6:03:09 PM

South East

I,m convinced about the benefits of myccohizea, but with multiple innoculants available and several other concerns i still have questions;

- the effects of a range of fungicides, some little to no effect, some inhibit association. Controlling disease or myccorhizeal innoculation? Or both and risk a doing a useless investment? change fungicide programm for sake of myccor? And let me mention trichoderma, soil structure and rootsm wich are other factores that can effect innoculation.

-Nutrient levels. Myccorhizea is most effective in poor soil, wich our patches hardly are. (are we bringing water to the sea)

- residual spores. (do we really need to innoculate every year, better safe then sorry theorie) Or can we skip a year and still have satisfactory of benificial association?

- Pounds gained? 700 times more roots or root reach sounds immpressive. But at what rate of innculation, how succesfull was innoculation, did 1 spore germ, 100 or 40.000, 25% of the roots infected of 80%? Without testing consistently its but a guess, and its easy to suscribe succes to a product based on a " gut feeling " or other subjective observations. And how many lbs do those little fungi add in the end? Do they just add to the overal health of the plant or do they make a diffrence in end weight, if so how much would the diffrence be? If they add 100 lbs is it worth the investment or the time?


finaly, multi species or single? native myccor species or imported and lab grown? With all the diffrent soil out there, i doubt theres a single species that excells in all.
What is best?

Just a couple concerns from a budget grower,,,who can help? :)

4/23/2012 7:50:32 PM

Torrance, Ca.

Thanks for that Cooks,,,,,,,,,,,,,,


Now my head is really going for a spin!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

4/23/2012 8:07:52 PM

Piqua, Ohio

All soils have mychos naturally, the more it's worked the more you kill it off, from what I understand. For three years I could not break 1000, the first year I tried it I got 1123.5! I just broadcast it in my patch and work it in about 4 inches. I'm no expert but some serious growers also told me this is how they use it!

4/23/2012 9:01:46 PM

Georgetown, Ontario

The Cooks - here is the answer to one of your questions. Its a good list of products and how they affect Myco
http://www.usemykepro.com/pdf/compatibilite%20pest-mycorrhizae.pdf

4/24/2012 7:05:42 AM