fertilizer

[Glider]

From what I observed, it totally breaks down in 6 to 9 weeks (depending on the water and sun) after being laid down. Once totally broken down, it gets flushed at the first heavy rain... leaving mostly/only the inorganic content. At about £6 per 25Kg bag, I do feed a lot of it to all my outside plants during the entire growing season

The only downside is the smell that would not be really "neighbour friendly" in the city, but that can be kept under control by the addition of basalt meal (or better yet, FulHumin from Neudorff: basalt meal and humic acid mix). The smell will go away (or you'll get used to it) over the course of a few days anyways.

Apart from the smell, it sounds worth a try. What's it called? I might have a look around the next time I'm in Crews Hill.

Hey guys my fertilizer routine is a little different than most of you.

1.Hydroponic fertilizer any brand with every watering
2.Liquid seaweed with every watering
3.A silica supliment any brand. with every watering
4.Mycorrhizal Inoculant once a month
5.Cal-mag supliment once a month

Mortalis, why do you innoculate once a month with mycorrhyza? Surely once the spores activate, you should have a live colony that lasts at least until the next repotting (and beyond, if you keep some old soil when you repot)?

 

[meushi]

Apart from the smell, it sounds worth a try. What's it called? I might have a look around the next time I'm in Crews Hill.

In Germany, Rinderdung is the name
In France, "Or Brun" is one of the brands
I have no idea of the brand/name in the UK, but look for pelletized cow manure or pelletized chicken manure in your garden center or in the closest farmer's supply store.

 

[daniel]

I got my regimen from a student of Boon's (he stated this is what Boon does). First, you make "balls o' poo" with fish emulsion, bone meal, cottonseed meal, flour and yeast (smells like poo, but no poo involved). Put these on every 2 weeks. Water every week (alternating) with liquid seaweed, fish emulsion, and liquid seaweed with iron. Seems pretty intense to me.

Mortalis, I didn't see a reply from you about why the inocculant so frequently. I'm curious. Also, do you use decomposed granite in your soil? It's "supposed" to give the plant some minerals, but I'm not sure. (This was prompted by your use of gypsum for the tree...just curious.)

Daniel

 

[Mortalis]

Mortalis, why do you innoculate once a month with mycorrhyza? Surely once the spores activate, you should have a live colony that lasts at least until the next repotting (and beyond, if you keep some old soil when you repot)?

Well I do that to make sure that there is no room for other fungi to get a hold. It helps alot if you have a tree get root rot.

 

[Glider]

In Germany, Rinderdung is the name
In France, "Or Brun" is one of the brands
I have no idea of the brand/name in the UK, but look for pelletized cow manure or pelletized chicken manure in your garden center or in the closest farmer's supply store.

Cool...I'll look out for it next time I'm in Crews Hill. Thanks to the info.

Well I do that to make sure that there is no room for other fungi to get a hold. It helps alot if you have a tree get root rot.

That's an interesting thought. Tip the competetive balance in favour of the beneficial microbiotics. Nice idea. I've always just innoculated once and then simply retained some old soil at each repotting, but there is a certain logic to your method.

 

[Mortalis]

Tip the competetive balance in favour of the beneficial microbiotics. Nice idea. I've always just innoculated once and then simply retained some old soil at each repotting, but there is a certain logic to your method.

I am very careful to keep that balance in favor of the good guys.. I always sterilize reused pots with bleach and reused media in the oven before using it. I even wash my hands and tools from one tree to another when working on them. Before I started this practice I lost alot of trees to root rot or other types of fungi. I do not know if it was the inoculation alone or the combination of that and the other practices I started but I have not lost a tree to root rot in 3+ years.

I am about to try somthing new called FloraShield it says it will kill 97% of all bacteria and fungi but wont hurt your beneficial microbes and fungi.

 

[Glider]

I might get some more mycorrhyzal inoculant. I can't seem to find Botanicare Guardian MY anywhere near, but most of the garden centres round here do innoculant suitable for trees and shrubs.

Let us know about the florasheild. I'm less tempted to use that as I've never lost a tree to root rot (possibly as I use only straight akadama or kanuma), but it would be interesting anyway.

