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?