Uncle Ben
Well-Known Member
First off, for those of you who have followed my rants over the years, you know how much I disdain "snake oils" aka "rocket fuels" and the shysters that push them. I do keep an open mind and will take the plunge from time to time but so far I feel I've wasted my money. IOW, if it sounds too good to be true, then it usually is. I consider most of the organic market push to be a big racket based on idealogical fervor and greed. I attended a professional workshop on the use of non-conventional soil additives where such products were applied in field studies with all kinds of crops throughout the U.S. and all products tested (about 10) were found to have no beneficial affect on crop production. Having said that, this raises the question, when can some of these "snake oils" be of benefit to the cannabis gardener? Which brings me to my latest experiment.......
I recently applied 30 gallons of a MycoApply soluble product to alot of plant material, not cannabis, but all the same as I applied it to very similiar plants regarding their botanical makeup, growth habits, etc. I will be able to judge the results by the end of this growing season as a control group was set aside with no treatment.
There are quite a few such products containing either or both endo (hyphae within the roots) and ecto (hyphae on the roots) type species, I chose what is considered the most complete and best product in the industry for broad spectrum use - trees, conifers, grapevines, veggies, roses, potted plants, etc. (Not all fungi species will work under all circumstances.... soil conditions, temps, etc.) This brand is also the cheapest and is regulated. A long conversation with a company tech confirmed that indeed their product is bonafide. Of course an electron microscope would come in handy for a quick and easy check.
For about $45 (which included shipping) I am able to make up to 200 gallons of an active soil drench. I used a product called Soluble MaXX which contains:
9 Species Endo (31,200 prop/lb)
11 Species Ecto (1.5 billion prop/lb)
2 Species Trichoderma, a Biostimulant Package and Beneficial Bacteria
The use of this product is best when you're using soil-less potting mixes as mixes rich in compost will likely not see any real world benefit. Now here is the rub - this fungi comes dormant with a carrier and takes time to become active, work up an active colony in the root zone. Is it active by the time you harvest, or a week after application while your plants are in the juvenile stage?
If you wish to experiment with such products it is imperative that you also have a control group and take careful notes, which no one seems to want to do, instead seeing what they want or expect to see. Upon harvest it would be wise to inspect the root system to see if a fungi colony did indeed develop. The grower is still subject to good plant practices so your mileage will vary.
I take the approach that gardening is all about tweaks, the use of bonafide products might be worth experimenting with, then again you might be throwing good money after bad. Hoo nose?
Good luck,
UB
I recently applied 30 gallons of a MycoApply soluble product to alot of plant material, not cannabis, but all the same as I applied it to very similiar plants regarding their botanical makeup, growth habits, etc. I will be able to judge the results by the end of this growing season as a control group was set aside with no treatment.
There are quite a few such products containing either or both endo (hyphae within the roots) and ecto (hyphae on the roots) type species, I chose what is considered the most complete and best product in the industry for broad spectrum use - trees, conifers, grapevines, veggies, roses, potted plants, etc. (Not all fungi species will work under all circumstances.... soil conditions, temps, etc.) This brand is also the cheapest and is regulated. A long conversation with a company tech confirmed that indeed their product is bonafide. Of course an electron microscope would come in handy for a quick and easy check.
For about $45 (which included shipping) I am able to make up to 200 gallons of an active soil drench. I used a product called Soluble MaXX which contains: 9 Species Endo (31,200 prop/lb)
11 Species Ecto (1.5 billion prop/lb)
2 Species Trichoderma, a Biostimulant Package and Beneficial Bacteria
The use of this product is best when you're using soil-less potting mixes as mixes rich in compost will likely not see any real world benefit. Now here is the rub - this fungi comes dormant with a carrier and takes time to become active, work up an active colony in the root zone. Is it active by the time you harvest, or a week after application while your plants are in the juvenile stage?
If you wish to experiment with such products it is imperative that you also have a control group and take careful notes, which no one seems to want to do, instead seeing what they want or expect to see. Upon harvest it would be wise to inspect the root system to see if a fungi colony did indeed develop. The grower is still subject to good plant practices so your mileage will vary.
I take the approach that gardening is all about tweaks, the use of bonafide products might be worth experimenting with, then again you might be throwing good money after bad. Hoo nose?
Good luck,
UB
. Got any pics?
