I think you're confusing saprophytic fungi with mycorrhizal fungi. Very different types of fungi with very different properties and soil mechanisms. Bacteria grows easily and pretty much all potting soils that contain good fertility are going to be high in bacterial biomass.I'm here to get high and argue. And my vapes on the charger
I've never see Cannabis grown in soil (on the internet). When people say soil on the net, it's usually this funky Lowes/Home Depot stuff:
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So, the fungus part is already covered.
And fungus is over rated in Cannabis. You need roothair not fungus. 18% more roots means 18% more root hairs, so you can properly process and hold 18% more P, which means 18% more sugar transported out of the leaf which means 18% more of something. The math is unwavering.
Most cannabis "soils" (peat mixes) are overtaken by fungus and grow poor roots. Fungus steals fatty acids, oxylipins, phospholipids, glycolipids, sphingolipids and sterols from the plant. Cannabis metabolites which pharma companies are actually interested in (or interested in obfuscating, more accurately).
Its a given that the fungal bunnies with their dead leaf mulch and poor roots are also anointing their plants with anti fungals and making up terp descriptors for "earthy" weed at the retail level. Bacteria vs mold isn't bloods n crips, it's cops and robbers when it comes to weed. There are ZERO proven cases of fungus helping improve the quality of Cannabis and COUNTLESS examples of fungus ruining Cannabis. Take that to debate class.
You should be filling your containers with root hairs colonized by nutrient solublizing intra-cellular plant beneficial bacteria, not scerlotial mass, smelly mulch and weird biofungicide bandaids. Root hairs are Cannabis's natural preference, not sporulating fungus.
I assume most notill peatophiles have no idea they are growing truffles in their soilless mix moreso than roots. With the price that typical "soil"-grown quality fetches, most "soil" growers would be better off switching to shrooms altogether, rather than continuing the indigenous mold movement. Even the voodoo African cob cult next door in the 'Harvest' section is dominated by molds. Weird for any grower to make a positive connection there.
Simply put, high P manure, like cattle, is the best source of nutrient solublizing microbes for Cannabis grown in peat or soil. The only shrooms you'll find there are magic. You will never smoke weed as good as what you can grow for free on a dairy farm.
Now that you know where to get your free microbes, what about the soap nut extract to kill them all off? Quanjilla, yucca, aloe, pick your poison. Why is the above poster so worried about Guano (3% soluble P) when tons of people are putting soap in their soil?
In studies, washing hands with soap and water for 15 seconds (about the time it takes to sing one chorus of "Happy Birthday to You") reduces bacterial counts by about 90%. When another 15 seconds is added, bacterial counts drop by close to 99.9% (bacterial counts are measured in logarithmic reductions).
Won't anyone think of the bacteria?
Consider this: Inoculating seedcoats or cutting trays with mycos is extremely cheap and easy ($10 an acre) It's the only way to effectively inoculate the root with fungus. And since P is removed around the root, by the root, and is not mobile in soil, there's always a depleted space of 0.5-1mm for the endo myco to reach into just in case, until it detects P concentrations which the bacterial root hairs are already taking care of. Mycos are like a rookie backup cop with a tazer. Team Bacteria.
And the reason we use peat as a media is because it has excellent properties for plant health and root growth. That's the reason it's the industry standard for horticultural plants. There's additional reasons why I would use it over coco coir when constructing a "living soil" for cannabis but that's a different conversation.