A Simple Method For Making Your Own Mycorrhizal Inoculum

[jumpincactus]

This I thought is a great article for the DIY'er that cringes every time you go to the hydro store to buy supplies. Good stuff for folks that have the resources and dont mind a little elbow grease to concoct something that can be very expensive when sourced commercially. Last time I looked a 6 oz container of GW was like $30.00 And that doesn't last long if your potting up a lot.

Along with the method it seems much fresher and would have a better chance at possible inoculation/colonization as compared to the dry, stored stuff from a supplier. Another caveat seems to be the diversity of fungi that would be in the making your own compared to being limited to just one or 2 species in commercial stuff.

Take what you want and leave the rest.

Follow link:

 

[waayne]

@jumpincactus You might consider checking out OG BIOWAR. @Capulator
It absolutely crushes most of the soil bennies on the market. Caps Nute Pack contains 125 spore colonies per gram of each of these mycorrhizae.......
Glomus intraradices
-Glomus mosseae
-Glomus aggregatum
-Glomus clarum

 

[jumpincactus]

@jumpincactus You might consider checking out OG BIOWAR. @Capulator
It absolutely crushes most of the soil bennies on the market. Caps Nute Pack contains 125 spore colonies per gram of each of these mycorrhizae.......
Glomus intraradices
-Glomus mosseae
-Glomus aggregatum
-Glomus clarum

Thank you.

 

[AMAUULU]

I've never grown Cannabis before. I recently received my expensive seeds. I will be growing outdoors, in air root pruning pots, using a potting soil mix of Roots Organic Formula 707 & Fox Farms Ocean Forest. I want to prepare the soil so my seeds and seedlings have the best foundation in which to start their lives.

I just looked at the OG BIOWAR website. The Root Pack product for mixing into potting soil: Prices are 4 oz @ $28.99, 8 oz @ $49.99, 16 oz @ $87.99, up to $1,529.99 for an OG 10 kilo bucket.

QUESTION: Please recommend other less expensive and similarly effective Mycorrhizae products containing just the Glomus spore strains? In another THC Farmer discussion, I learned that Cannabis only uses the Glomus spores strains. Also learned here that products containing the cheaper, more widely marketed Trichoderma spore strains would dominate and "eat" the Glomus spores.

I did read the DIY Mycorrihzae paper mentioned above, which instructs one to use one's own garden soil. Problem is, I live where Oak Root Fungus is widespread and is still on a killing rampage. I had to pay pros to remove a couple of my badly infected dying oaks. I do not know whether Oak Root Fungus (Armillaria Mellea which also kills Begonia, Carnation, Daffodil, Dahlia, Geranium, Peony, etc.) harms Cannabis. I do not want to risk losing my $10-$20 per seed seedlings to Oak Root Fungus which, besides killing my oaks, has been harmful to other species of plants I grow directly in my garden soil.

 

[jumpincactus]

I understand your concern. I would be inclined to think you would run the risk of it killing your gurls. Yea the inoculation/germination rates from commercially produced products are rather low.I have heard that Caps OG Biowar bennies work well.

 

[twerkle]

Using a soil started IMO is pointless. You are taking soil that you have no idea the microbial content of and reproducing it while hoping for consitant results.

 

[twerkle]

I've never grown Cannabis before. I recently received my expensive seeds. I will be growing outdoors, in air root pruning pots, using a potting soil mix of Roots Organic Formula 707 & Fox Farms Ocean Forest. I want to prepare the soil so my seeds and seedlings have the best foundation in which to start their lives.

I just looked at the OG BIOWAR website. The Root Pack product for mixing into potting soil: Prices are 4 oz @ $28.99, 8 oz @ $49.99, 16 oz @ $87.99, up to $1,529.99 for an OG 10 kilo bucket.

QUESTION: Please recommend other less expensive and similarly effective Mycorrhizae products containing just the Glomus spore strains? In another THC Farmer discussion, I learned that Cannabis only uses the Glomus spores strains. Also learned here that products containing the cheaper, more widely marketed Trichoderma spore strains would dominate and "eat" the Glomus spores.

I did read the DIY Mycorrihzae paper mentioned above, which instructs one to use one's own garden soil. Problem is, I live where Oak Root Fungus is widespread and is still on a killing rampage. I had to pay pros to remove a couple of my badly infected dying oaks. I do not know whether Oak Root Fungus (Armillaria Mellea which also kills Begonia, Carnation, Daffodil, Dahlia, Geranium, Peony, etc.) harms Cannabis. I do not want to risk losing my $10-$20 per seed seedlings to Oak Root Fungus which, besides killing my oaks, has been harmful to other species of plants I grow directly in my garden soil.

It's pretty cheap when you consider how little you need. 4 Tables Spoons makes 4 Gallons of tea, which should be used at a rate of 50ml to a gallon of feed. So a few ounces will make a many many gallons of feed water.

My favorite myko product right now is Myko Jordan ( ), its 40$ for 8oz. I've use it all the time and still have half left. It only contains Glomus Intraradices – 500 spores/g which is a Phosporus fixing fungi. At 500 spores/g its the highest concentration on the market and you can't get it any cheaper than that unless you order 2Tons from the producer in China whom I've talked to.

For seeds I sprinkle lightly with Myko Jordan.
For cutting I add to feed water for rockwool or the rez for bubble cloner.
For transplant I make a slurry and put it back in the dome for 48hrs to germ.
I add it to my tea and brew.

OG Biowar is good for foliar spray defense or for getting your root zone going, and would be handled the same way.

