To innoculate or not to innoculate

kiwirose 1/11/2011, 10:41 am

So - does anyone have any experience comparing innoculated legumes versus non-innoculated legumes?

Last year I grew lovely snap peas and bush beans that did pretty well - my pole beans struggled with the heat (I think) but I have never innoculated before. I did see some innoculant yesterday but it was kind of pricey and thought I would check with the worlds greated resourse (yes, that means you guys and gals) and see what your experience is.

If you don't innoculate, do you do anything else to boost your yeilds on your beans and peas?

Thanks for your input - I am itching to plant - even though I am coated in ice today brrr

ander217 1/11/2011, 11:06 am

My peas didn't do well last year, and I'm planning to inoculate this year to see if it makes a difference. I did it once many years ago in a new row-garden spot and I raised some very nice peas that year.

As I understand it, once you've grown legumes in a particular area there is no need to inoculate again to grow in that area, but inoculant supposedly boosts the yields by a great deal even in soil that already contains the nitrogen-fixers.

If I was satisfied with my yield last year, it would be more difficult for me to justify the added expense of inoculant.

**camprn** 1/11/2011, 2:56 pm

I did not use inoculant last year. As I am planning on rotating my crop location I am planning on using it the inoculant this coming season and hoping for higher yields

Odd Duck 1/12/2011, 12:52 pm

I've never planted without innoculent, but like Ander, I've read that if your legumes don't come already innoculated, it is definitely supposed to boost yields the first year. I hadn't heard that it would boost yields after that, though, interesting. I had only read that it wasn't necessary to innoculate after the first time growing the legume. I've got loads of the stuff since they only sell it in pretty large quantities compared to how much you need to use, so I guess I'll be using some again.

Megan 1/12/2011, 5:34 pm

How do you innoculate, and what kind of product do you look for? Maybe I was just in the feed store at the wrong time of year, but I never saw anything with a label like that.... :?:

boffer 1/12/2011, 5:41 pm

I don't innoculate. It's just too time consuming to inject each little seed.

**camprn** 1/12/2011, 5:49 pm

Inoculant introduces beneficial bacteria to the growing medium in which legumes are to be grown. I will probably use inoculant this coming season as I have not grown peas in the new bed with the Mel's Mix and I really would like a higher yield of peas next year!
CLICK HERE for a nice little write up about it. Very Happy

Chopper 1/12/2011, 6:29 pm

My sugar snaps are not producing and I wonder if that is why. One would think the manufacturers could dust them themselves but there you are...

elliephant 1/12/2011, 6:35 pm

I haven't, because everything keeps talking about cold, damp soil, and I don't have that.
Maybe it would still help; I don't know, since I don't have anything to compare it to.

**camprn** 1/12/2011, 7:08 pm

Chopper wrote:My sugar snaps are not producing and I wonder if that is why. One would think the manufacturers could dust them themselves but there you are...

There are seeds available pre coated.

ander217 1/12/2011, 7:20 pm

Megan wrote:How do you innoculate, and what kind of product do you look for? Maybe I was just in the feed store at the wrong time of year, but I never saw anything with a label like that.... :?:

Mine came as a powder and if memory serves, I dampened the seeds then stirred in the powder, which stuck to the peas. I ordered mine from a garden seed company - don't remember which one.

Elliephant, you may be confusing inoculant with fungicide. Inoculants have nothing to do with cool or damp. They are a beneficial bacteria which take nitrogen from the air and affixes it to legume roots as nodules which convert the nitrogen to plant use. Once the nodules are present in the soil it doesn't have to be inoculated again, but apparently the theory is, the more the merrier.

I just saw that Amazon has a new form available for $2.99 which can be sprinkled in the "row" in a dry form. Johnny's and Harris Seeds also carry it, among others.

ander217 1/12/2011, 7:45 pm

boffer wrote:I don't innoculate. It's just too time consuming to inject each little seed.

(Aren't you worried about contracting pea pox?)

elliephant 1/12/2011, 9:05 pm

ander217 wrote: Elliephant, you may be confusing inoculant with fungicide. Inoculants have nothing to do with cool or damp. They are a beneficial bacteria which take nitrogen from the air and affixes it to legume roots as nodules which convert the nitrogen to plant use. Once the nodules are present in the soil it doesn't have to be inoculated again, but apparently the theory is, the more the merrier.

No, it's just that I keep reading that one of the reasons it is beneficial is that the beneficial bacteria is less active in the the cold, damp soil of early spring. *shrugs*

boffer 1/12/2011, 9:32 pm

I grew peas for four seasons before I even heard of inoculating. I guess I missed the half sentence in the book where Mel says "Mix presoaked seeds with legume inoculant powder for an added boost", whatever 'an added boost' means. I'm happy with my harvests without inoculating.

I just looked at seed packages from five different sources. Only one, Territorial Seed Company, recommended inoculation. thinking

Why not experiment and report back: One planting of inoculated beside one planting of non-inoculated. Inquiring minds want to know!

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