Actinovate vs. MycoGrow vs. Nothing - - Update Feb 18 (pics)

[boomtown]

Originally Posted by amideutch

Boomer, thanks for posting and answering our questions. Can you tell me the difference between Actinovate SP and Actinovate AG? Ami

Sure thing. All of our products that say 'Actinovate' are the exact same product. But by law (EPA and FDA in the USA) we have to have separate labels for each use. So the Actinovate AG label is specifically for use on crops for commercial growers. The Actinovate SP is specifically labeled for nurseries and greenhouses and so on. In a perfect world, there would be one bag simply called Actinovate and you would use it on everything. But we live in a land of regulations and oversight so we have the same product in several different packages.

[boomtown]

Originally Posted by rnewste

Boomer,

So if I were to use your Actino-Iron as a soil drench, then I would not need to also drench the same soil with Actinovate SP?

Last season, I used Actinovate as a spray on the leaves to kill powdery mildew, and it worked quite well. A test spray of Myco-Grow had no effect on the mildew. You must be putting something additional in Actinovate to kill off these leaf diseases, correct?

Ray

Actino-Iron is not water-soluble like Actinovate so you cannot apply as a drench. Most commercial growers use Actino-Iron as a soil additive when they go to plant in the ground. So the next time you order a bulk load of soil from your soil manufacturer, tell them to add Actino-Iron to it. Although Actino-Iron may also be used as a top dressing, Actinovate SP would be easier if you're simply using it as a preventative on existing plants.

For treatment of foliar disease, you would only use Actinvate since it can be applied as a spray. There is nothing in your bag of Actinovate except the microorganisms on a whey carrier. Our microorganisms are very powerful and that is why they can tackle the toughest of foliar disaeses. Actinovate works exceptionally well on powdery mildew. No secret ingredients just all-natural goodness!

Boomer

[rnewste]

Sounds like it would be an interesting experiment to trowel in Actino-Iron for the plant in the left half of the EarthTainer, and with the mechanical divider fitted in the middle for isolation, use Actinovate as a soil drench on the identical tomato plant in the right half of the 'Tainer. Another "Myth-Busters Challenge" coming!!!

Ray

[dice]

Besides the mycorrhizae in Myco-Grow Soluble (Soluble is one
product line among several from Myco-Grow), it also contains
a few strains of beneficial bacteria that probably would survive
on foliage much like the bacteria used in Actinovate. The
mycorrhizae fungi spores in Soluble would probably not survive
on foliage, however, so that part of Soluble would be wasted
in a foliar spray. The bacteria that are in Soluble are apparently
not as effective at fighting fungal foliage disease in a foliar
application as the specific strain of bacteria used in Actinovate,
judging by the powdery mildew experiment.

So using Soluble for anything other than a soil inoculant, either
by dusting it on the seeds, dusting it on the rootball at
transplant time, or mixing it with water and using it for a soil
drench, is probably a waste of money. Looking at the snow
peas, Actinovate seems to outperform Soluble in the soil, too.

[rnewste]

dice,

Agree that Actinovate has dual use purposes. But at $30.00 (landed) for a 2 ounce supply of it, I think Serenade is a much more cost effective foliar solution for the powdery mildew. I'll save my Actinovate to use as a soil drench where it can really do some good!!

Ray

[outsiders71]

Boomtown:

Not to hijack this thread, but do you have any idea how effective this product is against Black Knot Fungus?

[amideutch]

Last year with one 2oz package of Actinovate I was able to innoculate over 50 plants and make several foliar applications on my plants. So, when using use sparingly as a little does go along way.
Ray mentioned Serenade as an antifungal and I google it to see what the active ingredient was which is Bacillus subtilis which works much like Actinovates ingredient does. Here's a link to an interesting story concerning Bacillus subtilis. Ami

http://www.rense.com/general4/bac.htm

[rnewste]

Hey Ami,

Any new pictures from your trip to the snow country the other day?

Your article on Arabs drinking a tea from camel dung was indeed, quite interesting!!

The Serenade, in concentrate form for foliar spraying is quite reasonable price-wise, so I will horde my supply of Actinovate for soil drench purposes only.

Ray

[outsiders71]

Originally Posted by amideutch

Last year with one 2oz package of Actinovate I was able to innoculate over 50 plants and make several foliar applications on my plants. So, when using use sparingly as a little does go along way.
Ray mentioned Serenade as an antifungal and I google it to see what the active ingredient was which is Bacillus subtilis which works much like Actinovates ingredient does. Here's a link to an interesting story concerning Bacillus subtilis. Ami

http://www.rense.com/general4/bac.htm

Ami,

Would it be logical to say that if you inoculate your seedlings before planting out, that they will carry the beneficial organisms to your growing area and will continue to spread?

[dice]

Would it be logical to say that if you inoculate your seedlings before planting out, that they will carry the beneficial organisms to your growing area and will continue to spread?

While I do not know for sure how dependent the bacterial strain
in Actinovate is on exudates from living plant tissue, the real
answer is probably that it depends on how much competition
it has from other organisms in the soil. That is likely true of all
biocontrol products intended to inoculate soil or container mix.
It may also perform differently in a container mix than it does
in any of the widely varying environments of garden soils (each
with its own local collection of native organisms, nutrients, soil
structure, etc).

The only thing sure here in this thread is that it finds Ray's and
Ami's container mixes and plant foliage a congenial
environment in which to reproduce.

(Natural Industries has documentation on several different
experimental test environments where Actinovate performed
well, based on "with and without" tests of various plants, but
those results do not necessarily carry over to *any* garden soil
or container mix. One really has to try it in one's own garden
or containers to see how it performs in competition with the
local microfauna in one's own growing environment. It clearly
had positive results for some people, though, so that is reason
for optimism when using it.)

[rnewste]

"EXUDATES"

Thanks dice, I now have a new word to bandy about at the water-cooler tomorrow!

Ray

[amideutch]

OS71,the potting mix I used when transplanting my seedlings to 4" CowPots is Fox Farms "LIght Warrior" which is already inoculated with mycorrhiza. When I plant my seedling/CowPot to it's final resting place, container or ground, I inoculate it in a water bath containing Actinovate by soaking it for about 30 seconds and remove letting it drain back into the bath for 30 more seconds. I then sprinkled the outside of the CowPot with mycorrhiza and plant.
During the course of the growing season I make foliar applications of Actinovate which I add to my Microbe Tea prior to the 12 hour brewing period in which it is aerated. Apply with a hose end sprayer and it's a done deal. Ami

[amideutch]

Lets see if this works. Here you go Ray, Donnersberg the white ghost. Ami

[rnewste]

Ami,

Again, another beautiful photo from you!

From the looks of the ice coating the trees, I would not have wanted to be waking on those tower cat-walks too much.

Ray

[dice]

[exudates]

I noticed "exudes" in the Actinovate documentation, but I would
think that would be a verb. "exudates" are what are "exuded"
by some organism.

Exotic words are a good excuse to find a free online dictionary,
like

http://dictionary.reference.com/

(which reports "no results found" for "exudate", then lists
it in both dictionary and reference text lists below that,
and clicking on the "exudate" in the dictionary list pulls
up a few dictionary definitions.)