Does Mycorrhizae Improve Plant Growth?

In this episode of SoiLab, Matt looks at the effects of adding Mycorrhizae to both turf grass and beans to see if it helps improve plant growth. The results were surprising when comparing both above and below ground characteristics!
Song: 9FJ4EJZKE4YCWOZN

[@Smashy2009]

Mycorrhizae are notan immediate, short term solution. They need time to attach and develop. The impact on fruiting plants that grow over 3 or 4 months is amazing.

[@andrewszabo1552]

That's disappointing - but that's part of science! Anecdotally, my father had years of underwhelming results growing peppers in his garden - possibly due to the proximity of a walnut tree. This year I had him add the mycorrhizal spores during planting. His pepper plants currently look healthy and have full yields. He swears it's the mystery powder I added that gave him the good results. He's never seen peppers produce so much in the decades of growing them. Take that for what it's worth.

[@Rocketman0407]

Remember the grow medium they use are almost sterile. Using it in real soil will give different result as seen with the peppers 🌶️

[@ziggybender9125]

If you can't see the fungal network than there's no point in paying attention to the results as you didn't get the system even started.

[@CarlyD.]

in some research I read that the fungi is also temperature dependent. The warmer the better, so it would be interesting to see the temperature that they were grown.

[@TrokTalks]

It takes Mycorrhizae a minimum of 30 days to inoculate. I do not recommend Mycorrhizae for crops that are going to stay in the ground for less than 3 months, anything less is just a waste of money. Your research confirmed this, nice job.

[@mainj54]

It would have interesting to see a sample with fertilizer only.

[@Ryush806]

Yes I don’t understand why they didn’t include that.

[@michael2305]

I started using it, seems like the plants are very healthy ever since.

[@limonlinemarketing]

Hello! How often that need to add this mycorrhizal fungi in the soil?

[@CraftEccentricity]

I used Mycorrhizae on my fruit trees at planting, and can tell you they have gone from 1 inch trunk, waist high, to 4 inch trunk and 15ft tall after 8 months. Used on figs, plums, peaches, and citrus. Planting more of the orchard next year, and intend to do the same. I grow 28 varieties of fruit. FL 9a, clay soil

[@Rocketman0407]

I put it on the rootball of the trees before planting them too?

[@ilinkazibret8234]

@CraftEccentricity So happy to hear this! I'm about to plant an orange tree and I've ordered the fungi. Do you add any other amendments, fertilizer, compost? I have 9a in Croatia, compacted red clay (terrarossa) on calcareous rock with no organic matter so we're tilling once to get some air in. Quite difficult soil, and summer drought conditions.

[@Rocketman0407]

@@ilinkazibret8234 add some compost to loosen the clay. However don’t add too much. Like 20% compost mixed with the native soil should be good.

[@OhFurryFriends]

Which brand did you use?

[@Grassroot_Gardens]

Thank you for this video!

[@PlantGuild]

I appreciate you doing this study. I’ve learned from University Extension that Mycorrhizae are host specific. More research and studies are needed to find what Mycorrhizae will truly attach to our garden and turf plants as hosts. It’s really fascinating to see what your results are from these types of videos. I’ve had a few thoughts debunked by them 😅

[@ArthurDentZaphodBeeb]

Yup, there a millions/billions of different strains, but most suppliers only grow a handful. The odds you get the right fungi for each plant is really low. Disappointingly, I've seen very little difference btw plants that rec's Myco than those that hadn't.

[@jpsamy_inthezone]

​If its any consolation, the fungi i found under the wild tree in my area are doing wonders in my garden .@@ArthurDentZaphodBeeb

[@designmy743]

Do some studies with lactobacillus. & mycorrhizae

[@jeannemyoung1m554]

Thank you!

[@shubhamkankani2306]

Great content! Can you make a video on how to multiply this fungus?

[@mrrey8937]

Interesting findings. I found, after 2 months, roots coming out of the sides, tops, and bottoms of grow bags and soil. They were white, thin, healthy looking, and in the thousands of roots. I could not scrape the top layer of soil without coming up with a fibrous handful. So much roots that I feared I was damaging the plants I was growing (tomato, watermelon) but, they were undamaged and grew back, what seemed like, as quickly as I took them.

[@C3Voyage]

Using mico I assume?

[@dodgeturbo]

Thanks for the honest test. I just came across your channel. Great information. And your in my neck of the woods.

[@rohitlohar8614]

Useful video because I used Mycorrhiza today. Let's see the result.

