Mycorrhizae FAQ's

[amideutch]

This addresses a lot of questions I've seen asked before in different threads. Ami

http://www.agbio-inc.com/mycorrhizae-faq.html

http://www.ibiblio.org/london/orgfar...fungi-faq.html

[RayR]

Here's a good article by Amaranthus, Simpson and Lowenfels on soil microbes including Mycorrhizae.

http://www.mycorrhizae.com/wp-conten...anthusetal.pdf

[guruofgardens]

Thanks, Ami - I liked the AgBio article best as it explains everything in simplest form that everyone can understand.

[RayR]

Mycorrhizae act as a interplant communications network and spread the news when the enemy attacks.

Fungus network 'plays role in plant communication'

[Cole_Robbie]

How do you think mycorrhizae relate to damping off? Or do they at all?

[RayR]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

How do you think mycorrhizae relate to damping off? Or do they at all?

There are a bunch of studies that have been done on that. Just do a Google search for "mycorrhizae damping off"
What I gather from the evidence is that there is some relation between mycorrhizae and damping off pathogens like Pythium and rhizoctonia but the control of the pathogens is magnified greatly when Trichoderma and beneficial bacteria are also present in the root zone.

[Cole_Robbie]

I tossed a seedling just now that had it. I looked at the roots, and I couldn't see any of the white fuzz that is on the roots of my healthy plants.

[bughunter99]

I liked the idea and tried several products with this added and had nothing but issues with rot and disease. Could have been purely coincidence and unrelated but its the first time I've had issues with seedlings in years, so I don't use it anymore and am back to my tried and true method of adding a wee bit of compost to the mix.

Stacy

[Cole_Robbie]

Stacy, did this happen to be one of them?

http://www.menards.com/main/outdoors...88-c-10116.htm

I used the same product last year and had no damping off at all. I think the difference this year is the cold, wet weather. Even though I grow in a greenhouse, it still gets down to nearly equal the outside temp at night.

[RayR]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

I tossed a seedling just now that had it. I looked at the roots, and I couldn't see any of the white fuzz that is on the roots of my healthy plants.

The stripping off of root hairs would be a symptom of damping off.

Originally Posted by bughunter99

I liked the idea and tried several products with this added and had nothing but issues with rot and disease. Could have been purely coincidence and unrelated but its the first time I've had issues with seedlings in years, so I don't use it anymore and am back to my tried and true method of adding a wee bit of compost to the mix.

Stacy

I don't know what products you used but I've not had any signs of damping off when using innoculants. The only time I did get damping off in the past is when I used a supposed sterile seed starting mix. I'm not a believer in the sterile seed starting method because without natural biological defenses in the soil all it takes is pythium or rhizoctonia to find their way in and have a free for all.
By adding a good quality compost to your mix you are inoculating with bacteria and fungi, so any biologically active thing like compost, worm castings or AACT can be very beneficial for disease prevention as well as growth promotion. Diversity is the key I think, the more variety of good guys you have, the better the overall results.
From my experiment with a diatomite + organics seed starting mix this year here and here, you can see that just the addition of 10% worm castings to the mix produced greater top growth. Otherwise all the plants were all healthy in both mixes, and root structure was the same as I saw when potting up. I left mycorrhizae out of the seed starting mix since I start that at the potting up stage and then again at transplant.

[RayR]

Here's a couple YouTube videos from NoTillFarmer Magazine that explain some interesting facts about Mycorrhizae and growing crops.

Value of Mycorrhizae

Mycorrhizal Applications: Working With Cover Crops

[Siberian]

Here's a question that I've not seen addressed before.

In the past I have done a version of a dip solution used when planting out that I apply immediately before planting the seedlings into their permanent homes in the ground. Would it offer any additional benefit if I applied this solution earlier (say about a week or so before planting out) to allow the mycos and other microbes to fully cultivate the plant roots before going into the ground?

[Redbaron]

Originally Posted by Siberian

Here's a question that I've not seen addressed before.

In the past I have done a version of a dip solution used when planting out that I apply immediately before planting the seedlings into their permanent homes in the ground. Would it offer any additional benefit if I applied this solution earlier (say about a week or so before planting out) to allow the mycos and other microbes to fully cultivate the plant roots before going into the ground?

I have not compared the two, BUT that is very similar to what I do.

I start seeds in sterile soil-less seed starting mix similar to what nctomatoman teaches, when I transplant to individual pots I inoculate. Then when I transplant those into the final bed, I inoculate again by using the "mudding them in" method with water that has various organic ferts and inoculants. Then generally I never have to fertilize again. In a new bed that isn't very fertile yet, I may do 1 or 2 very light ferts later once the tomatoes start fruiting. It's a judgement call at that point.

PS Thanks nctomatoman! You really saved me a lot of time effort and materials with your vid. I had done various similar things in the past, but your method really rocks for trying many varieties at once! So organised!

[RayR]

Originally Posted by Siberian

Here's a question that I've not seen addressed before.

In the past I have done a version of a dip solution used when planting out that I apply immediately before planting the seedlings into their permanent homes in the ground. Would it offer any additional benefit if I applied this solution earlier (say about a week or so before planting out) to allow the mycos and other microbes to fully cultivate the plant roots before going into the ground?

You can start inoculating sooner than that. I start the full myco's, trichoderma and beneficial bacteria inoculation at the potting up stage and then again at transplant time. This year I also inoculated with BiotaMax and worm castings at seed starting, both for suppression of any possible damping off pathogens and for the plant growth promotion benefits of the microorganisms.

[Siberian]

How did the BiotaMax inoculation at seed starting work out for you Ray? Any difference from your results previous years sans the BM?

I've used chamomile tea with good success in damping off prevention. I'm sure not nearly as beneficial as BM in regards to synergies, but it has worked for prevention.