http://npic.orst.edu/factsheet.....degen.html

... Diatomaceous earth products are registered for use against bed bugs, cockroaches, crickets, fleas, ticks, spiders, and many other pests. ...

I buy it in 50 lb bags, OMRI listed and food grade, and I sell it by the pound to locals who don't need that much.   A few pounds should be plenty to do your entire garage and behind/under furniture in the house. 

Living in the middle of the desert, I've had a LOT of insect problems and I especially hate spiders.  I don't kill them outside, but it's MY house and since I DE'd everything in 2007 I've had very few insects inside except for little ants -- still battling those.

I don't usually use DE outside, haven't had many insect problems in the gardens and don't want to kill the beneficials.  I use a lot in my seed starting room with a dirt floor as I store a lot of "stuff" in it, sometimes the wind blows the door open and did I mention I hate spiders?

Many people also add DE to human and animal food that's stored long term to prevent insect infestation and some drink a little regularly, although I'm not sure that it does anything (see the studies referenced in the OSU DE fact sheet.)

Repost from Elaine Inghams AACT Yahoo group regarding ants in compost pile:

https://logicalgardener.org/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=44

A MUST READ before you buy anything!  I've followed Tim's posts in the AACT group for years and truly respect his opinions.

... Thankfully there are people like David Douds who have outlined for growers methods of producing one’s own local mycorrhizal spores/propagules. Here are some links and see the attached PDF.

http://www.newfarm.org/depts/NFfield_tr ... ouds.shtml

Manual on Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungus Production and Inoculation Techniques.pdf

(239.73 KiB) Downloaded 84 times

On-farm Production and Utilization of AM Fungus Inoculum.pdf

(1.31 MiB) Downloaded 73 times

...

It is still so chaotic here, hope I'll have time to try growing our own this year.

... one can get (in bulk) powder based products at a spore/propagule count of 3200 per gram 1,452,800 per pound or a liquid product at 2,000,000 spores/propagules per litre (available as agricultural products > http://www.usemykepro.com/home.aspx ). ...

I checked the site and of course they don't sell directly.  I found their gardener site: http://www.usemyke.com/en-us, but they also don't retail.  About a quart is enough for 32 veggie transplants.

I think it's sold at Amazon, although the packaging is different:  http://amzn.to/1OsJj9j

It's $18.41 for 1.4 quarts with free shipping and WAY TOO EXPENSIVE to transplant 50 or so veggie plants.   And I can't find any info on spore counts and just emailed the seller for more info.  I'll also see about their minimum direct sales at Myke's.

Root Pouch, 1 Gallon, 15-20 Months, Bundle of 50:

http://www.amleo.com/root-pouc.....0/p/RP115/

They're perfect for plants that will be:

• Transplanted into the ground or into a larger pot within a year or so (they only last so long)
• Sold

I'm not sure whether I'll plant these pouches into the ground.  Might do a trial to see how the roots grow through the pouch.  Even better, maybe someone else already did that?

I might just cut the pouch off to make sure the root ball is looking good. 

DISADVANTAGES of ALL root pouches / smart pots:

• Recently we just picked up a bunch of used bags that got blown around by winter storms and that's probably the biggest disadvantage.   Regular pots go into our fenced "holding pen" outside, but fabric pots have to be stored INSIDE out of the weather and away from rodents.
• It can be difficult to get plants out of the bags, they don't slide out as from rigid plastic pots.  It definitely takes a little more time to transplant.
• It's much harder to MOVE the pots.  You can pick up a bunch of rigid pots fast, but bags are best picked up with TWO hands.  It makes a big difference when you have many pots to move.

For us, the advantages (no over watering, not root bound) outweigh the disadvantages. And it's nice that they're made from RECYCLED plastic.  I'm not a big fan of using plastic, but at least it's recycled.  I heard that a company in Europe makes felt pots (no plastics used at all), but I think they're rather pricey.

And I really like the larger 45 gallon bags for instant "raised beds."   Took a lot of pictures last summer and will try to post a couple soon.

