In my opinion our newsletter pretty much says myco is a waste of money. After reading "Teaming With Microbes" (for the 5th time) I'm wondering if there's an advantage to using fungal teas ahead of bacterial teas. According to Jeff the fungus cuts channels and trenches and aerates the soil so even if it lasts a few weeks before it dies it should set up a network of tunnels for bacteria to hide in. The fungus is cheap and easy to grow to make tea. Looking for everybody's thoughts on this. (Russ, you still out there?)
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Well, we already knew our soils contained some myco, but how much & what varieties we don't know. What I do know is we are growing pumpkins at a rate never before even considered by gardeners. 50+# per day at their peak growing periods is incredible & that doesn't happen in regular average garden soil.
Not much in mother nature except for whales & elephants grow as fast as a giant pumpkin does. We grow 2,000#+ pumpkins in 800-1000 sq ft of space in 100 days. You need lots of food & water to feed a monster like that, so I think the more myco you have, the more nutrients your plant can absorb. I don't think you can have too much myco, but I'm not a mycologist, so I can't be sure. What I can be sure of is that if 90% or more of the growers that grow pumpkins over 2,000# use myco fungi, then there has to be something to it & therefore we will be using it as well. Myco products are like anything else, if you want good quality product, buy from a business that tests & proves it's products work.
We also brew compost tea & use it weekly on the plants. It comes from Ron W. WOW products & I believe it to be a bacterial tea. From what I understand, is that bacterial teas are suited for grasses, gardens & farm crops, where as fungal teas are more for trees, shrubs & forested areas. I'm sure that a bit of fungal tea wouldn't hurt, & might be a big benefit, but I'm not sure. Maybe someone can fill us in more about the benefits of fungal teas for our gardens or a way to incorporate some into our bacterial tea to make a more balanced tea.