Forever After Soil Mix for Ultimate Quality

Gr33nSanta · Mar 24, 2017

Microbeman said:
I do get your point with this. I use less drainage material than others but I do use materials like pea gravel and composted woody debris (& biochar) which do provide nutrients over time in a no till soil.

I don't quite follow what you mean here but compacted castings would contribute more to anaerobic, rather than aerobic conditions. Of course there are more than just bacteria at work in a living soil.

I'm not knocking how you do things. It sounds better than most and you have satisfaction with your routine. I don't think you mentioned whether you remix your soil between harvests or whether you are growing no till in true living soil fashion.

I have come across local peat moss previously, although not bailed. So it is not Canadian Sphagnum peat moss?

What do you mean by 'thickest hyphae mycorrhizae'? If anything there may be some endomycorrhizal fungi spores in it, just as there could be in peat moss, which could infect your roots. To my knowledge it has nothing to do with thickness of hyphae.

Unless you are getting an Alaska humus product which is not on the market, then there is a 95% chance (I'm being moderate) it contains Sphagnum peat. The only way you could tell this is by looking at it under magnification to see the Sphagnum leaves.

For general appearance, mined Sphagnum peat moss varies according to the depth mined from and drying process applied.

Here you may see some research done illustrating that Alaska 'humus' products are essentially the same as Sphagnum peat moss products.
http://www.microbeorganics.com/#Canadian_Sphagnum_Peat

Here is a photo of a Sphagnum leaf magnified 100 times and zoomed in on at unknown magnification;

View Image

You don't need to know all this to continue happily growing the way you do

I had one more question. Do you harvest your clay soil outdoors? If you've already answered, apologies.

what do you think of using carbon pellets from old carbon filters for biochar as soil amendments?

Gr33nSanta · Mar 24, 2017

Microbeman said:
I am familiar with her history. She did not remain at Rodale.

The thing about the hyphae is that she states hyaline hyphae is not good, illustrating to me some confusion.

It was me who brought to light that fish hydrolysate feeds both bacteria/archaea and fungi. That and black strap molasses which also feeds both groups.

It is possible that AM fungi derives some nutrient from oat flour, etc. after infecting roots. However, the use of this as recommended by soil food industries (SFI), applied to compost, grows out other sorts of fungi.

I only use bran for a short duration in [v]compost prior to use in CT, due to my concern that it may grow aspergillus fumigatus or other 'bread mold'

so I should go easy on cucumeris that come in a bran carrier ^? I was under the impression it also feeds the soil so sometimes small pots have 1/4 inch layer of bran, would you say it s too much and I should really only use the slow release pouch^?

moses wellfleet · Mar 24, 2017

Gr33nSanta said:
so I should go easy on cucumeris that come in a bran carrier ^? I was under the impression it also feeds the soil so sometimes small pots have 1/4 inch layer of bran, would you say it s too much and I should really only use the slow release pouch^?

I have also top dressed with bran from predator mites, so interested in this question. It was a case of had it so used it!

Karma Xul · Mar 24, 2017

Starting to rebound from the over trimming.

Karma Xul · Mar 24, 2017

My opinion. Bad idea as their structure promotes biofilms and anaerobic bacteria. What benefit do you think they would have?

As for bran, adding carbs feeds the microbes tought a plant alters the balance as it needs. If you a good root zone you don't need to add anything. Fabric pots would likely see better results.

Microbeman · Mar 24, 2017

Gr33nSanta said:
so I should go easy on cucumeris that come in a bran carrier ^? I was under the impression it also feeds the soil so sometimes small pots have 1/4 inch layer of bran, would you say it s too much and I should really only use the slow release pouch^?

This is a totally different application and not enough to worry about. For your other question - No.

You can find answers to your questions or links to other resources on my webpage.

Karma Xul · Mar 24, 2017

"I don't believe I ever said fungal hyphae are thickest in Alaska humus. What I have said is that Alaska humus usually contains very beneficial fungi, and that beneficial fungi usually have wide diameters, typically wider than 3 micrometers. Also, I have noted that Alaska humus usually has a high concentration of beneficial fungi.

The problem with the word thickest is that it can mean both "a higher quantity", or "a wider diameter". Those are different things, so let me clarify further:

The most dense concentration of fungal hyphae per gram of soil that I have seen are in temperate conifer forests, such as the ones in Alaska, but also pretty much in any of the coastal old-growth forest systems on the west coast of North America, from California to the arctic circle, but high densities of beneficial fungi also occur in most coastal rainforests in other parts of the world.

We have documented that fungal biomass in these types of systems can routinely occupy 75% of the volume of a gram of soil. In other words, 0.75 gram of one gram of soil was fungal tissue.

This is well beyond what the USDA reports for the weight or volume of biology in general, not just fungi, in a gram of soil. I think that the USDA actually means dirt, not soil, when discussing "soil" and thus has mis-lead the world about the importance of organism activities in soil.

In terms of fungal diameter, some fungi can be 10 micrometers or more wide, but fungi with those widths rarely occur in Alaska, at least in my experience. Most of the fungi in healthy soil are in the wide category (greater than 3 micrometers but less than 10 micrometers), so Alaska isn't going to win a prize for having unusually wide diameter fungal hyphae. Sorry. "

Karma Xul · Mar 24, 2017

I wonder if bran, which is a high carbon to nitrogen ratio so mostly a fungal food, attract certain fungi like PM or boritus? If the food source is transferred to the plant I wonder if it could, under certain conditions, fester what could be a hindrance. bacterial foods are 10 to 30 to 1. Fungal food higher and compost activating food lower then 10 to 1. Different parts of the plant have different c to n ratios. Seeds maybe 5 to 10 to 1. Stocks can be very high c to n. The highest I know of is cedar. I think that is up around 1000 to 1.

