http://drearth.net/blog/?page=fert

This stuff is pretty good too. It doesnt say on this website but it actually contains mychorrizae.

http://www.hydrofarm.com/product.php?itemid=8422#tabs-1

If you scroll down you can read more things about the mychorrizae here. It says how to deal with the hyphae that are on the surface of the potting soil. Harvest them or dig back into soil:-)

http://www.hydro-organics.com/home/index.php?categoryID=556

Thanks, I can see the website now. It has all kind of bacteria and fungal things, but I wanted the spruce one, so I don't know if that is what I wanted.

Mychorrizae is a relationship many fungi form with plants, not a type of fungi as some would have us believe. This is a mutually beneficial relationship, symbiotic, in which each organism gets what it needs from the other.
The only way a "tea" made from that potting soil would have beneficial microbes develop is if they are already in the soil which means it you put the soil in your garden they will be there just as they would be if you made the "tea", so why bother with making the tea?
There are many types of fungi that form these symbiotic relationsships with plants, depending on the plant species not a single one and in a soil that is made into a good, healthy soil they will be there without spending your money on "magic elixars.

tropical thought:
to answer your question about the stale beans - sure grind up or just put out there as mulch. Unbrewed coffee is a bit acidic, but not a lot. The whole beans hang around awhile longer, but in contact with moist soil do decompose from one year to the next I can't find them in my strawberry mulch.

if you start a compost pile or garbage can as a bin now in a month you'll have unfinished compost to make your own tea -- then by next spring you'll have your own source of black gold with the fungi fresh & ready to use

-easy compost tea-
in bucket or watering can
1 scoop compost (or almost compost)
fill with water
wait a day or so
up to 3 days
cover to keep out flies if a lot of unfinished compost in it

water plants
that simple & free!

My aerator is a cheape $6.50 runs off batteries.

If I make tea with the compost I have it would be the same thing, but the dr earth has other ones (fungi and bacteria) but I wonder if they are still alive in the bag? You have to put the molasses right? The recipe does not mention the molasses. What about just plain table sugar? I am going to grind up the coffee and put that in with the mulch.

Homemade compost has all the goods, but no labels to advertise contents :o) plus free!

I have not used molasses or sugar because I do it the easy way without adding things that might cause too much bacteria.

Sounds like you're on your way now - happy gardening!

I've said before that I'm no tea expert, but it seems that without any extra air and with all those microbes and molasses, this thing is going to be anaerobic in a matter of minutes. I'm not sure that's a bad thing, especially if it's used within 24 hrs., but it doesn't seem like a recipe for *culturing* additional aerobes. Just a thought.

Thanks Tox no sugars and more air is better, I see now.

Too bad you dont live near here because I could give you a bubbler because I have a few elite 802 air pumps laying around.

And I look at adding beneficial microbes and fungi like putting money in a bank account, its always good to add more. Also, who knows if your soil has a good amount or any fungi at all? Plus, certain companies like MYKOS actually research and engineer superior mychorrizae that they PATENT to be the strongest. So its not a "magic elixir". Yes your soil will have beneficial fungi and bacteria but how much? So its not so bad to add more to help things along. Snake oils and magic elixirs are FALSE. So is kimmsr telling us that mychorrizae is false? Note true. Its just another good thing that can be added to the soil. And especially for people with defunk soil that has no beneficial microbes or fungi. So kimmsr I like you and respect your knowledge and wisdom but mychorriza inoculation has already been established as beneficial. Not everyone has PERFECT soil and they benefit by adding fungi spores and bacteria. Its a learning and building process and supplements such as beneficial fungus and bacteria is there to help soil become good.

Tropical thought I would go ahead and make your tea and have no worries because it cant do any harm and the added OM and fungus (if they are alive) will benefit your garden greatly. Oh and after making the tea mulch the remaining solids into your soil. Also, the sugars and molasses will help but I think it will add a BOOST because the bacteria love to eat that kind of stuff! Good luck.

