Frequently Asked Questions

Yes!

Mycorrhizal fungi are completely safe.

They are the basis of soil health (and plant health) in every undisturbed ecosystem on our planet. You and I (and everyone who has ever lived on this earth) have coexisted with Mycorrhiza from the start of time - they will do you no harm.

When you go for a hike in a forest, you and I always feel better, and all the soil around you is filled with mycorrhizae (and countless of other types of fungi and bacteria).

However good they are for plants, mycorrhiza are not food for you and I - so, do not ingest Transplanter

After handling the powder, do not touch your eyes or your mouth without washing your hands first. If you accidentally touch your eyes, you may experience some irritation. Simply flush your eyes with warm water and you should be fine.

If you follow these simple safety measures, the only problem you’ll have will be finding enough time to enjoy your beautiful, healthy garden.

Yes.

In fact, Organic fertilizers are the ONLY type of fertilizer you should ever use after applying Root Rescue.

This is because synthetic fertilizers disable mycorrhizae and create a hostile environment for all soil life

Ideally, the organic fertilizer you use should be certified by a 3rd party such as OMRI or EcoCert (to be sure what’s in the product matches what’s on the label).

For example, in the case of Root Rescue Transplanter we have a registration issued by the CFIA (Canadian Food Certification Agency) proving that you get what’s listed on the label (and only what's listed on the label). Our product is also certified by OMRI Canada; this guarantees that Transplanter meets the high standards for products used to grow Organic crops.

As long as they are organic, all fertilizers work well with Transplanter (with the important exception of bone meal). PGPR inoculates, compost teas, rock mineral supplements low in P (phosphorus), peat moss, composted manure, composted tree bark, backyard compost, and natural mulches are all compatible with Root Rescue Transplanter.

Simply put, synthetic fertilizers and mycorrhizae do not play well together, so please, make sure that if you use fertilizers, they are 100% certified organic.

No.

Although bone meal is technically an organic fertilizer, it’s not compatible with mycorrhizae.

The reason is pretty simple: bone meal has way too much Phosphorus in it to be compatible with Transplanter’s mycorrhizae and it will harm the mycorrhizal network you are trying to build. 

And here’s the truth about Phosphorus: There is no need to apply it when you are planting outdoors in Canada. 

Our soils are all rich in mineral phosphorus - you never need to add it when planting (because it’s already there). 

So don’t spend money on fertilizers with a high phosphorus value (the middle number on the N-P-K fertilizer label) instead, pay for products that contain Mycorrhiza and Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR). 

These valuable fungi and bacteria will convert the mineral phosphorus in the soil to the available form that plants need, and supply it directly to your plant. 

In the case of mycorrhiza, once started, this living fungi will work for your plant, season after season, year after year, for the life of your plant!

No.

Synthetic fertilizers (of any kind) are incompatible with mycorrhizal fungi.

They also make the roots of plants “dumb”, preventing them from forming the symbiotic relationship with soil microbes that's so beneficial for both of them.

The good news is that once you apply the Root Rescue Transplanter, you can forget about wasting money on chemical fertilizers.

You won’t need them ever again.

Once started, your plants never give up their partnerships with the soil microbes that they rely on.

In fact, the symbiosis is so strong that there are only 3 ways of harming mycorrhizae attached to the roots of plant:

1. Kill the plant.

2. Cultivate the soil

2. Use synthetic fertilizers, pesticides or fungicides.

Yes.

Trees can take several years to find ideal mycorrhizae partners in the soil.

So, up to 3 years after planting, the application of Transplanter will certainly help most plants.

For plants whose roots have been growing for more than 3 years there may still be a benefit - especially if there has been activity on the site that adds to root stress (such as compaction, cultivation, construction or an application of synthetic products).

You can never over-apply Root Rescue Transplanter; its all-natural formulation will never ‘burn’ roots.

There’s no such thing as too much beneficial biology in the soil.

This really depends on how recently you applied the chemical/synthetic fertilizers.

For example, if you planted a tree last week, and applied a synthetic (N-P-K) fertilizer, it’s better for you to wait.

Applying Root Rescue right after applying synthetic fertilizer wouldn’t be very effective.

After 4 to 6 weeks have passed, much of the synthetic fertilizer applied will have been leached from the soil by rain or irrigation. You can now apply Root Rescue - and from then on your plants will be set for life.

If you’ve been using chemical fertilizers on your soil in past years, you probably shouldn't worry too much about it.

Here’s why: If you live in Canada, we have the luck of snowy winters followed by a wet spring thaw.

And whether it’s through rainfall or melting snow, the precipitation washes out all the salt-based chemistry from chemical fertilizers; giving your soil a new start every spring. Every Spring gives you a new chance to convert your yard into an Organic Oasis.

Almost:

The roots of your plant must be actively growing for the symbiosis with Transplanter's mycorrhizal fungi to occur.

So unless the roots of your plants are actively growing, the mycorrhizae won’t “hook-up” to their roots. So, the best time of year is spring, summer or fall.

