--- title: "Microbial Inoculant Nursery Trial: FloraTech Elevate Grew 66.7% More Root Mass" canonical: https://fernland.com.au/news/microbial-inoculant-nursery-trial/ datePublished: 2026-11-05 05:59:04 dateModified: 2026-11-05 05:59:04 author: Jason summary: "FloraTech Elevate grew 66.7% more root mass in Westringia and got Grevillea to its 210mm sales spec around 13 days sooner. The trial ran at Greenstock Nurseries with the same pot, mix and base fertiliser." type: blog_post keywords: [Biostimulants, Elevate, FloraTech, nursery, soil, trial results] --- # Microbial Inoculant Nursery Trial: FloraTech Elevate Grew 66.7% More Root Mass > FloraTech Elevate grew 66.7% more root mass in Westringia and got Grevillea to its 210mm sales spec around 13 days sooner. The trial ran at Greenstock Nurseries with the same pot, mix and base fertiliser. FloraTech Elevate, a microbial inoculant of mycorrhizal fungi, Trichoderma and Bacillus, grew more root and more plant than the control in a side-by-side trial at Greenstock Nurseries in Queensland. Westringia fruticosa ‘Zena’ produced 66.7% more root mass, and Grevillea ‘Carpet Layer’ reached its 210mm sales spec around 13 days sooner, in the same pot, mix and base fertiliser. ## Key results - Westringia fruticosa ‘Zena’ treated with FloraTech Elevate produced 66.7% more root mass and 57.0% more plant mass than the untreated control. - Grevillea ‘Carpet Layer’ treated with FloraTech Elevate reached the 210mm sales spec around 13 days sooner (about 21% less bench time), with 17.2% more height and 16.7% more root mass. - Lomandra longifolia treated with FloraTech Elevate produced 32.6% more plant mass (8.62g vs 6.50g) and 21.7% more root mass. - Both groups grew in 140mm pots of pinebark and GrowRite coir with FloraCote Extra at 6kg/m³ so FloraTech Elevate was the only variable. ## On this page - [How was the microbial inoculant trial set up?](#trial-setup) - [What were the results for each plant?](#results) - [What do the results mean for nursery production?](#production) - [What’s in FloraTech Elevate?](#whats-in-floratech-elevate) - [Frequently asked questions](#faq) ## How was the microbial inoculant trial set up? The FloraTech Elevate microbial inoculant trial ran at Greenstock Nurseries, a Queensland wholesale production nursery, in 2026, growing a control group and a FloraTech Elevate group side by side. Both groups used 140mm pots, a pinebark and GrowRite coir mix, and FloraCote Extra base fertiliser at 6kg/m³. FloraTech Elevate was the only variable, so the differences in root mass, plant mass and time to spec come from the inoculant. Three plant types went through the trial: Westringia fruticosa ‘Zena’, Grevillea ‘Carpet Layer’ (potted from 75mm plugs on 17 July 2026) and Lomandra longifolia. ## What were the results for each plant? FloraTech Elevate outperformed the control on all three plants in the trial. Westringia fruticosa ‘Zena’ gained 66.7% root mass and 57.0% plant mass, Grevillea ‘Carpet Layer’ reached its 210mm sales spec around 13 days sooner, and Lomandra longifolia gained 32.6% plant mass and 21.7% root mass against the control. FloraTech Elevate microbial inoculant trial results against the untreated control Plant Root mass Plant mass Height Time to sales spec Westringia fruticosa ‘Zena’ +66.7% +57.0% Not reported Not reported Grevillea ‘Carpet Layer’ +16.7% Not reported +17.2% Around 13 days sooner (about 21% less bench time) Lomandra longifolia +21.7% +32.6% (8.62g vs 6.50g) Not reported Not reported ### Westringia fruticosa ‘Zena’: 66.7% more root mass Westringia fruticosa ‘Zena’ treated with FloraTech Elevate produced 66.7% more root mass and 57.0% more plant mass than the control, in the same 140mm pot and the same mix. That is the largest root response in the trial: two thirds more root filling the same volume of media, carrying more top growth with it. For a grower, more root in the same pot means a root ball that holds together when the plant is knocked out for potting on, and a plant that goes out the gate with more root behind its foliage. Westringia fruticosa ‘Zena’ root balls: control (top) and FloraTech Elevate (bottom), same 140mm pot, mix and base fertiliser. ### Grevillea ‘Carpet Layer’: sales spec around 13 days sooner Grevillea ‘Carpet Layer’ treated with FloraTech Elevate reached the 210mm sales spec around 13 days sooner than the control, about 21% less bench time. The treated