The Terpinator Saga

[UgrewWHAT]

I've been all through our Terpinator threads here on the farm. I was handed a freebie quart at the Emerald Cup in Santa Rosa this last December and wanted to know if it was organic before using it.

Turns out it is organic but I find I've still got questions. Namely, is Terpinator friendly to the micro herd? I'm using Myco Blast(another Cup freebie) with amazing results this far. Haven't worked with Miccorhizal fungi before and I'm only now understanding why it's so beneficial.

But curiosity got the best of me so I hit Terpinator.com and asked the question... Having seen the MSDS info and other ingredient info I see that Terpinator is actually chalk-full of metals. Now, to my understanding miccorhizal fungi are in place to inhibit the effect of metals if not filter out metals. The problem is that the contact widget at Terpinator aren't sending my emails to them. I keep getting mailer daemon notices telling me my emails aren't being delivered.

So as any good investigative mind would do I hit the Internet in search of a phone number. Got one! Rhizoflora in Santa Rosa, California, are Terpinator's mother company.

I called and left a message: Will Terpinator benefit miccorhizal fungi? Will it feed, inhibit or deplete fungi and/ or the micro herd?

I left my name, my number and email address...

What's curious is that I've gotten no response.

So since Rhizoflora aren't getting emails nor do they answer phone messages are they avoiding the question or do they not realize that that some of us are avid growers with REAL inquiries?
Inquiring minds wanna know.

 

[UgrewWHAT]

Rhizoflora's contact number is a cell phone. Just called again explaining that their contact us page is not working and that this is my second call after a week. Left my name, number and email a second time now. Let's see if they answer...

 

[G gnome]

Doesn't sound like a company i wanna deal with.....

 

[UgrewWHAT]

What's even more curious is that I've called a second time today to find that a female receptionist picked up. It could just be me but she answered "hello" and not, "Rhizoflora". So I asked "Is this Rhizoflora?" She said yes!

I posed the question above and her words were, "We have a PH.D. on staff who can answer any questions that you may have but he is out at the moment." May I have your contact info and I'll have him call you back?"

My thinking is, since I've already left you two messages indicating that I am on a forum; don't call me. Since I have given you my email address and since I've told you where to find this thread... Don't call me.

Create a user name and respond to the farm. Or, I want a letter with letterhead and signature with your reply.

On the backside, I'm willing to bet that the voice that answered is actually the same girl that handed me the sample at the Cup. I mean, when in Rome...

 

[UgrewWHAT]

I took 7th Grade Biology. I took high school biology. I took 3 semesters of collegiate Biology.

If I'm asking a question I already know the answer. Just, looking to see where you're at, is all.

Last I knew metals and fungus are oil and water.

 

[Dunge]

I'm not surprised that any company would be hesitant to speculate on its chemical interaction with another companies product.
Or am I misunderstanding your question.

 

[UgrewWHAT]

I'm not surprised that any company would be hesitant to speculate on its chemical interaction with another companies product.
Or am I misunderstanding your question.

Fungi, regardless of origin, are a naturally occurring species. They require purity in order for mycelium to spawn at all. It's an organic gardening thing.

Metals and base metals, depending on what they are, can be either beneficial to mycelium and fungi or can wipe them out.

Myco Blast are spores. Nothing more. When watered and activated the "fuzz" starts and mycelium colonizes and takes over the substrate, soil, decomposing wood, what have you.

It's just that when certain metals are introduced that are incompatible with fungi it's called contamination. At least within the field of Micology. I'm not out for blood with Rhizoflora it's just that I answer phones, emails and texts daily. It's part of my job to respond to people because my job doesn't stop. Even in Kauai on vacation I'm responding to inquiries.

So I guess I can't relate to a party that simply don't respond especially after alerting them that their contact us widget isn't sending which is why I called.

Perhaps Rhizoflora themselves haven't done a trial running Terpinator in soil that's been inoculated with fungi. I'm just curious and want an idea of what to expect if I use it.

 

[jumpincactus]

If you beleieve Terpinator will do anything for you other than loosen up the money in your pocket, let me sell you some of my magical mystery powder. Guaranteed to produce 4 lbs per plant no matter the strain...... :p

I will assume you all know where I stand on the TerpinatorSnakeOil complete and utter bullshit!!!! Look at the ingredients. Then deduce from there.

 

[mancdank]

1 of my pals said it works for him so I asked @Ecompost what the deal was with it and if it makes sense his reply was something like it's vit c and some other cheap thing re bottled

 

[jumpincactus]

They do not disclose anything other than potassium as a nutrient source. If that's all that is in it, it's one of the most expensive bottles of potassium sulfate and water ever made. Oh and maybe some hidden PGR that they dont disclose due to in being proprietary..... blah blah blah

 

[UgrewWHAT]

1 of my pals said it works for him so I asked @Ecompost what the deal was with it and if it makes sense his reply was something like it's vit c and some other cheap thing re bottled

I certainly appreciate your input.

I was about to say... We have a very diverse spectrum of very fine minds on the farm. Some of whom are deeply involved. It'd be nice to hear from a Micologist or a seasoned Biologist whom are more skilled and would know.

