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Hey Rob! How much do you pay for trichoderma in your part of the world?

1 kilo of trichoflow is about 130 AUD, but local nurseries sell the generic version for 9 dollars a kilo or so.

Gus
 
Joe,
Sounds like you've got some really interesting studies going there. Would be fascinated to hear the results when you have them. Are you a mocrobiologist or similar?

Gus,
AUD 9 per Kg! Wow! I thought we had a good deal at USD30 per Kg.
 
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No Rob I am not. To be honest I didn't even graduate highschool or have a GED.
I am an avid collector of epiphytic cactus and that is what lead me to be interested in Neps since some are epiphytic. I am self-taught in the things that interest me.
I have collected epi-cactus for a couple years now. In that time I have become interested in natural settings. Some will not flower in cultivation and some will not pup in cultivation. These are the kind of things which started my interest in environmental factors like Mycorrhiza and germination of Orchid seed. I have also found that mountings do 150% better with microbially action in the humus. I had also become aware that Neps as well grow in nutrient poor soils, which I think are the evolutionary reason for symbiotic relationships. I have begun corresponding with The International Canopy Network reguarding studies and literature about Canopy micro-environments. Official studies are still scarce as to the full swing of organisms in the canopy.

I will be testing a new product I've been researching called SuperBio
I will let you know how this goes. This a much wider spectrum of beneficial micro-organisms. It is a starting point I think. Having a few of each: Fungi, Bacterium, Protozoa, Nematode. There are many more that are beneficial but it will require addition of specialized biological organisms. For instance I already have many of the Myccorhiza where as SuperBio has 2 or 3 in it. The other problem is it is becoming obvios that each specie of plant carrying on symbiotic relationships has its own specific organisms that are beneficial to it. So what is great for say N. veitchii will probably be of little or no use to N.loweii. Which becomes a case of unneccesary microbes in your soil (non-harmful) or each specie of a plant would need a specialized mix (very time consuming)
I am long winded
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Joe
 
For anyone that is confused.

Mycorrhiza = Fungi root. These are divided into endo and ectoMycorrhiza. Endo are fungi that create a network of fine filament around the plants roots and extend up to 10X the rootzone.
Ecto are fungi that colonize inside the root along the inner walls. The inhibit the growth and infection of other harmful fungus.
There are quite a number of baccteria with different beneficial purposes. The most common breakdown organic matter and make it more accessible to the root system which may or may not be colonized by Myco. Other baccteria inhibit the growth of harmful baccteria. Many of the beneficial baccteria are known as nitrogen fixing which means they release nitrogen that has been bound up and previously unnavailable to the rootsystem.
Nematodes I am still reading and learning about but as I understand it they also break down certain nutrient into useable forms as well as inhibiting the colonizing of the nematodes we all know of (harmful or useless)
Protozoa are as well another breakdown of nutrient into useable forms.

It is estimated that 40-70% or nutrient added or currently in soil are unnavailable or leached very quickly. The addition of these symbiotics can increase your nutrient uptake to 100%. Every bit of nutrition in the soil can be used. It is like....fertilizer is a can of soup. You can eat with your hands but it would be much more efficient to use a spoon. Then every bit can go in your mouth instead of maybe half.

Joe
 
Ouch, that must have hurt your wallet as well as your heart. The most i've lost is a Cape Sundew and a venus flytrap (hey, i was three years old at the time). Dunno what happened to that sundew... I went on vacation for the weekend, i watered it well. I came back, and the poor thing was dead...
Oh well, that's why i'm the NepenthesMaster.
 
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