What are some Fungal dominated compost?
- Thread starter Villane
- Start date
Nullis
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Not exactly sure which brands you are referring to... Fox Farms soils?, earthworm castings and humus?
Earthworm castings would tend to be dominated by bacteria, which live in the gut of the earthworm (other microbes are present). Same goes for most composts. Healthy forest humus should have thousands of species of fungi (tens of thousands of species bacteria). Forest humus would be a favorable inoculum for a fungi-dominate tea.
Fungi are able to break down complex carbohydrates such as cellulose, and starches, chitin (commonly found in exoskeletons) as well as other complex compounds like lignin. You can culture the fungi in a sample of compost or humus by mixing in some fungi-preferred foods, e.g. a tablespoon of powdered oatmeal (for a cup of material). Material should be moistened, but not soaked, partially covered and left somewhere relatively warm for a several days. After a few days you should see mycelium really starting to form and after just a couple more it should be entirely fuzzy.
Earthworm castings would tend to be dominated by bacteria, which live in the gut of the earthworm (other microbes are present). Same goes for most composts. Healthy forest humus should have thousands of species of fungi (tens of thousands of species bacteria). Forest humus would be a favorable inoculum for a fungi-dominate tea.
Fungi are able to break down complex carbohydrates such as cellulose, and starches, chitin (commonly found in exoskeletons) as well as other complex compounds like lignin. You can culture the fungi in a sample of compost or humus by mixing in some fungi-preferred foods, e.g. a tablespoon of powdered oatmeal (for a cup of material). Material should be moistened, but not soaked, partially covered and left somewhere relatively warm for a several days. After a few days you should see mycelium really starting to form and after just a couple more it should be entirely fuzzy.