Trichoderma for Soil: Where to Find and How to Use it in Autumn.

What is Trichoderma: Where and How it is Used

According to ТСН: Trichoderma is a fungus that naturally occurs in forests, acting as a sanitizer for thousands of years. This genus of soil fungi is a common element of soil microflora.

Colonies of Trichoderma can be seen on deceased trees or on soil, where it appears as a thin layer of green or yellowish mold.

Trichoderma is capable of parasitizing on other fungi, suppressing their activity by releasing natural mycotoxins. This allows it to occupy the habitats of competitors and limit bacterial growth.

Thanks to these unique qualities, live cultures of the fungus, particularly recently studied species t. viride and t. harzianum, are used in agriculture as a biopesticide, primarily fungicide, to combat fungal diseases in plants. Additionally, Trichoderma aids in the decomposition of organic residues, improving the fertility and structure of soils.

Preparations based on Trichoderma, such as Trichodermin, Trichocin, Gliocladin, Mycohelp, and others, while not cheap, provide powerful biological protection. These biopreparations contain live spores of fungi in a 'dormant' state and help combat popular fungal diseases in plants, such as root rots, alternariosis, cladosporiosis, anthracnose, and powdery mildew. However, Trichoderma is less effective against potato blight.

How to Find and Collect Trichoderma in the Forest

Experienced gardeners claim that instead of buying preparations, one can collect Trichoderma independently. The best time for this is when there is not yet a stable snow cover on the ground.

Trichoderma often grows in places that are slowly decaying. Thus, to find it, it is worth paying attention to:

• rotten fallen logs, the wood of which should be soft, crumble under fingers, and have a dry but loose structure;
• the upper layer of forest litter, where under the fallen leaves, a lighter layer is usually hidden;
• old, rotten stumps that crumble easily.

Collect not the fungus itself, but the substrate in which it lives. It is important to take only that material which is partially decayed. Remove the upper soft layer of wood from fallen logs or stumps and place it in a bag or bucket. Avoid overly moist or slimy places, as these may indicate other fungi. To enrich the substrate, it is beneficial to add a handful of dry forest soil that contains a lot of useful microflora.

Autumn Application of Trichoderma: Time for Soil Recovery

Autumn is the ideal time for applying Trichoderma as it allows the fungus to begin soil recovery before stable frosts. However, to be effective, certain conditions must be met.

The fungus actively reproduces only when the soil is not frozen and has sufficient moisture. The optimal soil temperature should be no lower than +5 degrees Celsius to maintain fungus activity.

It is also important that there is no stable freezing in the area, as frozen soil halts all biological processes.

Additionally, the earth must be moist, which is a key condition for the spread of the fungus, but one should avoid boggy areas. It is ideal if rain is forecasted after applying Trichoderma.

A greenhouse is particularly conducive for Trichoderma's autumn work: here, the temperature and humidity are usually higher, creating conditions for effective soil recovery.

Trichoderma is an important tool in agriculture, where it is used to improve plant health and soil fertility. It not only helps combat diseases but also promotes natural ecosystem restoration. The use of Trichoderma can be a significant step towards sustainable farming.