Mycorrhiza Fungus

[reddoggy]

Can anybody out there give me a few hints on getting some mycorriza fungus on my Black Pine.
As I am new to growing Japanese Black Pines and have noticed that my one and only pine is not looking as healthy as I would like, I pulled it out of the pot and have noticed that it has not formed any fungus around the root ball.
Everywhere I read says that healthy pines should have this fungus, so is there anyway I can promote it
Thanks

[alpineart]

Hi Reddoggy , if you have any old pines in your area you can collect it from the base of the tree. It is quite abundant were a pine has good needle cast , Atlas cedars have the same Mycorrhizae and i use it with all my pines as i have these cedars in my yard .Just grab a hand full and blend it into the soil mix . Sprinkle it on top doesn't work well , as it is washed off due to the fact its basically water repellant and floats .

Cheers Alpineart

[Craig]

Here's a good read on mycorrhiza- http://www.anbg.gov.au/fungi/mycorrhiza.html

A balanced fertiliser of high nitrogen, potassium ,phosphorous ,calcium will discourage/destroy mycorrhiza.
Mycorrhiza will not grow when Ph higher than 6.5 .


I don't have any other good pics but this JRP from a couple of years back,

JRP-micorrhiza.JPG

[Booga]

Hi Reddoggy , if you have any old pines in your area you can collect it from the base of the tree. It is quite abundant were a pine has good needle cast , Atlas cedars have the same Mycorrhizae and i use it with all my pines as i have these cedars in my yard .Just grab a hand full and blend it into the soil mix . Sprinkle it on top doesn't work well , as it is washed off due to the fact its basically water repellant and floats .

Cheers Alpineart

Bloody good idea Alpine, Dam it Reddog why didn't you start this thread last week I would have collected some for the Radiata that I just dug

[reddoggy]

Thanks guys, as they say just ask and some knowledgeable person will know, I cannot think of any pine trees around me in Hornsby (Sydney North) but have a lot of natural bush around, does it grow under any native trees,maybe sheoakes

[alpineart]

Hi Reddoggy , a lot of natives have mycorrhizae around the base , whether its suitable for pines is probable worth a gamble . It may stimulate a bacterial growth . I have tried collected material from under a Douglas Fir , N.Z Oregon for the use on Pinus Nigra and it hasn't worked , it is a distinctive yellow colored Mycorrhizae and sour smelling , where as pine bacteria is predominantly white . Hope this helps .

Cheers Alpneart

[Booga]

My pine has been in a pot for 4 days, do you think that I could work some into the soil or just let it be.
Its around 4" trunk and I did not see any mycorriza fungus when dug. I wonder if a layer on top might help

[shibui]

Reddoggy,
Michorrhiza is useful to pines when they grow in poor soil and difficult conditions. It is not actually essential for health of a pine, esp when the trees are growing in ideal conditions. If your tree is not looking well I'd look first at your growing conditions as the most likely cause - too wet, too dry, lack of fertiliser are all common causes of pines looking poor.
If the mix is wet you will not see michorhiza in the pot, even if it is present. It is most visible when the rootball is a bit on the dry side.
Here I don't add michoriza to the pots any more. It just turns up by itself, probably spreading naturally from the other pots. It even turns up in the seed trays within a year when I use supposedly sterilised mix.

If you are still determined to add michorrhiza you need to get some from another pine tree (I doubt that the fungi associated with natives will do the same job but casuarina do have a nitrogen fixing fungi that may be similar???). Either tip a pine out of its pot (Any good friends with black pines nearby?) and break off a walnut sized piece of the rootball (or as Alpine said, scratch around under a pine or cedar to find the white threads), break it into small pieces and mix it into the top few cm of the mix.

My pine has been in a pot for 4 days, do you think that I could work some into the soil or just let it be.
Its around 4" trunk and I did not see any mycorriza fungus when dug. I wonder if a layer on top might help

It is likely there will be some traces of michorrhiza on the roots and any soil attached, even if you did not see it. Mixing a little into the top layer of potting mix or mulching the pot with 'duff' (well rotted pine needles) from under a pine should innoculate the soil if you really want to.

[Woody11]

I second what Shibui says regarding the role of mycorrhizae.

In good conditions with plenty of fertilizer and water, mycorrhizae will not be needed for the continued health of your pines. Much of the chatter regarding mycorrhizae comes from North America where their climate is considerable colder. In these situations, mycorrhizae serve an important purpose in assisting trees access organic nutrients. See in cold temperate environments as found in North America (check their climate data - you'll see what they regard as "cold" is rather different to us), microbiological activity occurs too slowly to efficiently breakdown organic matter into nutrients available for plant growth. (Dig a bit deeper, and you'll find advocates in North America for chemical fertilizer use especially during colder months for this very reason). Think of the difference in the breakdown rates in composts heaps during summer vs winter - it's all related to the same effects of environmental temperatures on microbial activity. In these situations of cold environments, mycorrhizae acts like a catalyst and accelerates the process allowing nutrients to become more easily available. They also confer some protection against soil-borne pathogens.