However, you can still apply Transplanter when roots are dormant.... 

The fungi in the package are dormant too and completely frost-proof. 

So even if you apply Root Rescue during winter or late fall, the fungal spores will simply wait to become active when the roots of your plants ‘wake-up’ the following spring.

But generally, it's best to apply Root Rescue when the roots of your plants are actively growing.

For the best results, we recommend applying Transplanter twice:

Once on the day you plant, and once again 4-6 weeks later.

After that your plants are set for life, you won’t need to use Transplanter again.

That said, please note that you can never have too much biology on the soil.

As opposed to chemical fertilizers, you can’t “overuse” Transplanter.

Giving more mycorrhizae to the roots of your plants isn’t going to hurt them (or your soil), quite the opposite, it can only benefit. Unlike with synthetics, you don't need to worry about overdoing it. It's All Good!

Transplanter is always mixed the same way: 

Mix 5-ml (1 teaspoon) of Transplanter into 2 gallons (7.5 litres) of water. 

Then (instead of just watering your plant) pour the solution into the root zone after planting. 

How much solution that you apply per plant is important to get right too - and that’s also easy to figure that out: 

Apply exactly ½ of the volume of the container size your plant came in. 

So, if your plant came in a 1-gallon pot, you will apply ½ gallon of solution to the roots of your plant. 

Looking at this another way; each 2-gallon watering can mix of the Transplanter solution, treats 4 x 1 gallon plants.

Treated municipal water supplies are not a problem – the dormant mycorrhizal fungi are not affected by it.

Of course. Transplanter is certified as an Organic Input by OMRI Canada.

Transplanter goes beyond being an organic input, our product contains fungi that are very much alive.

Transplanter's living fungi that link up the roots and grow with your plant.

So yes, you can use Root Rescue Transplanter with any food crops - and please enjoy your healthy, flavorful organic crop!

Actually - Transplanter goes beyond being a Sustainable technology...

"Sustainable" is a term attributed products or processes that don’t send extra CO2 to the atmosphere - such technologies or processes are referred to as being “carbon neutral.”

But living mycorrhizal fungi are not carbon neutral, they are carbon positive.

Through photosynthesis, green plant leaves pull CO2 out of the atmosphere and convert it into sugar. At least 20% of the Carbohydrate made in leaves is sent underground; exuded by roots to feed beneficial soil partners like mycorrhizae. This continuous transfer of atmospheric carbon into the earth helps the soil, plants, and the whole planet to breathe in the process. In this way, a plant's ever-expanding mycorrhizal underground network becomes a huge (ecosystem saving) Carbon Sync.

And so, Root Rescue's Transplanter goes beyond being a sustainable technology, it's a Regenerative Technology!

It’s true - Transplanter's fungi are alive (although dormant in the package) and each lot of product produced bears an expiry date (you'll find that date on every package).

But it’s not quite like a banana that once you buy it you have to eat it within a week or a couple of days.

Not unlike packaged seeds, Transplanter's dormant fungi will eventually lose viability. The shelf life of Transplanter is at least 2.5 years after the packaging date.

But there are a couple of things to consider:

If the product package was never opened, the millions of fungal spores inside are viable for many, many years - in fact well beyond the expiry date.

After a package has passed its Best Before Date, it will lose about 10% of its viability per year.

So if the package passed it's Best Before day (for instance) a year ago, simply mix it 10% stronger, and it will be back to 100% viability.

BTW -

Root Rescue Transplanter does not contain any salt-based synthetic chemistry - using it at rates stronger than the standard mixing rate will never do harm to plants or the environment. Be generous with your mixing rates - your plants will appreciate it. Cheers! Bob

Recommendations for Storage:

The best storage conditions for Transplanter are: keep it dry, in the original packaging, and out of direct sunlight. 

Freezing is not a problem although you don’t have to keep it in the fridge.A garage or garden shed is an ideal place to keep your Root Rescue.

 However, really high heat (60 degrees C or 140 degrees F) will kill the mycorrhizae even if the package is perfectly sealed.

 Humidity is also a problem because the mycorrhizae “wake up” with water, so make sure to keep everything sealed and dry in the original packaging between uses.

 Sunlight: mycorrhizae evolved to live underground, so they don’t like prolonged exposure to it, that’s why the package is completely opaque.

 Once you apply Root Rescue, make sure to close the package and store it in a dry place out of direct sunlight.

Lawns will definitely benefit from treatment with Root Rescue Transplanter. 

One of the easiest ways to treat a lawn is when you are re-seeding or top-dressing a lawn. 

Simply combine the dry Transplanter powder with dampened grass seed, and sow the seed at the recommended rate.

For complete details for turf (and other application options), refer to our Technical Guide 

Yes.

The easiest way to treat seeds is to mix the dry powder with slightly dampened seeds - and then sow the seeds as recommended. 

Or, simply apply Transplanter in the usual solution right after you sow the seeds - and repeat the treatment when the 1st true leaves of the seedling unfold. 

After that, your new plants will be set for life.