[@taloot123]

im sure u got good results

[@Sodbusta]

Seems like every study they do there’s not a whole lot of difference in any of the plants or growth. I think it has something to do with the soil that they use.

[@Rocketman0407]

Yes and they use too little time on each study sometimes.

[@Sodbusta]

@@Rocketman0407 good point.

[@just_ruby_fps]

All the videos where the medium are the same mycorrhizae outgrows every-time.

[@Rocketman0407]

@@Sodbustayes they really need to run their experiments longer. In many of them they do not even wait until the soil amendment works. Like with the kelp video. Initially plants can grow in fairly bad soil is my theory on why we don’t see a ton of difference. If left longer the results would be a lot different I think

[@codyharney2997]

​@@Rocketman0407 most the dry amendments take 2-4 weeks to be broke down enough to be taken up by the plant. And the level peak after awhile and then fall. Definitely need lifespan of a crop not just some grass. Would love to see a 3 month video

[@andrewevans4038]

I would love to see this test: Control soil, nonactivated biochar + mycorrhyzal fungi, and activated biochar + mycorrhyzal fungi. note* when you are mixing in the mycorrhizal fungi it is generally considered best practice to disolve it in water to germinate the endospores as well as hydrate the dehydrated granules.

[@ilinkazibret8234]

Thank you! I assumed that would be the case... Leave the granules for how long? Could you describe the process - just dip the roots in the water then?

[@user-rg6ti3be7n]

biochar charged with microb(fotosintesis bacteria and nitrogen fixing bacteria) + sea salt + sulfur + JLF (jadam liqud fertilizer Made from grass/weed)

[@flashlight5287]

I think it work best when you give the fungi some food too like fish emulsion and earth worm casting….

[@IkensonNW]

I wish you had an Untreated w/ Fertilizer group to compare properly

[@blakebranch2300]

Did you use endo or ecto, and what species? Many legumes don't respond as well to mycorrhizal fungi as they do to rhizobium bacteria.

[@Reutzel507]

In my experience. Myco is more of an insurance policy. Especially when dealing with transplanting clones.

[@kylejf2108]

Did you sterilize the growth medium before? Did the containers have holes for oxygen?

[@martingardens]

I have much more hyphal activity in my soil in which I have put down arborist waste on two acres. No fertilizer. Seems one would need organic matter to feed the hyphae?

[@jenniferfisher1743]

Would you please do a soil test after pouring a slurry of mustard powder(1/3 cup) and water(1 gallon) on the surface? I have the invasive jumping worm in my veggie garden. I have heard that this mixture drive the worms to the surface so they can be manually extracted. I want to try it, but I’m afraid it will kill my seedlings or make the ground inhospitable.

[@tinaknutsen]

Malgronite.. is it really good for Hostas and grass? It is heat activated from what I understand. I apply every spring to above mentioned plants. The grass does get greener temporarily. My hostas I am not sure since different light conditions and different beds. Some of my beds are rocky clay and others are amended so I’m not sure.

[@briangonzalez1541]

Well that's a little disappointing but I'm very thankful for you sharing this experiment! So essentially, I have to find the right medium, the right location for mycorrhizae to work??

[@flashlight5287]

Mycorrhizae is plant specific…. Meaning to say… it works well with plants like tomatoes, potatoes, fruit tree, cabbage…. And not so well with turf grass…

[@brudo5056]

Do you have any experience, data or analysis on the single or mixed use of LNC (Liquid Natural Clay) and Mycorrhizea from Desertcontrol (Activities in Arab Emirates and USA (Arizona etc.)) because their main goal are sandy desert and degraded soils, more or less similar to your testsoils here...

[@German-Hydroponics]

Ahoi from Germany 🇩🇪 How about Mycorrhizae in RDWC? I understand it can not really grow in the oxygenated water ( bubble stone). But it survives in water, right!? Does it do any good just floating in the water? I understand it does not, am I right? It should be able to grow in my 6" netpot, but is that enough? I ad Mycorrhizae after every water change. Thx 4 your great content 👍👍

[@mikepeters-qs9et]

Could the mycorrhizae have broken off due to more soil adhesion from soil exudates?

[@REBELLIOUS513]

I could really use some science right now on diatomaceous earth...im buying soil from amazon and a few times have had some bad luck with bugs..seen some info on adding DE to your super soil without any issues to organic nutes or compost, but will help rid of bugs that maybe in soil after purchase..i want to try to ad to my ammended soil but scared it will hurt as im new to soil growing

[@GainingDespair]

I don't doubt/question the results but normally when I see folks apply myco/endo I see them reapplying it fairly frequently with watering. I know there are many forms of myco/endo where the plants used supported by strains capable of infecting the root system of these plants? Again, not doubting the results I like the work y'all do but I do feel its important to ask as there is no 1 type of myco/endo which works for all or even a majority of plants.