 

[twerkle]

I understand your concern. I would be inclined to think you would run the risk of it killing your gurls. Yea the inoculation/germination rates from commercially produced products are rather low.I have heard that Caps OG Biowar bennies work well.

This is VERY true, esp when it comes to premade liq innocs from the store.

I can try and break it down, but i am not a phd so do ur own research too.

Lots of myco/rhyzo products only list Propugales becuase they are made of of broken up roots cultivated with the bennies desired. For example most VAM innoculants will grow on a root network of a plant at the facility, once the roots are large and wide spread they dry them out and pulverize them. These propugales are only viable for a few weeks, usually MUCH before you even purchase the product. This is will be fimilar to anyone who has ever grown shrooms and used a colonized jar to inncoulate the other jars. This way is MUCH faster at colonizing your roots because the propugales are already living, but requires direct contact with roots and viable props to colonize.

The other propugales are SPORES, now these are much harder to count and are usually MUCH lower in numbers in VAM products that only list counts in props. Many times when you are getting innoc products it tends to be the spores that colonized your plants because the other props are long dead/unactive. Spores take much longer to germ, are harder to germ, and take much longer to colonize. The one pro they do have is they stay active for upto 3 years in their powder form. When you are trying to innoculate with spores it is crucial to start EARLY in the plants life. Some spores take upto 6weeks to germinate and colonize a root system.


Lasty the questions is, what purpose do you need the bennies to serves. VAM help with nute uptake, while others defend against pathogens. Some bacteria kill bugs, some break down old roots. Also IMO Great White is garbo becuase it contains Ecto and Endo mycos, but cannabis can only use Ecto mycos so you are paying for bennies you cant use. I'd do Orca before anything.

Side Note: about Trichoderma taking over the tea, I have heard this too from a reputrable source although I couldn't find the sci paper on it. So currently I have stopped using it and started added powder enzymes like cellulase and hemicellulase to break down the roots. Cellulase powder is actually made in factories from Trichoiderma.


Hope this helps.

 

[jumpincactus]

This is VERY true, esp when it comes to premade liq innocs from the store.

I can try and break it down, but i am not a phd so do ur own research too.

Lots of myco/rhyzo products only list Propugales becuase they are made of of broken up roots cultivated with the bennies desired. For example most VAM innoculants will grow on a root network of a plant at the facility, once the roots are large and wide spread they dry them out and pulverize them. These propugales are only viable for a few weeks, usually MUCH before you even purchase the product. This is will be fimilar to anyone who has ever grown shrooms and used a colonized jar to inncoulate the other jars. This way is MUCH faster at colonizing your roots because the propugales are already living, but requires direct contact with roots and viable props to colonize.

The other propugales are SPORES, now these are much harder to count and are usually MUCH lower in numbers in VAM products that only list counts in props. Many times when you are getting innoc products it tends to be the spores that colonized your plants because the other props are long dead/unactive. Spores take much longer to germ, are harder to germ, and take much longer to colonize. The one pro they do have is they stay active for upto 3 years in their powder form. When you are trying to innoculate with spores it is crucial to start EARLY in the plants life. Some spores take upto 6weeks to germinate and colonize a root system.


Lasty the questions is, what purpose do you need the bennies to serves. VAM help with nute uptake, while others defend against pathogens. Some bacteria kill bugs, some break down old roots. Also IMO Great White is garbo becuase it contains Ecto and Endo mycos, but cannabis can only use Ecto mycos so you are paying for bennies you cant use. I'd do Orca before anything.

Side Note: about Trichoderma taking over the tea, I have heard this too from a reputrable source although I couldn't find the sci paper on it. So currently I have stopped using it and started added powder enzymes like cellulase and hemicellulase to break down the roots. Cellulase powder is actually made in factories from Trichoiderma.


Hope this helps.

Nice input..... Mainly why I have always questioned why all the hype over mycho's. .....yes great to have, if ya need em. Most plants don't even require mychos if there are sufficient nutrients in the rhizosphere that is bioavailable to the plant, typically mchos thrive when the soil or substrate is deficient in phosphorus or potassium. If your no till or doing a good organic regimen, myhos aren't even needed really.

And never could understand why anyone would pay for a product that may not even show its efficacy until almost harvest time. Just thinkin out loud.:(

 

[twerkle]

Nice input..... Mainly why I have always questioned why all the hype over mycho's. .....yes great to have, if ya need em. Most plants don't even require mychos if there are sufficient nutrients in the rhizosphere that is bioavailable to the plant, typically mchos thrive when the soil or substrate is deficient in phosphorus or potassium. If your no till or doing a good organic regimen, myhos aren't even needed really.

And never could understand why anyone would pay for a product that may not even show its efficacy until almost harvest time. Just thinkin out loud.:(

Mycos might become even more important as cannabis goes main stream. There are already lots of regulations on how much P you can have in your run off into ground water and waster water I believe. So P solublizing mycos might be crucial to achieving good yeilds with much less P.

As far as knowing if the product is viable with tea you can tell because the tea smell will change from sugar smelling to an earthy smell, also a layer of sediment will form on the bottom of brewing bucket. When I want to innoc my plants I choose which mycos I want and make a slurry, I dip the rooted cuttings in the slurry then back into the humidty dome for another day or two to germinate. You will know if your VAM myco has taken hold when you transplant from one container to another, the roots on the outside will have thin white webbing between the root legs. Also roots will have tiny little hairs poking off them called hyphae.

 

[lukem5]

ive heard of making rice, then burying it in virgin forest soil is a good way to breed a mycoryhzal starter fwiw.