 

[mancdank]

They do not disclose anything other than potassium as a nutrient source. If that's all that is in it, it's one of the most expensive bottles of potassium sulfate and water ever made. Oh and maybe some hidden PGR that they dont disclose due to in being proprietary..... blah blah blah

Lol that's the fucker it potassium and vitamin c

 

[mancdank]

I certainly appreciate your input.

I was about to say... We have a very diverse spectrum of very fine minds on the farm. Some of whom are deeply involved. It'd be nice to hear from a Micologist or a seasoned Biologist whom are more skilled and would know.

The guy I was referring too is a real skilled guy when it comes to his foods and such. Don't see him around too much any more I guess he's got his hands full on some project or something @Ecompost are u around bro ???

 

[Ecompost]

They do not disclose anything other than potassium as a nutrient source. If that's all that is in it, it's one of the most expensive bottles of potassium sulfate and water ever made. Oh and maybe some hidden PGR that they dont disclose due to in being proprietary..... blah blah blah

no really, just Vit C and K.... go to a blue flag beach, fill a jug of clean sea water, mix it with fresh water at 1:30 then use...its free, its better.... :-)

 

[mancdank]

no really, just Vit C and K.... go to a blue flag beach, fill a jug of clean sea water, mix it with fresh water at 1:30 then use...its free, its better.... :)

Lol I knew it had vit c in there :) how's things bro hope all is good in them far away lands :)

 

[Ecompost]

Lol I knew it had vit c in there :) how's things bro hope all is good in them far away lands :)

yeah busy...its a working farm so very very busy...hence not been here. did squeeze a trip overseas tho...my back needed the holiday :) Hows things with you bro~?

 

[UgrewWHAT]

yeah busy...its a working farm so very very busy...hence not been here. did squeeze a trip overseas tho...my back needed the holiday :) Hows things with you bro~?

Ecompost, maybe you can answer my initial question... Will the ingredients in Terpinator interfere with miccorhizae or the micro herd?

 

[jumpincactus]

If you are using bottled mycho's as opposed to local native already established in your soil, the chances of your getting a good microherd is slim. So your concern over Terpinator is unfounded.

There are a ton of studies if you look, that show many commercial supplied mycho's don't have a very good success rate concerning actual germination and establishing a viable network of mycorrhizal fungus. I know I will get flamed to hell n back :fire:with that statement but I will close with this. Please keep your rebuttals to yourself until such time you do the same research and hunting to put my questions to rest about all the snake oils in the Ag industry. If you can find conclusive evidence that shows my claim is incorrect I will eat crow. :p

Mhhhhh not really feeling much like crow today so I believe I should be safe for now........ :)

 

[Ecompost]

Ecompost, maybe you can answer my initial question... Will the ingredients in Terpinator interfere with miccorhizae or the micro herd?

no mate they will not, since the K is actually Organic, but most K Sulfate is. The inclusion of Vit C at this late stage might be a waste of time also, ascorbic acid is generally related to growth or repair, defense, cant see why you might need it at this late stage in reality but I am here to be convinced also.
Ascorbic acid is the chemical name for vitamin C. Plants use it an antioxidant, which helps to protect cells from substances that damage DNA.
What we can say, Terpinator is a lot of water, someone said 90% distilled water...this itself would be very alarming no? I would check out the dilution rates, it should say.
You could get a bit of fresh lemon juice, add this to sea water minerals, and get benefits at no where near the cost of this product, plus if you ate the other half of the lemon you would get the smokers dose of extra vit C too LOL.
According to the National Institutes of Health, the recommended dietary allowance for vitamin C is 75 milligrams for adult women and 90 milligrams for men. Smokers require an additional 35 milligrams each day. :)

Added, Vit C helps protect plants from the sun, so why would it be a late input and not something you do at the start where the Absorbic acid will help with cell development?

Peace
Eco

 

[Ecompost]

Added also:
While vitamin C in plant chloroplasts is known to help prevent a reduction in growth that plants experience when exposed to excessive light--phenomenon called photoinhibition--how it gets into chloroplasts to begin with has been a mystery. Now, a team of researchers from the RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resources and Okayama University has identified PHT4;4 as the transport protein that allows vitamin C to enter chloroplasts. Published in Nature Communications, the work shows that PHT4;4 can transport vitamin C and that it is located in the envelope membranes of chloroplasts. The researchers found that removing it leads to both less vitamin C in chloroplasts and increased photoinhibition triggered by extreme light. The research could lead to the development of crop plants with higher tolerances to environmental stress and reduce the damage to farmland in regions with strong light. While we need vitamin C to stay healthy, plants actually make it for their own benefit. Produced in mitochondria in reaction to stress, vitamin C enters other cell organs such as chloroplasts where it is needed as an antioxidant and coenzyme in metabolic reactions that help protect the plant. Source:

This is true also of Citric Acid. I would be careful myself adding additional Citric Acid, or Ascorbic Acid to plants, in light of the reduction processes taking place during the creation of ATP. I rather suspect we are over doing the inputs of both of these elements, this might be leading to poor quality tastes from Organic grows. If you use Mycos, you have a symbiont to help your plant handle stress vectors, both biotic and abiotic. Yeast fungus, DSE type fungus like Trichoderma and the armies of microbes they attract can have quite an impact on the production of defense systems such as Trichome density and or essential oil, terpenes, flavs etc without the need for added inputs from us.
That said, there is a case to be made for us providing additional assistance in light of the increased stresses plants now have to accommodate because of us.