DWOM

Yeah, forest nursery's with soil and association as their main aims would be just the ticket. I guess I want to take that a step further with ecologically, visually, culinary and medicinally important native species. There is enormous complexity to deal with, but my tiny mind is saying its possible. You can get most clones running mycelium on agar, so fine tuning live cultures for each species shouldn't be hard. With a big enough fridge, the right data and some dedication it's surely worth a go. At least for local soil types and species. Just thinking about regeneration of biodiversity, and how much such complexity and such and expanse of time can really be influenced and guided by us as more becomes known about their world.

I guess what I'm getting at is the grand idea of a symbiotic tree and fungi nursery where not only soil dwelling endomycorrhizal and bacterial associations can form from germination, but also fruiting ecto species and maybe specifically, edibles. Could be undertaken in a back garden, or scaled up for tree nurseries. What you say about it being a pointless exercise is kinda why I'm asking. If the right controls were in place regarding soil type and species selection in the nursery. Particularly with a view to the transplant site. Would it still be a waste of time? Is the only realistic option to use existing sites as seats of regeneration?

Great thread. Loads of good info. I love using Mycorrhizal and bacterial amendments on my veg patch. We run a minimum till system and mulch out beds furiously this seems to have kept populations thriving since the initial application. The improvement after the first year in yield, vigour and resistance and taste was enormous and have continued to improve as the beds age and we add organic matter. We've added a good amount of rockdust too, found that minerals are generally lacking in most soils that are used for food production and applying rockdust at an appropriate rate has boosted soil life no end! I do however see how applying them to long life perennials is not appropriate and will upset associations already formed or those to be formed. I do have a question tho regarding young tree inoculation with mushroom producing ectomycorrhizal. Either via root-zone injection of a live culture or spore slurry. If the trees were grown in a lively soil, full of endo and microbial life and teeming with available associations, would it be a fruitless task to try and introduce mycelium or spores of a locally cloned ectomycorrhizal? How do the associations built at the nursery stage stand up after transplanting the tree? These fungi are becoming rarer by the year, due to over picking or increasing environmental degradation. I understand that the best way to build these associations is to plant an appropriate species at a known site and then transplant a number of years later. Which is why I am asking about doing it in a more controlled way. If mycelium or spores are available and can be applied to areas regularly, could you see similar success as these 'natural' transplants? Just ignore me if I'm talking rubbish

Thanks Fungus. It looks out of place. I was struggling to find any Agaricus that associate with trees and looked anything like this, so discounted it. I think that this area was heavily landscaped when the planting and lake were done. I can get a spore print as its close by. I hope it comes again now I know its there. It's an impressive size. Thanks again.

Some help identifying this would be greatly appreciated. Found under a group of about 20/30 yr old sycamore, hawthorn and Chestnut on an island in a pretty dark little copse that is surrounded by intensive agriculture. The cap on the right must be about 40-45cm across.

Don't do it! They'll rot you from the inside-out

I think that if I have to take a tree down, folding it up on its own footprint is the best option, only chipping if I have to. I always try and encourage people to not be so tidy. make it a feature, and watch life flow from it. If that isn't an option, spread it out! Sporulate and propagate!

From the BBC feed Seems that its not just the yoof in hoodies that like a good loot.

.....

You're right. Its more than the BBC would have us think. It's more than just disenfranchised youth. It's a good cross section of society. It is spontanious and un-organised vandalism, not violence. Violence is what our government is perpetrating around the world in the name of our 'security'. So, like I said. I'm not justifying their actions, just trying to balance the pitchfork to reason ratio a bit.

Not sure I had any credibility to begin with. I'm not posting for my reputation. But both you and janey seem affected by that post. To both of you. Why so flabbergasted??

I don't think their actions are justified. I am shocked by the calls for the army, rubber bullets, hanging etc.. On here, as in the real world, people love to react. We are a world of reactions and really only one reaction away from destruction. The bigger picture is completely ignored in favour of the status quo and instant gratification. It's boring and uninspiring. The world is a weird place full of fear, hate and frustration. Those calling for a harsh response are as big a problem as the rioters IMO.

Or, unemployed, ill educated and essentially impotent. We've created a monster and of course that's someone else's fault. Just like our police and government do Deaths after contact with the police Police in general are a violent breed, they are carrying and using banned ammunition; are inherently racist and give wealth more weight than justice. Our government murder, maim and torture around the globe in the name of profit and power. They to, use banned ordinance such as phosphorus weaponry, cluster bombs and depleted uranium shells. Do as I say, don't do as I do. Yet again the hypocrisy is palpable. Sad times

Capitol punishment......Army deployment on the streets. Does nobody else see why these kids are smashing stuff up, or feel like addressing the bigger picture? No. Thought not. Lets stick with water cannons and rubber bullets eh? Idiots love to respond to idiocy.

If I smoke a spliff on the 1st of the month and I'm tested on the 30th, the likely result will be a positive for Cannabis. The technology is nowhere near accurate enough to be used effectively. A lot of good climbers, that think wisely about their drug usage and work, would be sacked on the spot. Drug testing has been pushed worldwide as an industry driven by profit, not workplace safety.

That list is full of oppressive regimes and nations that have appalling human rights records. It really is a depressing thread.

States in the USA that have the death penalty, have the highest murder rates. It does not act as a deterrent. It enforces the view that life is cheap - http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/documents/FactSheet.pdf When we had capital punishment, innocent people were executed for crimes they didn't commit. In countries that still have capital punishment, innocent people are still executed for crimes they didn't commit and if the death penalty was reinstated, innocent people would be executed for crimes they didn't commit. The prison system is the biggest racket of all. The USA being a prime example with them locking up 743 per 100,000 of their population into privately owned, profit driven prisons Americans only represent about 5% of the world's population, 25% of the world's inmates are incarcerated in the United States. What an excellent model to follow. Oh, yeah, we are lol Punishment and prison are no answer. The death penalty is punishment, plain and simple. An act of aggressive hate and revenge, so like I said before, no surprise coming from the UK gov.

An eye for an eye....How very backwards, uninspiring and unsurprising considering the current governments agenda. Medieval politics really does seem to be getting us nowhere lol You can guarantee that death due to corporate neglect wont feature heavily in any debate or law. I also doubt any thought will be given to all the people around the world that our government murder in the name of 'security'. The hypocrisy makes me want to vomit.

Did this yesterday, sand down and complete the pair another day.

Lay a good thick mulch down out to the drip line, further if you can. Doubt you'll see much response until next season at least. I think that molasses can be used to boost micro-herds and is a good activator for compost teas, so worth a shot maybe. Oh and petro-chem lawn fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides will definable not help the root system and the uptake of nutrient.

Oh dear. Anyway......Off the top of my head.........Darwin should win, he's wasn't in it for he money. World population is a burning issue. But really. What will change because of this and what has changed because of it so far? I see improvement in equipment and techniques being driven by foresters, arborists, science and reason. Not HSE. Those organisations only stifle progress for companies and the individual. I'm not opposed to being assessed for competency with a chainsaw. But, I'm an adult thanks very much, perfectly capable of taking responsibility for my actions. However dire the consequences are.

Cliche. Aah you must mean NPTC/HSE lol I knew these stubs of mine were hitting squares of plastic for a reason

Perfect. Like blue....One day.

yet again, we see unconsidered, ill informed decisions being made. Status of the Quo, jobs for the boys, money for old rope..........all to keep corrupt, irrelevant and needles corporate entity in rice krispies. It's not hard to think of better ways, if profit isn't the driving force.

Amber...