Benefits of Mycorrhizal to trees and shrubs
What are Mycorrhizae?
Mycorrhiza are naturally occurring fungi which live on the roots of trees and plants which create a secondary root system that massively extend the surface area of the root system providing water and essential nutrients to the plant and the plant in returns gives some of the sugars it synthesises to the fungus in return.
Please see the easily explained video on how Mycorrhizae works: See how Mycorrhizae Works
How does Mycorrhizal fungi benefit trees?
The longer lived a plant is the greater its reliance on mycorrhizal fungi and so trees derive the greatest benefit of all.
As a seedling, the young tree roots will become infected with the mycorrhizal fungi whose fine thread like hyphae rapidly grow out into the surrounding soil effectively forming a massive secondary root system. The fungi are able to scavenge for any available moisture in the soil as well as being adapted to mobilise scarce or hard to obtain nutrients, such as phosphorus which it passes back to the root for the tree to use. When a tree establishes this essential partnership, it will grow at a faster rate and being healthier, will be much less susceptible to disease whilst also increasing survival rates of newly planted trees and shrubs.
Inoculating trees with Mycorrhizae can be extremely effective. In one of the largest trials conducted the USDA Forest Service inoculated five million seedlings planted over 3000 acres of reclaimed mine land with Ecto Mycorrhizae. The survival rates of the inoculated trees averaged 85% compared with the control trees which only average a mere 50%!
If Mycorrhizae are Natural Why Should I be Adding Them?
The fact is that the association between a tree root and its fine mycorrhizal fungal threads is a delicate one and can easily be damaged or lost. Disturbed, compacted and contaminated soils will not support mycorrhizal fungi, and every time a tree is moved and transplanted the mycorrhizal association is lost.
The good news is that commercial inocula are available that allows the easy and economical establishment of mycorrhizae at any stage of a tree’s life and one of just two types of inoculum is required for most usual tree planting.
The Benefits for Tree Planting
Mycorrhizae have now been used in commercial tree planting and landscaping for the last ten years and the commercial benefits are well documented. These include: significantly reduced transplant losses; reduced fertiliser and irrigation water requirements and faster growing and healthier trees.
Inoculating Trees Couldn’t be Simpler
Mycorrhizae can be applied in at any stage of a trees life to reintroduce the symbiotic relationship and benefits between the trees and the mycorrhiza. This can be used in newly planted trees to kick start the symbiotic relationship. It can also be used to help reduce stress in older trees by reintroducing the mycorrhiza to increase the trees access to key nutrients and water.
Mycorrhizae pioneers, Symbio has developed a range of products that allows you to simply and cheaply inoculate and suitable tree from a seed to a mature planted specimen. Our product range makes it particularly economical to treat bare – rooted and root – balled trees.
Our product data sheets and website contains full specification clauses for using mycorrhizae in planting schemes and our technical advisors can ensure you always get the best form our mycorrhizae product range.
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