Such environments don't really exist for the vast majority of Australians. Moreover, bonsai culture is an artificial construct with plenty of supplied nutrients and water. Thus not having mycorrhizae won't do any harm. Basically what I'm saying is, if your pine looks sickly, then perhaps it might be something else other than the lack of mycorrhizae causing it grief.

However, if you do still wish to encourage mycorrhizae, certainly all of the previously stated advice regarding inoculation with the soil off another pine tree, whether it is a bonsai tree or not, will do the trick. Just remember mycorrhizae are species specific meaning that not just any type will establish in just any tree. This fact means that the mycorrhizae from Australian natives may not establish themselves on exotic species like pine because the mutualistic interactions between host tree and mycorrhizae are extremely specific. Think parasite-host relationships where the parasite only infests certain hosts - e.g. heartworm only affects dogs and very rarely humans - but in this case the mycorrhizae isn't a parasite. Oh and don't be conned into buying mycorrhizae inoculant from some business here or overseas. See mycorrhizae spores are just floating in the air constantly anyway. Best part is these spores are completely free of charge and will grow naturally where the host tree and growing conditions (i.e. climate, nutrient levels, moisture levels etc) are correct. Mycorrhizae inoculant purchased from some lab may not even grow in your climate or even on your species of tree so you're better off just saving your money.

Hope this clarifies rather than confuses.

[reddoggy]

Thanks Shibui and Woody that has really helped me understand the roll of the fungus, just goes to prove you don`t believe every thing you read.

[Scott Roxburgh]

...if your pine looks sickly, then perhaps it might be something else other than the lack of mycorrhizae causing it grief...

Mycorrhiza is not a magic fix. Look at what your growing your tree in, watering practices, and whether you have worked it too hard rencently.

[treeman]

Mycorrhiza is essential for the long term well being of most plants. Many experiments have been carried out in this regard and plants with myco where found to be much less susceptible to root rotting fungi. If you have a healthy pine it will have mycorrhiza whether or not you can see it. In some seasons it is more visible than at other times.
Other bebefits include: A greatly increased uptake of nutrients, especially P but also trace elements., Improved resistace to drought and higher soil temperature and quicker recovery after exposure., Higher rate of survival after transplanting., Many plants will have better uptake of nutrients when infected with myco than plants not infected regardless of amount of fertilizer given.,
You usually do not need to go to the trouble of innoculating as most pines will already have it. If you can't see the hyphae (fungal threads), this does not necessarily mean myco is not present. When soil/p/mix is over-wet or over fertilized, myco activity will often cease in my experience. Look closely at the roots. Myco roots are very easy to recognize. They have many very short and stubby branches usually with white tips.
If you suspect your tree is without mycorrhiza you can introduce it by taking some hyphae from a healthy tree and placing it in a number of holes around the rootball and covering with soil. It can take months before you see results. Autumn is a good time to do this. To encourage myco it's important to do the following: The tree should be potted in very free draining mix with a low content of soluble P. The tree should be placed in full sunlight. Shade discourages myco. Don't use systemic fungicides, they will reduce myco formed. Non systemic fugicides will not greatly affect mycos. Use a low P feed when fertilizing (native, organic,). Reduce overall level of fertilizer. You can obtain myco from beneath graden trees or from other bonsai. Casuarinas have a symbiotic relationship with N-fixing bacteria (rhizobium) They will not work with pines (wrong Union )

[treeman]

Mycorrhiza is essential for the long term well being of most plants. Many experiments have been carried out in this regard and plants with myco where found to be much less susceptible to root rotting fungi. If you have a healthy pine it will have mycorrhiza whether or not you can see it. In some seasons it is more visible than at other times.
Other bebefits include: A greatly increased uptake of nutrients, especially P but also trace elements., Improved resistace to drought and higher soil temperature and quicker recovery after exposure., Higher rate of survival after transplanting., Many plants will have better uptake of nutrients when infected with myco than plants not infected regardless of amount of fertilizer given.,
You usually do not need to go to the trouble of innoculating as most pines will already have it. If you can't see the hyphae (fungal threads), this does not necessarily mean myco is not present. When soil/p/mix is over-wet or over fertilized, myco activity will often cease in my experience. Look closely at the roots. Myco roots are very easy to recognize. They have many very short and stubby branches usually with white tips.
If you suspect your tree is without mycorrhiza you can introduce it by taking some hyphae from a healthy tree and placing it in a number of holes around the rootball and covering with soil. It can take months before you see results. Autumn is a good time to do this. To encourage myco it's important to do the following: The tree should be potted in very free draining mix with a low content of soluble P. The tree should be placed in full sunlight. Shade discourages myco. Don't use systemic fungicides, they will reduce myco formed. Non systemic fugicides will not greatly affect mycos. Use a low P feed when fertilizing (native, organic,). Reduce overall level of fertilizer. You can obtain myco from beneath graden trees or from other bonsai. Casuarinas have a symbiotic relationship with N-fixing bacteria (rhizobium) They will not work with pines (wrong Union )