Actinomyces

mensplace · February 22, 2010

Several months ago I had sprayed a blend of Actinomyces and Myco-grow in the compost pile, across the tops of thehay bales bordering my raised beds, and across the surface of the garden soil. Yesterday, when breaking down the square bales to let more light into what had been my cold frames that are no longer needed and integrate the bales into the garden soil, I noticed that these were about triple the weight of normal bales. As I separated each segment from the bales I saw that they were full of very long fingers of fungi about an inch thick that had grown throughout the bales as well as plenty of white growth that had permeated each bale. There was also that very rich smell of topsoil. These I scattered across the top of the garden to be tilled in. Obviously they are full of microorganisms. However, in researching actinomyces, I also saw something called "farmers lung". Evidently, this come from the white powder that actinomyces produces. I still have two huge round bales to use for the compost pile, in the soil to add humus, and as a mulch across the surface. Should I be wearing a mask when working to tear apart and spread the hay? Will all of the fungi and actinomyces serve a positive, active role once integrated into the garden?

February 22, 2010	#1
mensplace Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: USA Posts: 1,013	Actinomyces Several months ago I had sprayed a blend of Actinomyces and Myco-grow in the compost pile, across the tops of thehay bales bordering my raised beds, and across the surface of the garden soil. Yesterday, when breaking down the square bales to let more light into what had been my cold frames that are no longer needed and integrate the bales into the garden soil, I noticed that these were about triple the weight of normal bales. As I separated each segment from the bales I saw that they were full of very long fingers of fungi about an inch thick that had grown throughout the bales as well as plenty of white growth that had permeated each bale. There was also that very rich smell of topsoil. These I scattered across the top of the garden to be tilled in. Obviously they are full of microorganisms. However, in researching actinomyces, I also saw something called "farmers lung". Evidently, this come from the white powder that actinomyces produces. I still have two huge round bales to use for the compost pile, in the soil to add humus, and as a mulch across the surface. Should I be wearing a mask when working to tear apart and spread the hay? Will all of the fungi and actinomyces serve a positive, active role once integrated into the garden?