Experience with beneficial bacteria (ex. Mycostop)?

[elaines]

I'm getting frustrated with leaf spots & other types of fungus that I'm finding in my little menagerie. I have about 20 orchids in my apartment both just in front of a window (my low light plants) and in front of a window and under lights (high light plants). I have 2 cats and so am VERY concerned about using chemicals inside my apartment. Especially since one of my cats rambles among my orchids nightly.

Just read a very brief bit about the beneficial bacteria Streptomyces griseoviridis (sold as Mycostop with similar strains sold under different names). I'm having trouble finding info online. I already use Gnatrol occasionally and have had fabulous results with it.

Does anyone have experience with using beneficial bacteria to prevent fungal infections? Which brand did you use and was it effective? Do you think they're safe to use in a residence? Any suggestions or things I should consider?

Thanks!!!

-Elaine

[WhiteRabbit]

[elaines]

I'm new to participating in online forums. Please excuse my ignorance but what do you mean by "bump"? Sorry to have to ask.

Thanks!

[hcastil3]

she bumped the thread so other users could come and run across it


and about the beneficial fungi, its really hard to get the correct one. Microryza fungi forms relationships with different plants and different species and so on..


there are many Microryza out there so getting the correct ones is tough

[gravotrope]

Basically, a bump means that someone feels like your question was passed over by people who could have answered it but didn't. It refers to how on the list of open threads, a "bump" post intends to do nothing but bring it to the top of the list.

I haven't used mycostop or gnatrol on orchids but I have separately used diluted 3% hydrogen peroxide as well as uncoated aspirin to keep my plants healthy. The mixture for 3% h2o2 to kill fungus is 1 cup (8 oz.) per gallon or less. Or you can even directly apply it from the bottle with a qtip or drip as a spot treatment. I use a lower concentration (1/2 cup per gallon) but I don't have to.

Uncoated aspirin can treat plants that have infected tissue instead of surface issues, helpful for roots that you can't see because of the medium. I do a 325 mg tab per gallon once a month, but there is a range here of 1/2 tab per gallon to 2 tabs that is considered safe for plants as long as you space out your dosages. It works well but I wouldn't use it on plants in spike, since it tells the plant to use energy on its immune response to isolate and compartmentalize infections. It has other benefits as well, like after you stop using it the plant knows it has taken a pause in growth (probably due to a buildup of growth factors that aren't being used for the duration of the aspirin treatment) and then it resumes growth more vigorously.

I know this didn't answer your question, but all I could do was offer an alternative strategy that I know is pet-safe. I hope you don't mind!!

Added----

For beneficial plant microbes, it's not that fragile a system...think of it this way, since microbes were first, some have Billions of years more evolutionary 'experience', and for the ones that co evolved to be productive instead of destructive, there are mechanisms that usually are regulated by the PLANTS own proteins to maintain the symbiosis. Sure research should be done into which ones are most effective, but as long as it's not a destructive microbe that produces pathogens that degrade plant tissue, it is highly unlikely to cause harm.

I think that if you want to try mycostop, you could easily, knowing that if you notice an adverse reaction you can stop it in its tracks with hydrogen peroxide. Please let us know how that goes, whatever you decide to do.

[elaines]

Okay - understand the "bump" post. Thank you!

Thanks also for the input on bacteria as well as H202 and aspirin. I've used H202 for other plants and actually soak my mixes in it a couple of hours before using if I've let them sit damp from the seller too long. I didn't know about aspirin and orchids - will have to re-read more thoroughly to comprehend how it affects them. And great point about being able to "remove" any applied bacteria w/H202 if adverse affects appear.

I've heard some about the beneficial fungi and know they're good for other plants - really popular in some circles. Don't know much else about them, though. Good to know there are many strains so to choose wisely.

Thanks! Eager to hear from others, too, if they have experience w/the bacteria. Cullina refers to it in his book Understanding Orchids. That's how I also learned about the Gnatrol.

[Bud]

This beneficial bacteria will depend on your grow zone, state, source of light and air movement. I was given information that the ghost orchids have beneficial bacteria and fungi that helps with forming sugars that help it grow. But even if I have the bark of a dead plant sent to me the bacteria and fungi might have died in my environment indoors Manhattan....but who knows....my orchid is still alive but have not yet bloomed for me=whereas in situ it would have made keikis and bloomed every cycle.

[WhiteRabbit]

Perhaps a small fan might help with fungus issues.