Xtreme Gardening Mykos – 100 g

What it is

Mykos is a granular mycorrhizal inoculant. Its active organism is a single-species arbuscular (endo) mycorrhizal fungus, Rhizophagus intraradices, supplied at 300 propagules per gram. Xtreme Gardening positions it as a fungus that acts as an extension of the roots, forming hyphae that increase the root mass for more absorption of nutrients and water. Unlike a base nutrient, it is a living partner the plant forms a symbiosis with.

Guaranteed analysis and specifications

Why choose Xtreme Gardening Mykos

• A named, single-species fungus. You know exactly what is in the bag — the single arbuscular mycorrhizal species Rhizophagus intraradices, at a stated 300 propagules per gram.
• Certified organic-input. It is OMRI-listed and CDFA-certified, so it fits an organic-input program.
• What Xtreme Gardening says it does. The maker states it creates a sponge-like mass which collects and stores nutrients and water, increasing uptake, and helps reduce transplant shock by stimulating new root growth. These are Xtreme Gardening’s own positioning claims, not an independent test result.
• A real symbiosis, not a feed. Arbuscular mycorrhizae grow an extraradical hyphal network that absorbs phosphate from up to several centimetres beyond the root surface — beyond the depletion zone the root alone can reach, which is the mechanism behind the maker’s “extension of the roots” description.
• Layers onto your feed. The maker states it works in all types of growing media and can be used with synthetic and natural fertilizers, so it runs alongside your existing program rather than replacing it.

Best uses for Mykos

• At transplant. Because it must touch roots to colonize, the maker directs placing it in-ground or in raised beds at 1-2 tablespoons per plant, in direct contact with the roots — transplanting is the natural moment to do that.
• Containers, scaled to pot size. Container rates scale by size — roughly 1-2 tablespoons for 1-3 gallon pots up to about half a cup for 10-20 gallon.
• Seeding and plugs. The maker directs 1 tablespoon per foot of row, or about 1/2 teaspoon per cell or plug.
• Soil and soilless root zones. It works in all types of growing media, so it suits soil, coco, and other soilless mixes where the granules can sit against the roots.
• Alongside a feed program. It can be used with synthetic and natural fertilizers — though note the operating-range caution on high-phosphorus feeding below.

How a mycorrhizal inoculant works

An arbuscular mycorrhiza is a symbiosis between a fungus and a plant root. Once the fungus colonizes the root, it grows a network of fine hyphae out into the medium that absorbs phosphate from up to several centimetres beyond the root surface — reaching past the phosphorus-depletion zone immediately around the root. In effect the fungus extends the root system’s absorptive reach for phosphorus and water. This is the horticultural mechanism from the peer-reviewed literature; the maker’s “sponge-like mass” and “extension of the roots” wording describes the same partnership in marketing terms.

How it compares to other root inoculants

Root inoculants come in different organism classes. This table is factual — it does not claim any one out-performs another; which suits your program is a grower’s judgement.

Compatibility and operating range

Xtreme Gardening does not publish a pH window, temperature range, or shelf life for Mykos, so those are held below rather than guessed; the ranges given are clearly-labelled general horticultural guidance.

• Media: the maker states it works in all types of growing media.
• Root contact is required: as a granular inoculant it must be placed in direct contact with the roots to colonize — top-dressing an established plant will not reach the root zone the same way.
• Fertilizer: it can be used with synthetic and natural fertilizers.
• High phosphorus suppresses it: high-phosphorus fertilizer application can greatly lower the percentage of root length colonized by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, so heavy P feeding works against colonization.
• Host plants only: some families never form arbuscular mycorrhizas — notably the Brassicaceae (cabbage, broccoli, kale, mustard), so it will not colonize those crops.

Dosing and how to use it

Mykos is dosed by direct root contact, not diluted into a reservoir. A simple order of operations at planting:

1. At transplant, dose to the plant/pot size — 1-2 tablespoons per plant in-ground or in raised beds, scaling up for larger containers.
2. Place the granules directly under and around the root ball, so they touch the roots.
3. For seeds or plugs, use 1 tablespoon per foot of row, or about 1/2 teaspoon per cell or plug.
4. Continue your normal feeding, but go easy on heavy phosphorus boosters — high-P application can greatly lower how much of the root is colonized.

Where it fits

For other options in this part of the catalogue, browse the roots additives category. General store policies are described on the about page. As a biological inoculant, what it does in your system depends on your crop, medium, and routine.