Microbeman · Mar 25, 2017

As for Alaskan humus I get it for the thickest hyphae mycorrhizae known

The most dense concentration of fungal hyphae per gram of soil that I have seen are in temperate conifer forests, such as the ones in Alaska, but also pretty much in any of the coastal old-growth forest systems on the west coast of North America, from California to the arctic circle, but high densities of beneficial fungi also occur in most coastal rainforests in other parts of the world.

Be aware that these are mostly ectomycorrizal fungi which are found in conifer forests and these do not associate with cannabis.
http://mycorrhizae.com/wp-content/uploads/Types-of-Mycorrhizal-Plants.pdf

There are of course other fungal species which are beneficial. There are ones which have narrow diameter, like aspergillus niger which are beneficial. I used to believe that wider diameter meant higher benefit until learning otherwise.

One can learn to recognize pathogenic fungi by microscopy of hyphal morphology and spore structure. For example here is a photo courtesy google of fusarium spores.

Karma Xul · Mar 25, 2017

Microbeman said:
Be aware that these are mostly ectomycorrizal fungi which are found in conifer forests and these do not associate with cannabis.
http://mycorrhizae.com/wp-content/uploads/Types-of-Mycorrhizal-Plants.pdf

There are of course other fungal species which are beneficial. There are ones which have narrow diameter, like aspergillus niger which are beneficial. I used to believe that wider diameter meant higher benefit until learning otherwise.

One can learn to recognize pathogenic fungi by microscopy of hyphal morphology and spore structure. For example here is a photo courtesy google of fusarium spores.

View Image

Which characteristics would one use to identify pathogenic fungi via hyphal morphology or spore structure?

Microbeman · Mar 25, 2017

Karma Xul said:
Which characteristics would one use to identify pathogenic fungi via hyphal morphology or spore structure?

I gave an example above but it is a whole separate area of study. Do you use a microscope? You may also find some links to resources on my webpage.

Karma Xul · Mar 25, 2017

Microbeman said:
I gave an example above but it is a whole separate area of study. Do you use a microscope? You may also find some links to resources on my webpage.

I was more curious with general dynamics which characteristis you use to recognize pathogenic fungi by microscopy of hyphal morphology and spore structure. At present time I do not have a microscope at the house though would be interested in knowing what to look for if I needed to use one.

Karma Xul · Mar 25, 2017

Microbeman said:
I gave an example above but it is a whole separate area of study. Do you use a microscope? You may also find some links to resources on my webpage.

What is your website I would love to see.

Mine is www.gorillagrow.org.

Gr33nSanta · Mar 25, 2017

http://www.microbeorganics.com/

Karma Xul · Mar 25, 2017

I must ask regarding cleaning your brewer. You told me on your forum you do not clean your brewer. Do you test for Ecoli? My concern is teaching methods that can make others sick.

Karma Xul · Mar 25, 2017

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5Lbag-4Dew

Here is an excellent resource for those who want to know about microbes from the expert.

Microbeman · Mar 25, 2017

Karma Xul said:
I must ask regarding cleaning your brewer. You told me on your forum you do not clean your brewer. Do you test for Ecoli? My concern is teaching methods that can make others sick.

Again, I have never told anyone to not clean a brewer. I always instruct cleaning it immediately after use when it is easy.

I teach nothing which makes people sick. Perhaps you should learn my true background and read what I've written prior to criticizing.

One poor man's way to check for pathogenic bacteria is to look for sporulation. E-coli and the other common bad boys do not sporulate.

It is always good to get your information from multiple sources.

Microbeman · Mar 25, 2017

Karma Xul said:
What is your website I would love to see.

Mine is www.gorillagrow.org.

Okay; That explains everything. You are the guy with his own made up periodic table. Nuf said.

moses wellfleet · Mar 25, 2017

Karma Xul · Mar 25, 2017

Microbeman said:
Okay; That explains everything. You are the guy with his own made up periodic table. Nuf said.

Do an experiment for me. Go to google and type in "periodic table", the top result is from Sheffield University, one of the oldest and most respected in England. Look at their table and notice those changes are only found on mine. Then your not Tim Wilson. I saw Jeff's recommendation to Tim Wilsons forum where I was told all about the Vortex and not needing to clean the brewer. I was told this was you. I see you recommend molasses.

I was on Tim Wilsons forum and was told this. I was under the understanding this was you.

Water can be supersaturated with dissolved oxygen. This even occurs in nature. Research this and you will realize.

If you get the chance please email me through my webpage as there is something I wish to convey privately. Your PM is not yet functional.
What ppm of molasses do you recommend. Even if it feeds equally fungi does not breed at the same rate as bacteria. Fungal spores take 12 to 18 hours to wake up. What do you think they are breeding to keep up with bacteria. It is a poor fungal food due to its carbon to nitrogen ration which at a high are no more then 13 to 1 though most much lowers. Under 30 to 1 is bacterial foods though under 10 to 1 is super feed. That breed bacteria like crazy and this is what turns a brew anaerobic in part. That aside what ppm do you recommend people use of this super food? If you are doing thermal compost you can counter the anaerobic bacteria with turning though this brew is not getting up to 160 degree F nor would it benefit the diversity or oxygen saturation potential which reacts it max far lower in temperature. This will breed pathogens like ecoli. This is profitable for some though those are not friendly with the cannabis plants freedom or well being let alone the one growing with this environment as it dissipates in to the air.

Why would you tell people to use molasses? At what ppm do you tell them to use?

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