6/7/12

How to Use Beneficial Organism Products for Optimal Results


When you add beneficial organisms you are altering the rhizosphere. You want to increase the number of organisms that benefit your plant. To maximize efficiency you need to get the microorganisms to the rhizosphere, so you need to saturate the soil completely. You would be wasting the product if you just water the top of the soil and the organisms cannot get in contact with the plant roots. You also do not want to over water your plants and have the microorganisms in the water trays under your pots. With a hydroponic system you want to make sure you water the product directly on the roots. You may get the organisms into the rhizosphere via water recirculation but I would try to make sure you maximize exposure when you first water.

Using beneficial bacteria/microorganisms can mean more nitrogen fixing bacteria, or more chelation chemicals that help with the absorption of nutrients with your plants or various fungal mycorrhizal species with help plants to absorb nutrients from the soil. All of there are found in the roots organics and the stump tea sold by HTGSupply.com. If you have not used these products, I highly recommend doing a scientific test. Use it on some plants and not others of the same type, and compare growth, yield, flavor and color of your groups to see if there is a difference and hopfully a benefit from the new product.

Good Growing,
Dr. E.R. Myers

1 comment:

hillbilly said...

stump tea is my favorite beneficial biology product i have ever used. i'm not saying i've used them all, but i prefer it over the 4 other varieis i've tried because of the price, guaranteed analysis of organisms and the fact it also contains humic acid, fulvic acid AND molasses. anyone else out there brewing actively aerated compost tea with it? i brew it 1 TBsp per gallon of RO water and then add it to my nutrient solution at the rate of 8oz per gallon - this is my best educated guess at how to BEST use the stuff as AACT, based on my research of AACT. the package doesn't include any recommendations on brewing AACT with it, but i know they brew it right there in the store on route 19 in cranberry, PA. usually when i go into the store my head starts to spin with confusion at all the products and i never remember to ask them exactly how they brew it or at what rate they use it at once it is brewed. the AACT clearly is effective, as much evidence of thriving microbiology is visible on the roots via the naked eye (thick, white "fuzzies") and the fact that it made all my plants foliage thicker, greener and overall more vigorous. anyone else got any better/different ideas?