[@bfwb3321]

Could it be that the Mycorrhizae didn't like to be exposed to light?

[@praningsafarming7292]

I heard that it takes a month for symbiosis to happen.

[@henrent]

To my eye it looks like 2 things could have changed the outcomes. The first is time - If it took a month for the mycorrhizal fungi to get going then it wasn't going very long before the end of the test. I have to remind myself how slow these changes occur in plants. The second is the water. It seems as if they were all getting sufficient amounts of water. However if the water was barely enough to sustain the plant, then there might have been a bigger difference.

[@atmozfear4993]

What brand did you use?

[@tavarisjones551]

Do you think that the low-fertility soil played a part in the unexpected results?

[@MaryPoppins-tu1ms]

Yes, for sure

[@Bob-bo8ik]

You should have done a 4th. Fertiliser only

[@tashfiqmannan]

Redo it without any light reaching the roots bro.. you need a lightless zone for myco

[@chancepaladin]

what I'm seeing is the fertilizer-only wasn't represented.

[@siobai]

Mycorrhizae are normal soil bacteria, inoculating something that is not there in the first place had much to say about the type of soil u have in the first place. I think there should be at least 30-50% organic matter for the bacteria to thrive and do its job.

[@gadielgomez2709]

I thought that mycorrhizae die if exposed to the light. If that's true, then this test was flawed because of the continuous light exposure of the roots.

[@user-hp6rt9cc9s]

What mycorrhizae was used? Were these ecto or endo?

[@joshuaherner7315]

I didn't catch any mention that he knew the difference between either , nor is there any evidence that he cultured the soil in a way that would be conducive to microbial and fungal competitive environments. Sand , peat and "fertilizer" . What kind of fertilizer ? was it organic material ? Nutrient salt based ? It left more questions about the inputs than the resultant findings.

[@bestseedorchard1107]

the light from those linear lights is much less intense near the ends , not a good trial, In this case the plants at both ends should not be there .

[@JohnWiedenhoeft]

Not to be too negative here, but i dont think you can conclude much from a study with an incomplete 2-factor design and sample size N=1.

[@williefreeman6892]

Can I use mycorrhizae on watermelon seedlings

[@angryidahobusdriver]

Personally I think it’d be more worth it once you transplant it out into the ground fam

[@T-money0985]

thought you dont want light on the roots? Use Billions from TPS Nutrients. I used a little too much and it loked like mold on my soil LOL

[@dmo848]

Recharge it's the bomb

[@just_ruby_fps]

Light on roots is also not good for the plants

[@avanabellanosa468]

The roots are exposed to light that's why

[@DecimusTheThinker]

Frun Jai

[@zorezaza8016]

You forgot the fertilizer test. Which is 4 tests not 3. Also what are you selling? This seems like a biased test. Oh forgot to mention the mushroom needs more time to inoculate the soil. Also your soil was not nateraly mineral rich. Id almost ague your non mirco non fert plant did better ( look wise) only because it was starved of what it needs. Would be more interesting to test what the plant health was on a nutrition leval.

[@nickzivs]

Little too short term.

[@chippsterstephens6800]

The problem here is you are only dealing with half of the solution, it’s not just fungi, it’s also about bacteria, a few other things, Azospirillum Brasilense, is a nitrogen-fixing super bacterium that can replace 50% of the nitrogen fertilizer , is completely Mia here, and just replaced with very destructive fertilizer. I am no Ecco expert, but god got this right from the get go. People keep thinking they know better. But ask yourself, what is the most fertile soil? It’s not what most farms do, or conventional thinking. Fungi, the plant , and bacteria, all have a symbiotic relationship, you broke the chain here in this test. It’s not just this, or just that, as tested here, it’s everything. Just depends how far down the rabbit hole you go.

[@alittletexasingeorgia]

This is nothing but the wizard with the curtain pulled over our eyes. Marketing, marketing, marketing. Put a plant in good soil, water, feed, and tend to and harvest. It has never changed and never will. Use what God created initially, what's already in nature, and forget what people are trying to sell you to make money. As far as grass is concerned it doesn't care, only the salesman wants you to believe it cares.

[@9electromatic]

not a good test incomplete

[@adriangarciafishing7498]

Epic fail?

[@taloot123]

u waste others time

[@shubhamkankani2306]

Great content! Can you make a video on how to multiply this fungus?