plants also finished with 17.2% more height and 16.7% more root mass. Both groups were potted from 75mm plugs on 17 July 2026. Sales spec is the number that matters for a groundcover like Grevillea ‘Carpet Layer’. Reaching 210mm around 13 days earlier means the batch is saleable around 13 days earlier, and the bench it occupied is free for the next one. Grevillea ‘Carpet Layer’ out of the pot: the root difference between the control and FloraTech Elevate. ### Lomandra longifolia: 32.6% more plant mass Lomandra longifolia treated with FloraTech Elevate produced 32.6% more plant mass than the control (8.62g vs 6.50g) and 21.7% more root mass. Lomandra longifolia is grown in volume for landscape and revegetation orders, where a heavier, better-rooted tube or pot is what the buyer is paying for. ## What do the results mean for nursery production? For production nurseries, the FloraTech Elevate results translate into faster bench turnover, more root in the same pot at potting on and sale, and consistent gains across three different plant types. Because both groups ran the same base fertiliser, the gains came from adding the microbial inoculant, not from extra nutrition. ### How does shorter bench time affect nursery turnover? Bench time is the cost line every production nursery carries: space, irrigation, labour and capital tied up in plants that are not yet saleable. Grevillea ‘Carpet Layer’ treated with FloraTech Elevate reached its 210mm sales spec around 13 days sooner, about 21% less bench time. ### Why does root mass matter at potting on and sale? Root mass decides how a plant handles the next step. A well-rooted plant holds its media together when knocked out of the pot, establishes faster after potting on, and arrives at the customer with the root system to back up its top growth. FloraTech Elevate acted as a root stimulant in all three trial plants, increasing root mass by 66.7% in Westringia fruticosa ‘Zena’, 16.7% in Grevillea ‘Carpet Layer’ and 21.7% in Lomandra longifolia. ### Do the results hold across different plant types? The FloraTech Elevate trial covered three different habits: a compact shrub (Westringia fruticosa ‘Zena’), a groundcover (Grevillea ‘Carpet Layer’) and a strappy grass-like plant (Lomandra longifolia). Root mass increased in every one. That consistency matters for a mixed production schedule, where one input has to work across the range on the benches, not just one line. ### How does a microbial inoculant work alongside a base fertiliser? A microbial inoculant works on how well the plant uses its fertiliser, not on how much fertiliser it gets. In the FloraTech Elevate trial, both groups received the same nursery fertiliser, FloraCote Extra at 6kg/m³. The FloraTech Elevate group grew more plant on the same nutrition, which is the biostimulant fertiliser argument in practice. Australian research backs the mechanism. The [soilquality.org.au soil biological fertility fact sheet](https://www.soilquality.org.au/factsheets/soil-biological-fertility), funded through the Australian Government and GRDC, notes that most agricultural plants form a partnership with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi that can increase phosphorus uptake. Hort Innovation’s fact sheet on [organic soil amendments, biologicals and biostimulants](https://www.horticulture.com.au/growers/help-your-business-grow/research-reports-publications-fact-sheets-and-more/Organic-soil-amendments-biologicals-and-biostimulants) (March 2021) describes biologicals as inputs that feed and stimulate beneficial soil life to improve plant health and function. Fernland recommends running any new input as a treated and untreated comparison on your own benches first, the same way this trial was run. The [Soil CRC guide to selecting biological amendments](https://soilcrc.com.au/?p=7151) gives the same advice: monitor treated and untreated areas to measure the real effect. Fernland’s [nursery supply range](/nursery/) covers the media, fertiliser and biologicals to set that comparison up. ## What’s in FloraTech Elevate? A mycorrhizal inoculant, Trichoderma and Bacillus in one FloraTech Elevate is an eight-strain microbial blend that combines mycorrhizal fungi, Trichoderma and Bacillus in one powder. Fernland supplies it in a 250 g bag containing 250 billion live microbes, which treats 2,500 m². It is a microbial inoculant and biostimulant, used alongside a base fertiliser