Soil additives like microbes, mycorrizae, etc

Advanced Techniques
#1

Ok, here’s a question to ponder…

I see many suggestions to “charge” or “supercharge” your soil with microbes, myco, etc.

I am educated enough to know that many times these products DO work, but I wonder how necessary they are.

Case in point - I own a koi pond. I even worked for a pond co for 10 years. There’s stuff called “Beneficial Bacteria” which help break down waste in the pond, and many retailers aggressively push it, especially in the spring when pond owners drain and clean ponds. Supposedly their angle is that since you have drained the pond, and surfaces dried, you killed much of your bacteria, even more so if you use a power washer to clean the rocks in your pond. Well… I call BS…

I do see the good part, and the bacteria is not a snake oil. In a sterile environment, it can help jump-start the biological processes, such as in a newly built pond. In heavily / over stocked ponds it can boost microbes for the added load. But in a balanced pond, even if I powerwash everything in sight, ts just not needed, and the existing bacteria will multiply to fill the gap. I’ve had a pond for 20 years, and only used this bacteria when I started the pond.

I guess with totally sterile soil it might help, but I have always used some good compost in my mixes. A nice three bin compost setup out back, constantly making beautiful black dirt. Sure, I guess I risk bringing in some nasties, and probably been lucky (one time I had fungus gnats), but my soil always seems to do well.

So… soil additives like myco and microbes. What’s your take? Always necessary, sometimes necessary, holy crap I used it and it blew away my previous grows?

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#2

So I’ve used them for years. Soil balance pro, mammoth p, and the mycco dip from promix are the 3 best I’ve used. They definitely impact overall final size of the plant and increase yield. The SBP I feel helps promote lateral branching the most.

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#3

It’s a must to me but Charge and recharge is basically a really expensive top dress. I buy my own amendments/compost homemade LABS and dose it myself. Ends up saving a lot of $$

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#4

It’s necessary in order for nutrients to be broken down and made available for uptake, but with the soil you are making, you’re already growing your own.

I use Promix as my base for new plants and it’s mainly just peat moss. I add dry organic nutrients (Roots Organics) for the plant but I also need the microbes to make those nutrients available to my roots. Humic acid is also the soil conditioner that aids in that process. peace

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#5

But amendments would be different than organisms in my book. Recharging amendments is needed for sure, there’s a finite amount in a given volume of soil, and the plant will use it, and it won’t multiply on its own. The organisms multiply on their own…

Amendments would be things like kelp meal, worm castings, blood meal, guano, etc…

Organisms would be bacterias, myco, microbes - the little things living and multiplying in your soil

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#6

I think the hydro scene has had a lot of influence on indoor growing to the point people are way too technical with even soil grows. I remember the first grow i saw was 5 gal buckets, hps’s, no tent, potting soil from lowes, and that shit put our d**** in the dirt (old dude had that indica WW that made your head so heavy you had to lay down)

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#7

I use the best of both worlds, bio live. It has mykos, beneficial bacteria, and a mix of meals for nutrition. This stuff seems to have taken my growing up a level.

I will count it as necessary for all my future super soil that I mix.

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#8

have you compared your super soil to prebought , premium potting soil?

i have plants going in MG organic that are as healthy as ive ever seen and dont need a ton of nutes but can feed heavily and respond well.

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#9

Nutrients like MG are already chemically broken down into a substance that is immediately available to the plant. Microbes aren’t needed in hydro or if you use non organic nutes. It’s been micronized already.

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#10

No, I’ve always mixed my own.

I can do it cheaper, better, and customized.

Sorry, I can’t spend money on anything that says miracle grow on it. It’s a personal issue :wink:

It would be cool to see a side by side though for sure.

Edit: I believe super soil will have quite a bit more nutrition than that also.

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#11

The organisms will come from your compost. Yes compost is used to top dress.

If you don’t want to top dress you can make a tea.

And you’re all recharged after!

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#12

its not the yellow MG, its a newer product. smells like organics… :slight_smile:

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#13

Also, the dirt (clay especially, being charged ionically) binds metals, its really hard to replicate that in hydro.

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#14

remo nutrients has a video in which thye say the reason they dont have any Beneficial products is because there so easy to do yourself. I use them, but limit myself by there price, practicality sorta.

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#15

MG, as well as MANY of the other “Big Ag Companies” bought up almost all of the Organic Cannabis Nutrient Companies. They see the profit-making potential. Some of us are using their products and don’t even know it, read the small print. SS/BW…mister :honeybee: :100: :pray: :heart_eyes: NOTE: I try NOT to put anything into their coffers!!

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#16

I thought I may have seen an Organic MG on the shelf at Walmart or somewhere. I just glanced and remember but didn’t look at it. I wasn’t aware they were acquiring companies.

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#17

General Hydroponics, for one!!! SS/BW…mister :honeybee: :100: :pray: :heart_eyes:

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#18

Kinda figured my compost bin played a role. Simple, made from 7 heat treated pallets, just 3 bins. toss each bin over to aerate when I dump lawn clippings in bin 1, and every 2-3 months flip each bin to the next. All sorts of kitchen organics go in there, and luckily the bears don’t bother with rotten veggies and egg shells here. By the time it moves from the 3rd bin, its been composing 6-9 months. Generally no weed seeds, and been lucky with the outdoor nasties…

But I rarely top dress, even in the veggie garden. When they are done in pots I will dump all the soil, amend, mix in some new, and go again. Sometimes I dump it on the 3 bin compost bin (I guess recharging it there as well lol)

I am not a fan of MG. Nor chemical ferts. Probably why I’ve been pretty much organic soil mixes my entire time. And why my compost bin is used on all the beds / gardens I have when I plant new things…

Maybe I oughta try top dressing more often :wink:
.

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#19

it is interesting to note that my base soil here, without any amendments or working over, is very clay based. Its an orangish / brownish clay. The veggie garden took YEARS of amending the top layers with organics, grass clippings, leaves, black soil, sand, etc to make it finally a decent producer. Otherwise lots of runoff, the clay wasn’t absorbent at all. Thats why I even use my compost bin when planting new ornamentals in the yard, the soil is generally shit if it wasn’t located within a planting bed (dig up lawn, its orange clay soil).

But the beds that have 8-12" of nicely amended organic black soil on top of that clay, they do VERY well…

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#20

That depends where you are located. You won’t find too much clay in Northern Ontario its all sand. But most soil in Southern Ontario is clay based.

I used to gorilla grow . I’d Dig right down to the clay layer(18-30 inches) apply a wack of gypsum right on the clay, then fill with mix . In the fall all of the monster plants had roots were cemented right into the clay. The following years the your spots will just get deeper.

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