Mycorrhizae Update

[Rick]

In March of this year I used a mycorrhizae inoculant on a bunch of plants. I focused on plants that were in poor condition or had recurring erwinia problems.

I ended up inoculating about 20 pots altogether (some were compots of seedlings). To louse up the experiment even more I also ended up adding some bone meal to allot of the same pots after 2 or so months (adding another variable). The results are mixed.

Keeping in mind that the bulk of the plants I added it too were hurting one way or another, when I looked at the list, the first thing I noticed was that most of the plants were at least still alive. Most of the plants that were having erwinia problems still had some cases of erwinia and lost a growth or two, but they are putting on some good growths now.

Here's one of the best looking stories of the bunch:


I got these henryanum babies back from Troy around 8/07, they seemed to start OK, but then just sat there and sulked until I added the mycorrhizae in March 08. I didn't realize how bad they were until some really started to grow again and green up. You can see how yellow they were by the one that's up in the top right corner. Plus they were just kind of flat or limp. The have added all kinds of new and bigger leaves and roots, and they are nice and perky. It was kind of weird that the darkening up started with the plants on the left side of the pot and has been gradually working to the right side.

I haven't changed the spot were the pot was kept in my indoor box, but I have changed the orientation from time to time. I have not changed the mix, other than a light top dressing of bone meal about June or July 08. The only water they get is lab grade RO (ultra pure) for daily misting and periodic watering, and once every week or so they get fertilized with MSU. They look like they are really coming around (Hey Dusty these are our Love Childrenoke

I can probably claim that the Plant Success mycorrhizae is safe for orchids, and at least in some cases, it seems to improve there performance. I wouldn't call it a slam dunk success though. Need to try it some more.

 

[SlipperFan]

Interesting, Rick. Keep us posted. It is curious that the green is migrating across the pot.

 

[likespaphs]

thanks for the updates.

 

[NYEric]

Send me some!

 

[cnycharles]

hey, by any chance did you start placing seedlings in the pot going from left to right, largest seedlings to youngest in the compot (or put plants from two flasks into one compot)? maybe the strongest ones got happier quicker and the smaller ones are taking more time? glad to see the plants getting better. things I get from troy are usually quite excellent, but then my sometimes lack of attention causes them to lose vigor over time...

 

[Rick]

hey, by any chance did you start placing seedlings in the pot going from left to right, largest seedlings to youngest in the compot (or put plants from two flasks into one compot)? maybe the strongest ones got happier quicker and the smaller ones are taking more time? glad to see the plants getting better. things I get from troy are usually quite excellent, but then my sometimes lack of attention causes them to lose vigor over time...

Well they are definitely all from the same flask, and my placement in a compot is pretty random typically. If I have any regular placement practice it would be the biggest first, and they would be more clustered in the middle. As I run out of room the smaller plants end up near the edges.

When they came in they were actually nicely colored and looked pretty good, and over time they just didn't seem to get going and turned yellow. I also generally have good results with seedlings from Troy so I was surprised. I had a batch of henryanums from a different breeding (and parents) that didn't do this. The ones I saved are getting 2nd growths, and I think they are only a year older. So that's part of the comparison too I supose.

 

[cnycharles]

I realized after I had posted that you had said different plants had the yellowing, so not just the compots. fingers type before things soak into the brain... one thing I was wondering was if you used the coconut husk chips for all of the henryanums, and maybe is that one species that doesn't like too many salts? I'd heard a few places and Joe Kunisch was saying at our orchid society meeting this sunday that often it's very difficult to get all of the salts out of some of the chips and that they can leach out often even if you really soak the stuff. I have noticed that the larger the chips I use (often with bigger plants in bigger pots) some of my plants will get really yellow or worse. often the really small chips don't have that sort of problem, so maybe some or bigger chips just have a stash of hidden salts in the middle of the chip that doesn't come out right away and may not show up right away if you test with a tds meter right after new rinsing... or they break down a little and lets some salts out. still odd that you would have a 'wave' of green

 

[Rick]

I use CHC pretty universally with my henryanums, and they generally seem to do pretty good in it. This growth issue seems to be isolated to this batch of babies. Also I didn't repot them, I just added the mycorrhyzae and a couple of months later a dash of bone meal. So its as close to an on/off effect as I could come up with.

My source of CHC is from Roberts Flower Supply, and it came from Sri Lanka. I do lots of soaking with this stuff so even without using a conductivity probe I'm pretty confident about it.

You might look up the old thread on CHC. I've been using it for quite a few years and my multis are doing stellar in it.

 

[Rick]

I realized after I had posted that you had said different plants had the yellowing, so not just the compots.

The yellowing was the henryanum problem. Other plants that I was less specific about had an array of problems ranging from erwinia to poor growth to bad roots.

I dosed a couple of mounted phals too that I was worried about and they seemed to be coming around. But they are in the GH, and may have been getting overheated this summer, so I'm not sure what they are responding too.

I highlighted the henry compot because it has the least amount of variables over time. They are indoors, under lights, in my pleurothalid case, so their environment is the most controlled of all the things I hit with the mycorrhizae.

 

[Jim Toomey]

Brand of mycorrhizae inoculant?
Rate of usage, 1/2 tsp gallon or more per gallon?
Any more news?
Thanks,
AHAB

 

[Rick]

Brand of mycorrhizae inoculant?
Rate of usage, 1/2 tsp gallon or more per gallon?
Any more news?
Thanks,
AHAB

It's Plant Success "soluble" You might look for it on the Worms Way site.

I used it at the rate of 1/4 tsp/gal

No new news I could call a mycorrhizal success.

 

[biothanasis]

Does anyone know where I can find this in Europe??? Any basic ingredients this stuff contains so that I can ask local stores???? Thank you in advance!!!

 

[Jim Toomey]

Hello,
Would chlorinated water affect the fungi?
I would think it would kill some or all of it off.
I am looking for a whole house type carbon filter, any suggestions?
Thanks,
AHAB

 

[cnycharles]

hello ahab,
don't know where you are but in the u.s. there are tons of water filtering equipment and it would depend on where you were for brands as I think they change somewhat depending on where you are. besides that, it seems like ease of changing the filters, total filtering of different things and the volume that would be filtered at any time would be a big deal. also the cost and availability of recharge filters at a decent price and having a sediment filter hooked up in front of the carbon to keep it from wearing out too soon

of course you may already know these things and just want a brand... companies that sell aquarium, home repair and hydroponics/horticulture supplies often have a large selection of filtering supplies