DIY DIY Culture Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (active ingredient in products like Hydroguard)

[Death The Cultivator]

I wouldn't recommend making a culture with either of them.

Both pictures are a mixture of fungi and bacteria with added 'flavoring'. The fungi will die and be eaten by the bacteria and then the bacteria will fight for survival with the outcome that (probably) Bacillus megat(h)erium will be the sole survivor. Now megatherium is the bacteria you want for protection against all outside bad things like mold and even the larvae from the moss fly or thrips. It produces it's own form of penicillin. Cool things those bacteria

The reason they can be in the same bag or pot is that they are in the so called 'spore' version. Just add water and they will hatch so to speak... Once in the ground they will compete with each other until the food for the bacteria is gone and they die off and then the fungi will take over.

Regards,

B

Good to know. That's informative as hell. More things to learn to do in the lab lol

 

[WildBill]

Threads like this really make me want to take all my canna "stuff" and put it into a big shipping container. All growing and processing in the container in separate areas and all climate controlled.

Great thread!

Ever since a big listeria scare back in the late 80's and just before starting my big garden, I've been very careful with microbes with the very large amounts of compost and compost tea I used to make.

Now growing canna, my interest in our tiny little helpers has returned and increased. I finally got the needed litmus paper in and I can now make my first attempt of activating my first batch of EM1. I went fancy and got a gallon glass jug and stopper with vacuum break or whatever it's called.

 

[Bob's Auto's]

Thanks mate!
I myself am a chemical grower, but see the advantages of using bacteria and fungi in symbiosis with my plants.

Let me caution you though in culturing a combination of bacteria and/or fungi. What I did was using one bacterium, but doing multiple bacteria in one culture mostly ends up with only one strain surviving. There are examples where two or more will survive, but that's because they live in symbiosis with each other. A culture is a totally different thing from a pot of soil

But if you don't try you'll never know of course

 

[WildBill]

Thanks mate!
I myself am a chemical grower, but see the advantages of using bacteria and fungi in symbiosis with my plants.

Let me caution you though in culturing a combination of bacteria and/or fungi. What I did was using one bacterium, but doing multiple bacteria in one culture mostly ends up with only one strain surviving. There are examples where two or more will survive, but that's because they live in symbiosis with each other. A culture is a totally different thing from a pot of soil

But if you don't try you'll never know of course

I'm sure the microbes in EM1 were selected for their compatibility among all their other attributes. It's intended to be expanded.
I do agree in your thinking in propagating single strain microbes for a specific use by "amateurs".

 

[Bob's Auto's]

It's intended to be expanded.

Then I'd love to see the results from your experiment. Please do share a couple of pic's when your ready

 

[Joshua]

I made a couple of microscope shots of the culture today.

Magnification 64x - large colonies Bacillus amyloliquefaciens
View attachment 1299443

magnification 160x - small colonies Bacillus amyloliquefaciens
View attachment 1299446

Magnification 640x - single Bacillus amyloliquefaciens
View attachment 1299448

Really cool stuff, thanks for the work.
Can we tell if they are live or active (whatever the term) with the microscope?
I use this strain in my hydro grows with great success, ive had it out compete a nasty case of root rot in one case. I buy it in the form of GFF Garden Friendly Fungicide Amazon product
It's a 10 to the 10th cfus per milliliter concentration . I tell everyone that mentions Hydroguard about it. Lol
But im wondering how long they stay active and can we observe the fact that they are or aren't? The GFF says 6 months from breaking the seal.

 

[Bob's Auto's]

Can we tell if they are live or active (whatever the term) with the microscope?

Yup, you can see the move. After a while they clump together forming collonies.

But im wondering how long they stay active and can we observe the fact that they are or aren't?

Once the food in the bottle runs out they start to die. It's normal. But you can take some of the liquid and create your own culture as explained above. That way you complete the natural circle of life so to say

 

[Joshua]

Yup, you can see the move. After a while they clump together forming collonies

This is what I wanted to know, thanks now what would be a good starter microscope hopefully inexpensive. Lol

 

[Bob's Auto's]

This is what I wanted to know, thanks now what would be a good starter microscope hopefully inexpensive. Lol

I got a good deal on this one. Although with the HD camera attached it only goes to 640x magnification. For detailed pictures of the Bacillus you need approx. 2000x magnification, but at 640x you can see them move around and cluster together.

 

[DCLXVI]

@Xmas - I don' t know if you saw Bobs reply in LS Chat but here is a fantastic thread.