To my surprise we haven't seen a single grub in the hoophouse when we planted our winter greens in recent weeks.  While it took the nematodes longer than expected to kill off the grubs, the effects also lasted longer and it definitely was money well spent.  And now that I'm thinking about it, the ferocious carpenter ants in the hoophouse also disappeared.  I had been battling them in the hoophouse for years because their bites really hurt!

This year we started a new garden near the orchard and when we harvested we saw a lot of grubs.  So I just looked at the Nematodes FAQ at http://www.arbico-organics.com.....todes-faqs and it's just too cold now, ESPECIALLY for the Heterorhabditis bacteriophora that go after grubs.

We plan on ordering in early spring (late February?) and we'll order the FARM size variety pack so that our gardening friends and neighbors can get nematodes for $10 or so. 

Please let me know if you're in our area (Kingman to Vegas) and interested in pre-ordering for a great deal on organic pest control.

You can send us a list of what you want at any time and we will let you know if we have enough to sell. Grape cuttings go for 1.80 each and scionwood of fruit trees goes for 3.50 per stick that is enough to graft at least 2 trees. Currants and other berry types also sell for 3.50 per stick, enough for at least 2 cuttings.

Lots of info about their growing practices is at https://www.rollingrivernursery.com/about-our-stock and at https://www.rollingrivernursery.com/family-a-farm/

... Wild bird-life has exploded too creating a riot of song and activity and our loyal dogs find deep purpose in their important efforts at keeping the bears, foxes, raccoons and ground squirrels out side the fence and out of the trees! It's taken a lot of work but it has been deeply satisfying to watch a previously denuded and barren landscape transform into a thriving lush ecosystem teaming with life! ...

I like what they're doing and our goals are very similar -- tailored for our tough high desert climate.

In spring 2015 we ordered over 100 rooted berry, kiwi, fig cuttings from Hartman's (wholesale), but they don't have nearly as many varieties.   We want to grow as many varieties as possible to see which ones do best in our alkaline calcareous native soil (8.2 to 8.7 pH), the ferocious winds, drought and extreme heat and cold -- the opposite of Northern California.

Do they sell cuttings?  We've been quite successful with pomegranate cuttings from the university in Yuma and we're currently working on our new and improved misting system.

Hey Tom --- Purple Cow compost is often good (85% of the time, I'd say) ---- good fungi, protozoa, nematodes. They do have their "opps" composts though, so getting the microscope out to check it is important. Also, storage conditions can destroy the biology, so can't always blame the compost maker...... the amount of time that has to go into compost tea is why I prefer to make compost EXTRACT rather than tea. Basically, just extract the organisms straight from the compost by vigorous massaging of the compost. Treat the compost just exactly like a human muscle that is sore and needs a good massage. No wringing, no sand paper motion, no scrubbing motions, just massage. Vigorous massage. About 30 seconds for a pound of compost is what is needed to extract the organisms. Then apply the compost extract. Tea has to be made if the application is to establish the right sets of organisms on the plant surfaces aboveground. The organisms need to be growing, making glues and holding on instantly, in order to stick and stay on the surfaces aboveground. But when applied to soil, not necessary to instantly stick! So, compost extract works fine, and less work. so, I encourage you to make extracts when applying to most things --- soil, water, compost, mulch, etc. Tea only if you have to deal with pests and disease organisms on plant (or animal) surfaces. Elaine R. Ingham President, Soil Foodweb Inc. Soil Life Consultant

I would add that you really need foliar compost tea to get nutrient into plants in our native soil until it is properly amended.

From http://www.purplecoworganics.c.....-products/

True Value currently has 79 Espoma products online with free shipping to the store.

Moon Valley (formerly Plant World) in Vegas is also listed as a retailer, but their website only shows the Moon Valley brand and it's not OMRI listed.  Don't know what they carry in the store.

And of course there's Amazon.  I checked a few products and they have good reviews.

