Recharge by Real Growers
A microbial inoculant and biostimulant blend for root-zone recovery and soil biology support.
Growing, buying or possessing cannabis and seeds is legal only in some places. Check the law where you live before acting on this information.
Recharge is a real product with real, well-studied ingredients—mycorrhizae and Bacillus spp. work in agriculture. But cannabis-specific evidence for yield gains or stress recovery is absent. Growers report it works for recovery, especially in sterile or chemical-heavy systems, but controlled trials are missing. It's a plausible tool, not a miracle fix.
What it is
Recharge is a powdered soil amendment sold by Real Growers. According to the manufacturer's label, it contains mycorrhizal fungi (arbuscular/endomycorrhizae), Trichoderma species, several Bacillus species (including B. subtilis, B. licheniformis, B. megaterium, B. amyloliquefaciens), plus food sources for those microbes: kelp meal, fish meal, molasses, glacial rock dust, and humic/fulvic acids [1].
Functionally it serves two overlapping roles:
- Microbial inoculant — you are adding dormant fungi and bacteria to the root zone.
- Biostimulant / microbe food — kelp, molasses and humics feed both the added organisms and organisms already in your soil.
The individual ingredients are well-established in agricultural microbiology. Mycorrhizal symbiosis is one of the most thoroughly documented plant–microbe relationships Strong evidence[2]. Trichoderma and Bacillus species are extensively documented as plant-growth-promoting organisms and as biocontrol agents against root pathogens Strong evidence[3][4]. What is not documented in peer-reviewed work is this specific commercial blend's performance in cannabis.
Why growers use it
Common reasons growers apply Recharge:
- Recovering stressed plants. After overfeeding, pH swings, transplant shock or pesticide application, growers drench with Recharge hoping to rebuild root-zone biology and suppress secondary infections. This is widely reported in the growing community Anecdote, and re-inoculation with antagonistic microbes has mechanistic support in agricultural literature Weak / limited[3].
- Replacing microbial communities in sterile systems. Synthetic salt nutrients, chlorinated tap water, and inert media (coco, rockwool, peat) mean very little soil life develops naturally. Recharge seeds the substrate with organisms that may support nutrient cycling and plant defense.
- Supporting living soil. In a no-till or organic bed, Recharge is one of several inputs that keep biology active—alongside compost, worm castings, and cover crops.
- Practical convenience. It is shelf-stable, dissolves quickly, and requires no brewing time unlike aerated compost tea.
Large yield increases are not supported by controlled cannabis trials No data. Independent research on mycorrhizal inoculants in cannabis has shown mixed or null results, with some studies finding no significant improvement in biomass or cannabinoid content under typical high-fertility cultivation Weak / limited[5].
When to start and stop
Start early. Mycorrhizal colonization is most effective when fungal hyphae meet young, actively growing roots before the rhizosphere is dominated by other organisms Strong evidence[2]. Practical starting points:
- Seedling or clone transplant. First watering into fresh soil is the ideal entry point.
- Vegetative growth. Apply every 1–2 weeks as a light drench.
- Flower. Continue every 1–2 weeks through the stretch and early bulk phase.
- Late flower or flush. Optional to discontinue in the final 1–2 weeks if you are also stopping other inputs. Mycorrhizae themselves do not harm flower quality; the decision is whether you want organic inputs during late ripening.
Avoid application to bone-dry, hot, or anaerobic soil — microbes require moisture and oxygen to function.
How to use it, step by step
The label rate is 1 teaspoon per gallon of water for routine maintenance, or up to 1 tablespoon per gallon for stressed plants [1]. A straightforward protocol:
- De-chlorinate your water. Chlorine and chloramine kill some bacterial species. Use rainwater, RO water, well water, or filter tap water through activated carbon. Sitting tap water for 24 hours removes chlorine only, not chloramine.
- Use room-temperature water (18–24 °C / 65–75 °F). Cold water stresses roots and slows microbial activity.
- Measure precisely — 1 tsp per gallon. The powder is potent; overdosing wastes product without added benefit.
- Mix until dissolved. The liquid will look cloudy or faintly muddy, with visible particles. This is normal.
- Apply within 30–60 minutes of mixing. Once rehydrated, microbes begin to metabolize. Do not store mixed solution.
- Water into moist soil. Apply to soil that is already moist (not bone-dry), so the drench penetrates evenly rather than running down the sides of the pot.
- Repeat every 1–2 weeks. More frequent applications are not shown to provide additional benefit.
In hydroponic or recirculating systems, Recharge is generally not recommended — the organic food sources can promote biofilm and foul reservoirs. Use it as a soil or coco drench only.
Common mistakes
- Using chlorinated tap water. Chlorine and chloramine kill portions of the bacterial inoculum, defeating the purpose.
- Mixing in advance. Once rehydrated, the microbes start consuming stored energy. Mix fresh each time.
- Treating it as a nutrient. Recharge has minimal NPK and does not replace your base fertilizer.
- Expecting it to fix fundamental problems. It will not reverse chronic root rot from overwatering, nutrient lockout from a wrecked pH, or genetic issues. Community reports of Recharge 'fixing' stressed plants are often conflated with growers returning to a normal watering schedule Anecdote.
- Foliar spraying. Recharge is formulated for soil drench, not leaf spray. Endomycorrhizae cannot colonize leaves, and while Bacillus and Trichoderma do appear in some foliar biocontrol products, they require a different formulation and application strategy Weak / limited.
- Overpaying relative to alternatives. If you already brew quality compost tea or maintain a healthy living soil with compost and cover crops, the added benefit of Recharge is marginal. If you grow in sterile coco with synthetic salt nutrients, a microbial drench has more plausible value.
Related techniques and products
- Worm Castings Tea — homemade microbial brew with minimal cost if you have worm castings and compost.
- Single-component mycorrhizal inoculants — endo/ecto products like Great White or MycoApply; often cheaper per application than blended products.
- Coco Coir Growing — sterile media where a microbial inoculant has more theoretical justification.
- Living soil — the broader framework into which Recharge fits as one input among many.
- Competing blends — Mammoth P (phosphate-solubilizing bacteria), Tribus Original (Bacillus trio), Photosynthesis Plus. Each carries a different microbial profile and different evidence base.
- Top-dressing — dry amendments that pair naturally with microbial drenches in living-soil systems.
Sources
- Practitioner Real Growers. Recharge product label and ingredient list.
- Peer-reviewed Smith SE, Read DJ. Mycorrhizal Symbiosis, 3rd ed. Academic Press, 2008.
- Peer-reviewed Harman GE, Howell CR, Viterbo A, Chet I, Lorito M. Trichoderma species—opportunistic, avirulent plant symbionts. Nature Reviews Microbiology, 2004; 2(1):43–56.
- Peer-reviewed Kloepper JW, Ryu C-M, Zhang S. Induced systemic resistance and promotion of plant growth by Bacillus spp. Phytopathology, 2004; 94(11):1259–1266.
- Peer-reviewed Conant RT, Walsh RP, Walsh M, Bell CW, Wallenstein MD. Effects of a microbial biostimulant, Mammoth P, on Cannabis sativa bud yield. Journal of Horticulture, 2017; 4(3):1000218.
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