Is mycorrhizal inoculant helpful to bonsai trees?

[rockm]

@rockm it means you are suggesting that myc inoculant will not be much beneficial if applied. I got one small sachet of myc and i was planning to apply if it is of any use. But now it seems i don't have to. What you say ?

In my opinion, myc inoculants aren't really all that effective, since myc is species-dependent. In other words, what you're adding to your soil may be the wrong kind for the tree. It's far better-again in my opinion-- to just wait until the right kind of myc arrives in the soil on its own. Myc, like other fungi, is spread by wind-borne spores. More than likely, if you have the right soil conditions (and this is true for myc innoculants too) an appropriate kind of myc will eventually find your tree...

 

[Adair M]

When i repotted my pines in inorganic well draining soil from nursery soil, I left 30% root ball intact. Hope there is myc growing and doing there work. But @Adair M if there is no myc in the soil what are the symptoms or how do we know ?

For pines, the next time you repot, you won’t find much myc.



The square root ball in is picture shows a pine that had been “half bare rooted” two years previously. The dark half was the original nursery mix. There’s some myc in it, but nothing like the white half. The white is the side that had been bare rooted, and Boon Mix was the soil. It’s very open, and the myc grows like crazy!

During this potting session, I bare rooted the top half, the dark section, and reduced the white section, and potted it into a bonsai pot.

This is what it looked like last summer after I decandled it:



You’ll notice I did not decandle the top sacrifice branch.

 

[bwaynef]

It's a little bit of a chicken and egg. Do pines and oaks like acidic soil because those conditions allow mycorrhizae to flourish? Or does mycorrhizae flourish in acidic soil because it has adapted to the conditions in which pines and oaks thrive naturally?

Or do the mycorrhizal fungi have secretions that foster an acidic soil? I'm pretty sure I've read that its the latter.

 

[bwaynef]

"The acidic digestive enzymes produced by the fungi and leaked out the hyphal tips..."
"Excess acids, enzymes, and waste are left behind as fungus continues to grow..."
"The enzymes produced by fungi are decidedly acidic, and lower the pH."
"Don't forget that in those instances where a fungus brings food back to a plant root tip, it was attracted to that plant by the plant's exudates."

Those quotes from a very quick glance at the book. The first three to support my comment just above. The latter to support the fact that a (healthy?) tree will entice the fungus to grow. It attracts it even.

Its difficult to quote from kindle reader. If you want more, there's plenty there.

 

[Ali Raza]

@Adair M I repotted pines in mid February this year. There are new growth on pines. One of my pine bonsai is big yamadori collected and potted in well draining soil with lot of pumice in it. Strong wind knock it out week ago, breaking the pot. I have to repot it in other pot. When i repotted, I didn't see any white stuff in the soil. But candles are elongating and small buds began to sprouting on the main branches. Sorry but i didn't capture the pics so that i can share.
So is every thing fine with my Afghan pine. I didn't found myc in soil.

 

[robert gardner]

Anyone needing information on Mycorrhizal fungi please check out the book,
Teaming with fungi by Jeff Lowenfels published in 2017 by Timber Press.
Great reading and a ton of info about MycorrhizL FUNGI. Jeff has done an amazing amount of research
on this subject and I recommend reading this book.
Any comments please pots

 

[bwaynef]

Anyone needing information on Mycorrhizal fungi please check out the book,
Teaming with fungi by Jeff Lowenfels published in 2017 by Timber Press.
Great reading and a ton of info about MycorrhizL FUNGI. Jeff has done an amazing amount of research
on this subject and I recommend reading this book.
Any comments please pots

For instance, 2 posts above you.

 

[AlainK]

"Is mycorrhizal inoculant helpful to bonsai trees?"

Yes.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I stumbled into a new realm when listening to that Ryan Neil-Ian Hunter podcast. I'm a ''chemical guy'', heck I even have a fertilizer manufacturer blend up half a ton of a custom blend I think is perfect for orchids, and pretty good for bonsai. I am currently 3/4 through selling my 3rd half ton order, mostly selling it to orchid people at orchid society meetings. So ''I believe in Chemicals'' is the walk I walk. But I did some digging, and there is something in the ''organic'' agriculture thing, and mycorrhizae have a place in it. I have not organized my thoughts enough to ''go public'' and I got a lot of fertilizer to sell before I tell people I went organic.