At True Value Espoma Bone Meal, 24-Lbs. is currently $36.99 with free shipping to store.

At Amazon I see 10 lbs for $22.13 with free PRIME shipping, 25 lbs for $48 with free shipping.  I noticed there are various discontinued products with different N P K -- watch what you buy.

Their gypsum is very expensive, I get it OMRI listed at Star Nursery.

I have been using about 50% native soil for potted plants intended to go in the ground so that plants avoid that OUCH moment when they hit native dirt after transplant.  From now on I'll try to get that native dirt from around local plants instead of just anywhere and that should get us a good start right there.

You might have bought the same mycorrhizae on Amazon that I got, will post the actual product in a new topic.  It contains only one kind and I just found out that it's associated with cannabis.  I think marijuana is a nightshade, so it probably works for tomatoes, peppers, etc.   I also used it to transplant, have no idea whether it helped -- everything's so chaotic here. 

Recently bought another mycorrhizae product at Peaceful Valley with 4 varieties, will post that too.

Last night I read a paper summarizing previous mycorrhizae and desert plants studies by Mohamed Al-Whaibi is in Saudi Arabia.  Unfortunately, I only know the common names for the many plants he mentions, but it's a good start with the many references to other studies.    Since we do permaculture, I'd like to help the native plants and whatever we bring in.

Mohamed's English isn't that great (I could have proof-read and fixed everything for $20) and  keep in mind that "tow" really is "two":

https://www.academia.edu/923186/Desert_Plants_and_Mycorrhizae_A_mini-review

I had to sign up at Academia to get access to the paper, but it's well worth the effort for LOTS of great info and the references to studies on mycorrhizae, nutrient uptake and drought tolerance.

I did find that endotropic vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) is the most common in desert plant & is far more prevalent in the perennial than the annual plants. Not sure what that all means or if its relevant!

I bought from Amazon & used in transplanting this summer Xtreme gardening Mykos mycorrhizal inoculant. Used very little of it, did seem to help with transplant shock.

Abstract

Mycorrhizal symbioses are critical to desert plants since they face the challenges of scarce, sporadic precipitation, nutrient deficiencies, intense solar radiation, and the high temperatures found in hot deserts. Deserts are covering increasingly more of the Earth's surface area as desertification increases globally. Mycorrhizal desert plants have a greater chance of survival in the harsh desert environment. Desert plants form mycorrhizae with endomycorrhizal arbuscular fungi and with ectomycorrhizal fungi. Both form extensive networks of hyphae in the soil, and glomalin, a glycoprotein produced by hyphae of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, is crucial in soil structure and carbon storage. Mycorrhizal desert plants are important in agriculture, ecosystem biology, and conservation of the deserts.

I'm sure that would be an interesting read, but $219 for the ebook?

That's not in my budget.

When plants live in challenging locations, they often develop mechanisms to help them survive. These include morphological characteristics such as thickened, small or narrow leaves to reduce water loss, slowing the plant's growth rate, or developing a tolerance for high salts and low levels of nutrients. One important set of survival mechanisms involves creating mutually beneficial (symbiotic) relationships between plant roots and soil-borne organisms such as bacteria and fungi. ...

There's a great description of mycorrhizae and then more desert specifics:

What do mycorrhizae do?

Nutrients and water

Mycorrhizae are essential in areas where soils are deficient in water and certain nutrients - conditions that are found in the desert. Even when there is an ample amount of a nutrient, it may not be readily accessible to the plant. A dramatically larger root system (or mycorrhizae) permits the plant to obtain additional moisture and nutrients. This is particularly important in uptake of phosphorus, one of the major nutrients required by plants.

When mycorrhizae are present, plants are less susceptible to water stress. Not only do the fungal threads help to bring water and nutrition into the plant, but they also can store them for use when rainfall is sparse and temperatures are high. When organic matter (compost) is added to improve a soil, mycorrhizae are important in making its nutrients available. The
residual organic matter and the hyphae improve the structure of the soil.

