Mycorrhizal Fungi- a questionnaire

[Malcolm Duff]

My name is Malcolm  and I am studying at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.
My research focuses on Mycorrhizal Fungi-potential roles in horticulture.The purpose of this email is to ask if it is possible to distribute five short questions on MF to your members. It would help me enormously with my research. Hope to hear from you soon.

Edit by Maggi Young : Malcolm's contact details are removed - his study is over.

1. Do you / have you used Mycorrhizal Fungi?

2. If the answer is No, then why not?

3. If the answer is Yes, where was it used, ie. around beds and borders, around trees or on lawns?

4. How was it applied, bare-root gel, granules, soil drench?

5. Comments - what did they actually see, any dramatic changes in the plant?

Just basic questions on MF but it gives us an idea of how MF is actually used
and what gardeners think of it. There are conflicting views!

[Brian Ellis]

Well I'll kick off then. 

1 Strangely for us we bought three roses last year, 1 bare root and two potted.  We were advised that when planting it was a good idea to add mycorrhizal fungi by the people at Peter Beales Classic Roses, and, for once we did as we were told so

3 Added when planting, in contact with the roots.

4 Powdered/granules

5 Plants seem to have settled in quickly and certainly looked healthy in growth.

[Susan Band]

There is a discussion here http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=6697.0 if that is any help.

Susan

[Catwheazle]

1. Do you / have you used Mycorrhizal Fungi?

they are always in your garden. Its impossible to have a Mycorriza free soil there.
Most trees and lot of other plants (eg Ericaceae) need them

2. If the answer is No, then why not?


3. If the answer is Yes, where was it used, ie. around beds and borders, around trees or on lawns?

The soils are usually already occupied by other fungi. I only new, sterile soils which can be introduced. If you're lucky, they can hold their own against the then existing.

4. How was it applied, bare-root gel, granules, soil drench?

soil

5. Comments - what did they actually see, any dramatic changes in the plant?

germinating orchid seed (Dactylorhiza), Not rotting Ophrys apifera etc. (need the right ones of fungi)

[annew]

Does Trichoderma count?