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Beneficial fungi soil additive

Hello everyone,

I've read a bit about adding Trichoderma to planting medium to aid in root mass and function. I was at a local hydroponics store (here in Canada), and picked up a product called "Piranha" by Advanced Nutrients. It contains certain beneficial fungi, and it's supposed to be Sphagnum safe. Here is the list of ingredients. Anything I should be concerned about?


AdvNutPowder_zpscb4ca322.jpg
 
It looks like it might make the soil more basic. And given that CPs prefer acidic soils...
 
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One treatment of that shouldn't play too much with the pH. My concern is actually that it appears that calcium oxide is quicklime, which usually will burn plants. It isn't just regular limestone (which is great for almost all plants!). I would test it before use.

Might be fine. Might not. Personally I believe that the best disease control lies in creating a healthy plant with good growing conditions. Plants will do an incredible amount of the work for you if you enable them. Also, phosphorus and Ca are probably far more important in root growth than anything else.

I just wonder why, if they needed a filler or carrier material, they decided to use quicklime??? Makes no sense.
 
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I dont know about that product but regular trichoderma drenches and 1/4 strength orchid fertilizer every month or so depending on you conditions should be all they need to thrive. Mine were always indoors under flourescents.
 
"Derived from: calcium oxide, ferric oxide, magnesium oxide." I think this simply means the percentages stated in the guaranteed analysis are based on the metal oxides, not the elements themselves. Similar to how in NPK fertilizers the percentages of P and K are based on oxides of these elements. If there's still concern about the pH being too basic, it can be easily tested with pH meter/indicator.
 
Thanks for the information, everyone. I've used the product after learning of a fellow Canadian (and excellent grower) who has been using the same product for years.
 
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