Recent research indicates that the fungi even help break down rock, increasing availability of the essential nutrients within, such as potassium, calcium, zinc and magnesium.

The difference in the size of the root ball is quite impressive.

Disease resistance

Mycorrhizae also help the plant resist infection by other fungi and even bacteria. This may be because the plant, being better nourished, is healthier and has better resistance to the invader. It may also be that the large physical presence of one fungus impedes infection by others. Another possibility is that either the plant or the fungus produces compounds that prevent
infection by pathogens.

Interaction with other soil microbes — a cycle of benefit

Desert plants interact with other organisms in the soil. Many of these microorganisms fertilize plants by "fixing" nitrogen, which is then available for plant growth. When mycorrhizae are present, the number and vitality of these nitrogen fixers increase. As a result, the plant‘s health and vigor improves, as does the health and vigor of the beneficial fungi.

I'm going to have to find out which mycorrhizae to apply for bird of paradise, mimosas and black locusts.

Will any fungus form mycorrhizae?

Many fungi will form associations with plants, and many plants will form mycorrhizal associations. These interactions appear to be plant- and fungus-specific. Not all mycorrhizae forming fungi will work with all desert plants. There are research reports which show that association with the "wrong" fungus actually decreases the health and vigor of the plant. Because there is a requirement for specific plant-fungus association, mycorrhizae can be important in reestablishing native species in areas where they have been lost.
Mycorrhizal fungi are available for sale from several sources.

Introducing mycorrhizal fungal spores (inoculation) is sometimes suggested to improve yields and plant vigor, particularly for container and landscape ornamentals. Inoculation with mycorrhizal fungi may not be a benefit unless it is specific to the plant, because there is a requirement for a specific fungus -plant interaction for optimum benefit. It would also be counterproductive to inoculate with a fungus that could strongly benefit a weedy species.

How do mycorrhizae get into a site?

Many desert soils already have mycorrhizal fungi present, at least in small amounts. Even
without inoculation, spores can be found in many desert locations. If host plants are grown
where there are spores of these fungi, then both thrive. The mycorrhizal fungi may continue to
survive even after the original host is no longer present.

Does anyone have info on which type of mycorrhizae we can buy for specific desert plants?

I also want to try to grow desert mycorrhizae and have to find the YouTube video on that again.

The shopping cart:

	Product	Item #	Qty	Price	Line Total
	Root Pouch Degradable Pots, 7gal with Handle, 3-4 Yr., Bundle of 10	RP7H3	Update Remove	$21.99 $19.99	$59.97
	Root Pouch, 1 Gallon, 15-20 Months, Bundle of 50	RP115	Update Remove	$18.99 $16.99	$50.97
	Root Pouch, 2 Gallon, 18-24 Months, Bundle of 25	RP218	Update Remove	$16.99 $14.99	$44.97
	Root Pouch, 15 Gallon with Handle, 4-5 Year, Bundle of 10	RP15H4	Update Remove	$42.99	$42.99

I knew that the 1 and 2 gallon bags would not be heavy duty, but I didn't expect that they I could actually tear the fabric.  It feels a lot like paper and I'll be thrilled if they last over a year.  Right now I need LOTS of bags, have so many rooted cuttings to pot up. And, we'll probably sell some of those plants in fall, so we wouldn't be able to reuse the bags.

The bags I got from Greenhouse Megastore will definitely last a lot longer.

Also got 45 gallon bags at http://www.greenerhydroponics......77623.html and once I catch up in the gardens I'll post some pics.  We filled 6 bags with 50% native dirt and Amend and I planted a bunch of my old seedlings and some seeds.  Those large bags are a great alternative to raised beds and I truly appreciated being able to sit down when I planted.

If you're local (Kingman, Las Vegas) and you're interested in adding to future orders, please let me know.  

The more we order, the cheaper it gets.

And of course please let me know if you have a good (wholesale?) source for grow bags.  I'd like to try some 100 gallon bags to see how they do as "raised beds."