I think by 2020 I'll have my ideas organized enough to test, and then talk about if 2 or 3 years of results look good. Actually first test is in progress.

But @rockm - normally I'm right with you on this. But I have a sneaking suspicion that when I finally get my test run done, maybe late 2020 or early 2021 I will be able to ''convert you'' to a new and radically different method.

But for now. I got to sell more 12-1-4 fertilizer.

 

[rockm]

I stumbled into a new realm when listening to that Ryan Neil-Ian Hunter podcast. I'm a ''chemical guy'', heck I even have a fertilizer manufacturer blend up half a ton of a custom blend I think is perfect for orchids, and pretty good for bonsai. I am currently 3/4 through selling my 3rd half ton order, mostly selling it to orchid people at orchid society meetings. So ''I believe in Chemicals'' is the walk I walk. But I did some digging, and there is something in the ''organic'' agriculture thing, and mycorrhizae have a place in it. I have not organized my thoughts enough to ''go public'' and I got a lot of fertilizer to sell before I tell people I went organic.

I think by 2020 I'll have my ideas organized enough to test, and then talk about if 2 or 3 years of results look good. Actually first test is in progress.

But @rockm - normally I'm right with you on this. But I have a sneaking suspicion that when I finally get my test run done, maybe late 2020 or early 2021 I will be able to ''convert you'' to a new and radically different method.

But for now. I got to sell more 12-1-4 fertilizer.

Nope. Unnecessary, too expensive and if done, ineffective. Not worth the $$ for ANY supplement. I understand that myc inoculant can bring more for a nursery's pockets than plain old fertilizer. Just say "no" to the marketing...

 

[Hoyonokuma]

Sorry for bringing this one up again.. Can delete if you find it unnecessary @Bonsai Nut
I was just curious to know whether @Leo in N E Illinois had finally sold all his fert and finished running tests

 

[luvinthemountains]

No, thank you for bringing it up, @Hoyonokuma. I have been using this product for about 6 months now:



Found on Amazon @ $30 for an 8oz package, it will last me a good long time. Gimmick - maybe, I guess. But with six different species of fungi and four species of bacteria, I feel like it is a good product. At the very least, it gives me a little boost of micronutrients.

If you don't believe in it, don't use it. I have yet to repot a plant that I have grown with this, so I am not sure if I believe in it or not. I may conduct some side-by-side experiments this summer with seedlings with and without, and post my results.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

No, thank you for bringing it up, @Hoyonokuma. I have been using this product for about 6 months now:

View attachment 361081

Found on Amazon @ $30 for an 8oz package, it will last me a good long time. Gimmick - maybe, I guess. But with six different species of fungi and four species of bacteria, I feel like it is a good product. At the very least, it gives me a little boost of micronutrients.

If you don't believe in it, don't use it. I have yet to repot a plant that I have grown with this, so I am not sure if I believe in it or not. I may conduct some side-by-side experiments this summer with seedlings with and without, and post my results.

They need to hire a graphic designer and a copywriter - because I reread this label three times to try to figure out what the product is.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

LOL, I still have over 150 pounds of my orchid & bonsai fertilizer and 75 pounds of my "blueberry special" formulation to sell, so nope, not ready to "go organic".

 

[Hoyonokuma]

LOL, I still have over 150 pounds of my orchid & bonsai fertilizer and 75 pounds of my "blueberry special" formulation to sell, so nope, not ready to "go organic".

Too bad
Well I'll stay on hold

 

[keri-wms]

I tend to grab a pinch of mix out of the pots of trees that have it, and drop it into the pots of trees of the same species that are lacking it - seems to help. But I do add the powdered stuff if repotting a tree that’s got none and is suffering - can’t hurt, I only use a pinch, the packet I’ve got has loads of types mixed in there.

It seems to love dryish perlite / molar (litter) with or without bark. Sometimes with bark in the mix I wonder if it’s just something eating the bark particles and ignoring the poor pine! I suppose I should set up a pot of mix on the bench, water it like normal and see what happens....when there’s no TREE!

 

[keri-wms]

Scots pine straight out of the ground, heavy clay type soil!



JBP in perlite/litter/“bark”