# Unfortunate news



## Ray (Feb 13, 2020)

Some of you may be aware of my enthusiasm over the use of Inocucor Garden Solution, a "plant probiotic" that contains multiple consortia of beneficial microbes, that prevent all sorts of diseases and helps plants grow stronger. I probably sell more to folks for use at deflasking than anything else.

I have just learned that the manufacturer has shut down the manufacturing facilities in Montreal and their less-than-1-year-old HQ in Denver. 

Yet another victim of corporate greed: Their biological products are fantastic, so they got a bunch of investors to allow expansion. Along the way, they acquired a large-scale fertilizer manufacturer in Canada. The investors apparently decided not to wait for the market for Inocucor to develop, focusing on short-term profits with the fertilizer side, instead.

I did buy up their remaining inventory of *500 ml bottles*, and have posted a method to use it as a seed stock to *brew your own* going forward (think "sourdough").


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## abax (Feb 13, 2020)

Why am I not surprised. Damn corporations eat
small businesses for lunch and spit out the leftovers.


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## littlefrog (Feb 14, 2020)

just when I got good at deflasking... How long is a bottle good for?


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## Ray (Feb 14, 2020)

The current lot is supposedly good until 06/2021; longer if refrigerated.

You’ll have to trust me on that, as that’s what the confirming email said. The bottles were shipped to me unlabeled, so I had to print some. How they ever got across the border is beyond me.


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## fibre (Feb 15, 2020)

sad news


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## xiphius (Feb 16, 2020)

That is crappy. At least its possible to culture your own. Thanks for posting that guide. I had never really thought about it. I may have to try and make some. Since this happened recently, I am guessing you haven't have a chance to compare the homemade stuff with the commercial stuff yet? Hopefully it works as well in the long run.


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## Ray (Feb 17, 2020)

I have made one self-brewed batch, so far, and have mostly used it on outdoor plants - Japanese red maples are particularly sensitive to a leaf-curling fungus down here - the home brew cured it.

I don’t really know how one could evaluate a change in efficacy, as it’s meant as a preventive treatment. It would be a long-term response in slow-growing orchids.


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## Linus_Cello (Feb 17, 2020)

Ray said:


> I have made one self-brewed batch, so far, and have mostly used it on outdoor plants - Japanese red maples are particularly sensitive to a leaf-curling fungus down here - the home brew cured it.
> 
> s.



leaf curl? What about verticillium wilt?


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## xiphius (Feb 17, 2020)

Ray said:


> I don’t really know how one could evaluate a change in efficacy, as it’s meant as a preventive treatment. It would be a long-term response in slow-growing orchids



Yeah, I know. Any differences, and even then only big differences, would only become apparent in the long haul.

Quick question for clarification - I was thinking about the recipe in the video and the one you posted on your site. They call for molasses, which you can buy in both sulfured and unsulfured forms. I assume you would want to stay away from sulfured molasses for this? Or does it matter? Thanks!


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## Ray (Feb 17, 2020)

Linus_Cello said:


> leaf curl? What about verticillium wilt?


Yes, that's what I'm referring to... I simply didn't recall what it was called.


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## littlefrog (Feb 17, 2020)

xiphius said:


> Yeah, I know. Any differences, and even then only big differences, would only become apparent in the long haul.
> 
> Quick question for clarification - I was thinking about the recipe in the video and the one you posted on your site. They call for molasses, which you can buy in both sulfured and unsulfured forms. I assume you would want to stay away from sulfured molasses for this? Or does it matter? Thanks!


I would stay away from the sulphured molasses myself. I wonder if brewer's malt would be an acceptable substitute.


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## Ray (Feb 18, 2020)

littlefrog said:


> I would stay away from the sulphured molasses myself. I wonder if brewer's malt would be an acceptable substitute.


Agree on the sulfured molasses.

I'm not familiar with brewers malt, but the higher the carbon content and easier it is to digest, the better. I found an article that states monosaccharides (especially sucrose) we’re better than disaccharides (specifically maltose) for carbon dioxide production - a measure of activity - from _Saccharomyces cerevisiae_, which is a microbe in Inocucor.


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## littlefrog (Feb 18, 2020)

Sucrose is a disaccharide...  And S. cerevisiae is brewers yeast, so it should eat maltose. But I'm sure they are different strains. I just happen to have a lot of malt extract, it is easier than molasses for me.


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## Erythrone (Feb 27, 2020)

Very sad news about the company... But many thank for the brew receipe.


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## Tony (Feb 27, 2020)

I started my first trial brew a few days ago, it's starting to smell like inocucor already.


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## Ray (Mar 11, 2020)

OK, boys and girls. Inocucor is no more. Sold the last bottles today.

The good news, however, is that I have made contact with another biotech company and may have a line on a substitute product in the not too distant future. The formulation will be different, of course, as they are all patented out the wazoo, but ought to offer similar benefits, and possibly even others.

I’ll keep you posted.


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