program rather than in place of one. Mycorrhizal fungi Fungi that colonise plant roots and extend hyphae into the media, widening the root system’s reach for phosphorus and water. The [soilquality.org.au arbuscular mycorrhizas fact sheet](https://www.soilquality.org.au/factsheets/arbuscular-mycorrhizas-s-a) describes these associations as generally beneficial partnerships between roots and specialised soil fungi, and University of Western Australia researchers place arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi at the centre of plant nutrient acquisition in their [AusAMF national database](https://research-repository.uwa.edu.au/en/publications/ausamf-the-database-of-arbuscular-mycorrhizal-fungal-communities-/). Trichoderma Beneficial fungi that colonise the root zone and break down organic material in the mix. Root-colonising strains are associated with stronger lateral root growth. Bacillus Spore-forming bacteria that colonise root surfaces and the surrounding root zone, where they take part in nutrient cycling. Bacillus is the bacillus root inoculant component of the FloraTech Elevate blend. Use rates, pack options and trade pricing are on the [FloraTech Elevate product page](/elevate-microbial-inoculant-biostimulant/). FloraTech Elevate sits alongside the rest of the FloraTech biological range. [FloraTech Stimulate, Fernland’s liquid microbial soil activator](/stimulate-biostimulants-advanced-microbial-soil-activator-root-booster), was trialled with FloraTech Rejuvenate on Lisbon Lemon in Victoria’s Yarra Valley; those figures are in the [FloraTech Stimulate and Rejuvenate nursery trial results](/news/nursery-trial-results-floratech-biostimulants-boost-plant-biomass-root-development). For the commercial case behind biologicals in production nurseries, read [the business case for biostimulants in Australian nurseries](/news/business-case-for-biostimulants-australian-nurseries). ## Frequently asked questions ### What is a microbial inoculant? A microbial inoculant is a product containing live beneficial microbes, such as mycorrhizal fungi, Trichoderma or Bacillus, applied to potting mix, soil or roots so they colonise the root zone. FloraTech Elevate is a microbial inoculant that combines all three groups in an eight-strain blend, and in a side-by-side nursery trial it grew 66.7% more root mass in Westringia fruticosa ‘Zena’. ### What are the benefits of using biostimulants with fertilisers? Using a biostimulant with fertiliser gets more plant out of the same nutrient program. In Fernland’s FloraTech Elevate trial, both groups received FloraCote Extra at 6kg/m³, yet the FloraTech Elevate group produced 57.0% more plant mass in Westringia fruticosa ‘Zena’ and 32.6% more in Lomandra longifolia. The fertiliser stayed the same; the result improved. ### What’s the difference between a mycorrhizal inoculant and a bacterial inoculant? A mycorrhizal inoculant contains fungi that partner with plant roots and extend fungal threads (hyphae) into the media, increasing the root system’s reach for phosphorus and water. A bacterial inoculant contains bacteria, such as Bacillus, that colonise root surfaces and the surrounding root zone. FloraTech Elevate combines both, plus Trichoderma, in one product. ### Does a microbial inoculant replace fertiliser in a nursery program? No. A microbial inoculant works alongside fertiliser, not in place of it. The microbes add very little nutrition themselves; their value is in helping roots access and use the nutrition already in the pot. In Fernland’s FloraTech Elevate trial, both groups ran the same FloraCote Extra base fertiliser, and FloraTech Elevate was added on top. ### What does Trichoderma do in potting mix? Trichoderma is a genus of beneficial fungi that colonise the root zone and break down organic material in the mix. Root-colonising Trichoderma strains are associated with stronger lateral root growth. In FloraTech Elevate, Trichoderma works alongside mycorrhizal fungi and Bacillus as part of an eight-strain microbial blend. Last updated 5 November 2026 ## Add FloraTech Elevate to your nursery program Talk to the Fernland team about where FloraTech Elevate fits your mix and fertiliser program. Call [07 5454 8800](tel:0754548800) or email [sales@fernland.com.au](mailto:sales@fernland.com.au), or order through your trade account on the [FloraTech Elevate product page](/elevate-microbial-inoculant-biostimulant/).