Got banned from a gardening forum for saying mycorrhizae were a scam (I was wrong)

I posted on a big gardening site that those powder mycorrhizae products were a waste of money, got permabanned within 2 hours. Turns out this guy named Dave from a local nursery in Portland told me to try them on my tomatoes, and I went from 3 pounds per plant to almost 11 pounds last season. I still think the ban was harsh, but Dave was definitely right about the fungi. Anyone else get banned for doubting something that actually worked?

3 comments

3 Comments

ward.kim1mo ago

Honestly, "Dave from a local nursery" sounds like the start of a gardening version of a drug deal, not a legit tip. But man, going from 3 to 11 pounds per plant is wild. I got roasted on a houseplant forum for saying you can water succulents too much, and after i actually killed a jade plant by drowning it, i felt like a total clown. Ngl, the ban was probably harsh for just being wrong, but at least you got a good story and better tomatoes out of it. Tbh, i would wear that ban as a badge of pride now.

the_tessa1mo ago

Hearing "Dave from a local nursery" makes me think of a shady character in a back alley selling jalapeños out of a trench coat, not a gardening guru. But yeah, that jump in yield is no joke, and if the ban came with a secret sauce, maybe it was worth it. I'd plaster that ban screenshot on my fridge, honestly.

aaron7401mo ago

Holding a different view here @ward.kim, I actually think the nursery Dave was probably legit since he clearly knew his stuff. Getting banned for being wrong feels like the mods were power tripping more than anything, not a badge of honor. But yeah, those tomato numbers don't lie, so maybe the ban was a weird win in the end.