 

[shohin kid]

Biogold

I just got my first shipment of biogold fertilizer today. I did not realize the pellets were so small. Are there any types of trees that one should not fertilize with biogold?

 

[Mortalis]

I might get some more mycorrhyzal inoculant. I can't seem to find Botanicare Guardian MY anywhere near, but most of the garden centres round here do innoculant suitable for trees and shrubs.

Let us know about the florasheild. I'm less tempted to use that as I've never lost a tree to root rot (possibly as I use only straight akadama or kanuma), but it would be interesting anyway.

Actually since I switched to 100% inorganic mix I have not had any root rot problems. I use 75% LECA 25% Diatomite. Really my big trouble was fungus nats getting in and bringing the fungus with them. They dont like to lay their eggs in my inorganic mix so it became less of a problem. Still I inoculate and use enzymes as I have done "experiments" with it and found favorable results. In quotes because I did not really use the scientific method..

 

[Glider]

I just got my first shipment of biogold fertilizer today. I did not realize the pellets were so small. Are there any types of trees that one should not fertilize with biogold?

No, it's good for all trees. It's a nice, gentle organic that's good for the soils and the roots. Like most organic feeds, it encourages beneficial fungi and soil bacteria that can be inhibited by the use of chemical fertilizers . Be aware that the pellets swell once they get wet. You can expect them to approximatly double in size over a couple of hours. For very small pots, I use the smalller pellets from the bottom of the bag.

Actually since I switched to 100% inorganic mix I have not had any root rot problems. I use 75% LECA 25% Diatomite. Really my big trouble was fungus nats getting in and bringing the fungus with them. They dont like to lay their eggs in my inorganic mix so it became less of a problem. Still I inoculate and use enzymes as I have done "experiments" with it and found favorable results. In quotes because I did not really use the scientific method..

Since about 2000, I've only used pure akadama or kanuma and I've never had a problem with root rot or soil-based pests. I did notice that the pine roots are much more obviously surrounded by mycorrhyza in akadama (scrape away the surface and the creamy white hyphae surround the granules under it). I think you're right about the fungus gnats too. I haven't noticed any significant numbers for years (since I changed soils), except last year, which was exceptionally wet.

The problem for me is that almost half my trees are azaleas and whilst ericoid mycorrhysal innoculant exists, I can't find a non-agricultural supplier (i.e. that would sell to an individual). I guess that out in the open air and rain and stuff, eventually spores will find their way in naturally.

I don't think your method can do any harm, scientific method or not. As you say, it would keep the scales tipped in favour of the good guys, which can't be a bad thing. A root system packed with good mycorrhyza and soil bacteria is a hostile environment to any invading pathogenic fungi or bacteria.

 

[Marc S]

I read somewhere that Walter Pall uses "whatever is available at the shop", by which he means cheap inorganic fertilizer from what I recall.
I think this makes sense. Basically, trees need N, P and K. So whatever provides this can be used I guess. Most inorganic fertilizers also contain some trace elements like calcium, magnesium, sulfur, iron, zinc, ..., though it isn't very welll known how many of them a tree needs.
It's my experience that organic pellets spread over the soil attract little flies, amongst others, and often leave a black residue.

 

[rockm]

Innocculant

"Well I do that to make sure that there is no room for other fungi to get a hold. It helps alot if you have a tree get root rot."

Interesting, but completely inaccurate and potentially damaging for your tree. Mycorrhiza is species specific, in other words, it can't really be "transplanted" among various kinds of trees. There are also varying kinds of inoculants, some are bacteria, some are fungal. You have to know which your plant needs and which you are using. Neither provide protection from other "bad" fungal or bacteriological species. You can't "crowd out" those species with repeated doses of a prepared mixture-your trees are outside in a vast soup of fungal spores and bacteriological organisms. Those organisms can't be kept out of your soil. Not would you want them to be. The best "inoculants" are the ones that find their own way into your tree's root mass. The species-specific kind WILL eventually find your tree, or they're already there.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mycorrhiza

Root rot is not a bad fungus. It is the result of bad horticulture on the owner's part. Soil that's kept too wet and root work at the wrong time of year can produce root rot. No amount of soil inoculant will stop it.

There are no miracle products that prevent bad care from killing your tree. Thinking one will can lead to very bad outcomes.