Semi-hydro and (lack of?) healthy microbial/fungal activity

[xscd]

Hello all--

I recently ordered some of the improved PrimeAgra (both coarse and fine) "puffed clay" leca and have placed a few plants (paphiopedilums, African violets and a sundew (Drosera capensis)) into semi-hydro conditions and culture.

One of the things that worries me about the semi-hydroponic technique is the inorganic, inert media and the lack of (or very diminished presence of) microbial/fungal activity within the medium compared to more traditional potting media such as fir bark, sphagnum moss, coconut husks, etc.

One of the plants I transplanted into s/h was a paph with more than two dozen mature growths. It had been very healthy in its previous medium of a mixture of about 4 parts fir bark, 1 part sphagnum peat and 1 part regular (not coarse) perlite. I usually observe and smell the medium, just like I do for compost and garden soil, to judge whether there is a healthy mix of microbial activity going on, and the previous potting medium seemed to be a healthy environment (judging by the plant's growth). This new, almost sterile semi-hydroponic medium is a bit strange and difficult to accept for me as a gardener, perhaps not so difficult for the plants.

But I live with a retired University professor whose field of expertise was and is microbiology. He says that there is a lot of important research, especially recent research, about the interactions between plants and the fungal activities in the soil or medium in which they grow. According to him, plants can take up and use through their roots some amino acids, for example, that are produced by fungi and that are not ordinarily present in chemical fertilizers such as those used in hydroponic culture.

Part of me, the "organic gardener" part, wants to put my plants in healthy, microbially "infested" soil or medium somewhat like what they would be adapted to in nature. Another part of me is fascinated by the idea of an inert, inorganic planting medium that can be used over and over, will not rot or break down, and provides the necessary anchoring and moisture for the roots, and minimizing the destructive microbial and other problems that can occur in nature (although at the apparent expense of the constructive benefits of many microorganisms). So I'm torn between tradition and new ideas--