Trichoderma - Killing Bad Fungus with a Good One

[Undergrounder]

Having had a quick look online, it seems like Trich would grow happily on any grain, not just cornmeal. So you can probably use anything 'gluteny': brown rice flour, rye, bran, wheat meal, etc.

And as far as i can tell, you're just putting out 'mold food' into the soil, which when it becomes wet, would slowly quickly become colonised by molds of all kinds. And then if there's Trichoderma spores in there too (which there probably is), then they might germinate, eat the grains and move on to attacking the root pathogenic fungi. I think that's how the corn meal is working.

I don't see why or how it would work to kill bacterial rots, it only parasites onto fungi as far as i've read. So i don't see why it would work on leaf spots and soft rots. I might be wrong. You said that you used it in combination with H202 for bad rots as well, didn't you? I wonder whether that is doing the job, because in my experience, 3-6% H202 is great for dealing with specific bacterial and fungal infections.

Thanks for posting an interesting thread, i don't think i'll be using Trich in my orchids, as Andrew mentioned i'd be worried about killing of mycorrhizal partnerships, and i don't use a media that would work very well with it anyway. But i might use it in the soil around my roses!

[Anglo]

Undergrounder, just for clarification on the diseases I mentioned, black spot on roses and black rot of orchids -- they’re both fungal infections. You’re probably thinking of bacterial brown rot.

[Undergrounder]

Originally Posted by Anglo

Undergrounder, just for clarification on the diseases I mentioned, black spot on roses and black rot of orchids -- they’re both fungal infections. You’re probably thinking of bacterial brown rot.

Yes i was thinking of bacterial rots, although they can be black as well.

[greenbean]

Thanks for posting this very interesting thread. Plant-fungi relations are one of my specific interests and this might make an interesting topic or project in one of my horticulture classes.

[Ray]

Very interesting stuff, but the thought of putting something into the medium that absolutely will decompose quickly (compared to the medium) would seem to be a concern for limiting root zone aeration.

[Undergrounder]

Can't wait to find out what happens with those experiments, orchids3!

I don't know about the Trich on cornmeal thing, but i would hope that there isn't green Trich. mold spores all through the cornmeal we are eating? I know its supposed to be harmless, but ... blleeccchhh!

[orchids3]

Florida is full of mold spores. We are a wet humid semi tropical to tropical place. A lot of people have respatory problems due to this condition. Organic matter decomposes so fast in gardens that the only way to get nutrients to plants is with fertilizer addatives. Even gardening in the ground! A chemist friend of mine says we really use hydroponics. Organic matter decomposes very quickly and is useless as a soil ammendment. To try to understand the process that is going on is only natural.

[wspisso]

Hi there! I have been using weekly trichoderma harzianum for the last 2 years and I have seen a really better performance in survival, height and root zone of my cattleyas seedling including those recently deflasked.

[doraagritech]

Trichoderma have good effect on controlling fungus diseases，promoting root growth and improve soil contion. Especially Trichoderma harzianum T-22, testing reuslts is very good.

[Ray]

Originally Posted by doraagritech

Trichoderma have good effect on controlling fungus diseases，promoting root growth and improve soil contion. Especially Trichoderma harzianum T-22, testing reuslts is very good.

That species is well known for its effects, but that does not mean that all trichoderma species are beneficial.

Relying on ubiquitous species is playing Russian Roulette.