Thanks blaze, it was only 13.99 but if I shop around at other nurseries, I may get it for a bit less. It's not a huge amount to spend, even if it's just to have fun brewing things.

blaze, you have mis read what I wrote. The Mycorrhizal fungi are very beneficial in soils and in good, healthy soils they will already be present. If you do not have a good, healthy soil, lots of organic matter for those fungi to live on, spraying something containing a strain of fungi someone labels "Mycorrhiza" will do little, and maybe the strain you get is not the one your plants live with.
Mycorrhiza refers to the relationship fungo form with plants, not to some species of fungi.

kimmsr may I ask how you know that these products will not work? I assume youve spent millions of dollars on research and development of these fungi? Have you ever used these products yourself to see what results you get? My last inoculation of endo was a month ago. And guess what? A nice layer of white "cotton candy" like substance has formed on the top of my soil exactly where I buried the spores. This is called "hyphae" and Im sure you know what these are and what they do. That is the fungus. The only spot this stuff pops up is where is buried the spores. So how can you tell me its not worth it? There is now fungus where there was none before and who know how long it would have taken without the inoculation. And not all mycorrizae is microscopic either. Most of it can be see with the naked eye.

Also, there are products that contain multiple strains of mycorrizae and almost %90 of the worlds plants function with a small percentage of endo. And regardless if the word "mycorrizae" refers to the relationship or the actual fungus is irrelevant because this term is widely accepted as describing the fungus. I know that each endo and ecto has its own name but for the sake of time (and spelling) we say mycorrizae.

So are you telling me that my soil is better off without these "inoculations"? And if your answer is yes, remember that my soil has been practically solarized and bare for the last 7 years. I know that the fungus will naturally settle in my garden but how many years will that take? Exactly. This helps speed things along. Im not saying Im going to use mycorrizae inoculates every month year after year but I will use it until my soil reaches a level I am proud of.

I really like you kimmsr and Im sorry if I have come across as an ass In the past but I guess Im serious about my fungus:-)

If there is no organic matter in the soil, what will the fungus live on? They would probably like a wooden mulch on top.

I only use the spores around the roots of my trees and then mulch with compost/manure/organic granules/pine bark. Ill have to get some new pics to show you of my plumeria and mandarin that I just took care of.

I would like some photos, but I think granular fertilizers are bad for fungus. They tend to like a lot of wood, like pine bark is fine.

Organic granules are fine. Organic granules are just compressed OM such as chicken manure, alfalfa meal, blood meal, humates, feather meal, green sand, etc... Its chemical granules such as MG and high phosphorous fertilizer that the fungus do not like. My fungus is growing great with the organic fertilizer I feed my trees (Espoma Citrus) plus dairy cow manure (salt free) and my compost then topped with all natural pine nuggets (plus coffee grounds and liquid every day). So far so good. But Im looking forward to using a tea as well to give my trees that boost needed for plump sweet fruit and healthy flowers:-)

Ill try to snap some picks but the camera I use is missing at the moment.

Send me an email, because I can't send you one from the garden web, but if you go to my garden web page you can. I have an idea.

Sent

the quality of your tea can be greatly affected by the size and output of your pump. If your dissolved o2 levels aren't up to par, then you really aren't providing sufficient conditions to breed a superherd of microbes. As far as mychorrizae is concerned, since it creates a symbiosis with the root zone it only beneficial to be used at the time of planting or added to your teas prior to application. When added to teas prior to the brew they rarely survive the brewing process anyway. Anyone interested in teas should check out microbeorganics.com

the quality of your tea can be greatly affected by the size and output of your pump. If your dissolved o2 levels aren't up to par, then you really aren't providing sufficient conditions to breed a superherd of microbes. As far as mychorrizae is concerned, since it creates a symbiosis with the root zone it only beneficial to be used at the time of planting or added to your teas prior to application. When added to teas prior to the brew they rarely survive the brewing process anyway. Anyone interested in teas should check out microbeorganics.com

That website is interesting. If you watch the videos youll notice (under microscope) that he generates bacteria and hyphae fungal sprouts in the vermi composting tea brew. Its worm castings/compost, fish hydrolysate, kelp, water and nothing else. You can see the little hyphae and bacteria in the finished product. Its pretty neat.

As an avid mushroom nut I'd like to throw my 2 pennies in. Mychorrizae is not a specific type of fungus as Kimmsr said, nor is it the symbiotic relationship. It is the white fluff that you are seeing blaze. It is the actual fungus itself. If you think of the fungus as your tomato plant; the mychorrizae is the plant itself and mushrooms are the tomatoes. All fungus have michorrizae but not all are beneficial or form symbiotic relationships with plants. As Kimmsr said many are specific to certain plants. Many are even parasitic and kill the plant or tree they are growing on/with. Hope this helps. I have been learning a lot from you guys about composting so hopefully mushrooms is something that I can pass some knowledge back about.

I need to remember to check the email me box when I post ;-)

I must correct myself. I confused your mychorrizae for mycillium sorry. Mycillium is the fungus and shrooms are the fruit.