Beneficial Bacteria Beneficial??

[PhalPal]

I like to use a coco husk mix for my outdoor cymbidiums and aussie gold for my indoor phals. On other threads, I have heard these mixes described as 'sterile'. I am taking this to mean the media offers no natural micro-organisms? I have seen beneficial bacterial additives offered from reputable online stores and wondered if this would be a worth while product to add to my fertilizer regime. If I am using worm tea now, will this suffice? If not, any brand names that could be recommended? Obviously - I am moving beyond the 'Just Don't Kill Them' to the 'Let's Grow them Better' stage! (and really enjoying all the possibilities......) Thanks for any and all responses!

[pikevi]

Do you mean introducing notrogen fixing bactereia into the medium, PhalPal?

What a great thought

[PhalPal]

Pikevi - The product I am thinking of is sold by www.homeharvest.com and is called 'Soil Moist Organic Blend'. It contains: rhizoshere bacteria, humic acid, sea kelp extract, dextrose and yeast extract. It claims to replace helpful bacteria, giving the plant better capability to absorb nitrogen, etc. Some of the more experienced members mention bacteria all the time but I don't know how they know it is present in their media. Knowing I have a mix that is lacking in this, should I add it?

I don't know about all the other stuff, but I like sea kelp, and I buy liquid seaweed and give it to my orchids once a month. I also like to give it to newly repotted orchids as a drench. In fact, I use it all over my outside garden every spring.

[pikevi]

Thanks for the link. It does not specify orchids as beneficiaries .

From what I have read in the past ,N-fixing bacteria are almost always useful. But in order to be useful they , if I remember correctly, have to invade the roots and multiply and form nodules. Then when they break down ,amino acids, which are the precursors of protein are released to be re-absorbed by the plants. I am not sure if that kind of root destruction can be handled by slow growing Orchids.

Please wait for more experienced orchid growers , like Anton, fred or Cynthia ( amongst many others, I am sure) to respond before you start applying the 'home harvest' product.

Good luck

[jerrymeola]

You are right as to your basic facts.

Coco husks are sterile in the extent it does not have any natural beneficial bacteria originally to start the culture.

Worm tea by itself should be sufficient.

I think a major benefit of the tea is that the nitrating bacteria allows the plant to absorb the nitrogen from the potting mix (plants do not take chemical nitrogen directly). It can even allow the plant to absorb nitrogen from the air.

The mix you are considering is basically an old timers formula that has good merit. Sea Kelp has probably the best source of trace minerals. I have a friend (commercial nursery) who feeds seaweed to his worm bed to intensify his Worm Tea. The worm tea I buy is feed the trace elements in a feed mix.

The product has bacteria and sugar and yeast to feed the bacteria. It is also the basis of many root hormone products so it may do more than just feed the bacteria.

I use only worm tea but if I did not have any I would not be adverse to using this product, especially on coco husk.

You should consider the cost of both products. I find the tea very economical. My friend is looking for a replacement for the seaweed because it is very expensive.

[PhalPal]

Thanks Jerry - Since I recently ordered some worm tea from you that should be good for me to use. I also found something at a farm supply store locally, Dr. Earth's beneficial microbes that is all natural and quite inexpensive. Like you mentioned, sea kelp and humic acid are it's basic components. Since I am so new at these more advanced supplements for my orchids. I will take 'before and after' pictures to share at a later date! Thanks again for your infinite wisdom Jerry!

[pikevi]

Thanks for the info jerrymeola.

Isn't kelp high in salt content?

thanks.