You hit the mark.
How to use your money for what’s important.
The question is always where do, I want to spend money. Granted money is sometimes the most limiting factor. Less is often more when it comes to growing.
Grow responsibly!
You hit the mark.
How to use your money for what’s important.
The question is always where do, I want to spend money. Granted money is sometimes the most limiting factor. Less is often more when it comes to growing.
Grow responsibly!
Nick, just to try clarifying your terminology, it almost sounds like you are looking for microbes to accomplish a certain purpose." Enzymes" is kind of a squishy subject. All enzymes are proteins that act as catalysts in metabolic processes. Many enzymes are ubiquitous in nature. Many more are associated with microbes and all the fauna and flora on earth! There are many enzymes that would do you absolutely no good because they are completely foreign to the particular metabolic process you may be concerned with.
I believe you are talking about microbial agents which certainly are beneficial to support plant growth. The subject seems to be well covered here so I don’t have a lot to add. Keep in mind all microbes compete with each other in the soil media. pH, moisture, and soil temperature all have an affect on which microbes flourish and which recede. There are many pathogens such as phytopthora, Pythium, etc. that remain in the soil as inerts until prevailing conditions change to favor them and they ‘bloom’ much like a red tide in the oceans!
Thank you Mr. Flasch. I noticed you are from my home counties. To add another component to this discussion, it is true that these bacteria can compete. We coferment all our bacteria in 10,000 gallon tanks so that they coexist and become beneficial to each other. Many products on the market only have one or two families, not all microbial products are equivalent. We have Aerobic and Anaerobic families in one product. If you ever want me to drop off some product I would be happy to compare notes.
Mr. Leonard, Hi!
Microbiology is a complex and fascinating field! EVERY THING in nature competes! As we are sophisticated creatures at the top of the food chain we have a hard time relating to that fact. Think what would happen if we took every animal on earth and put them in a big corale…they probably aren’t going to get along for very long and there is bound to be some pervasive bloodshed!
For our purposes here, I believe we can agree that microbial inoculation will generally be a good thing! If you are using any composted material in your media or feeding with a compost tea, you are probably doing a pretty effective job inoculating with the existing microbes. Not to say you cannot use any of the fine innoculants available here…it’s just to say that your inoculation does not necessarily ESTABLISH all the species you just introduced…so many antagonistic considerations (pH, Ec, soil moisture, temperature,your media choice, and even the nutrients that you add!)
Ultimately, if you are happy with your choice of media and you use a certain inoculant with good results…keep it up!
LOL, see what you started Nick!!!
You hit the key points. Can we create this as a ordered list of why supplemental microbes are important to our grows.
After taking several graduate classes in Plant Nutrition and Soil Science, I have to ask why would you use soil, even outdoors ?
It is inefficient and unsustainable and water use is higher than other methods.
The use of animal based amendments, although organic should NOT be used, even when composted to avoid issues with plant / human pathogens and the production of such is a major source of air pollution as are prepackaged soilless mixes.
It was a simple cost benefit calculation for the fields. We had a good virgin sod. Our soil profile was good, I dug the pit.
I just can’t rap my head around 3 acre of peatmoss 24 inches deep.
With our soil, We just need fewer inputs. I guess if we could have been 100% soilless. I would. I do it in my own garden. Might worry more about drainage by perching the water table in the beds where we grew.
Also summer for cut flowers is a marginal business and this was just as subscription produce was just an idea. Remember we did not grow cannabis on our farm. Mushroom yes, but no cannabis, honest. DEA came twice a year just to see. At our apartment, I had some beautiful cannabis plants, real dwarfs. They were some Missouri, skunk that had a funny spot, that I took some cuttings from. nothing to barge about except they where vary pretty shape. But, not at the business.
Hey MK I like the way you think, that’s just about spot on for what I use in soil
VAM by Bioag
Bulk carbon nutrients
Gaps coco wholesaler (OMRI)
Contact me if interested.