In this article, I show the effects of applying mycorrhiza to conifers in my garden. Seewhat mycorrhiza for conifersworked in my case and what effects I obtained within 2 years of using mycorrhiza. I also advisewhen to use mycorrhiza on conifersand how to do it correctly. Here is my opinion on themycorrhizal vaccines for conifers used
Mycorrhiza to conifers brings fantastic results!
Fig. depositphotos.com/PoradnikOgrodniczy.pl
Information on the possibilities of mycorrhiza for conifers has been prepared by Rafał Okułowicz, the publisher of PoradnikOgrodniczy.pl, who has been advising for several years on how to create beautiful gardens and solve everyday problems that arise when growing plants.
What is mycorrhiza?
Mycorrhiza is a common phenomenon in the plant world of the coexistence of plant roots with beneficial mycorrhizal fungi found in the soil. In the case of conifersthe mycorrhic symbiosis of plant roots with fungi can take place in two ways :
- hyphae of mycorrhizal fungi entwine the roots of plants, forming the so-called get wet and take over the functions of root hairs (ectomycorrhiza)
- grow into plant roots, penetrating their cell membranes (endomycorrhiza)
The effects of mycorrhiza can be observed inforests, where conifers often grow for several hundred years without fertilizers and without the help of a gardener, and the edible mushrooms we collect grow under the trees. A goodexample of mycorrhiza among conifersare pine trees, under which tasty red pine mushrooms and boletus grow. It is no coincidence that we find certain fungi under specific tree species.These are the fruiting bodies of mushrooms thatare related to mycorrhiza with the roots of a given treeSuch things also happen in gardens, as evidenced by one of the photos posted on our forum.
Edible mushrooms may grow under trees after the application of mycorrhiza
Fig. harwi, forum.PoradnikOgrodniczy.pl
Is it worth using mycorrhiza for conifers?
The roots of conifers, supported by the surrounding dense network of mycorrhizal fungi hyphae, gain an absorbent surface even several thousand times larger than without the fungal companion.Mycorrhizal fungi transport nutrients and water from places where the roots of conifers would not reach on their own
Mycorrhizal mycorrhizal hyphae growing on plant roots are clearly visible after removing the conifer from the potThe pine seedling visible in the photo below was given mycorrhiza a year earlier and after a year you can see how mycorrhizal fungi developed on its roots.This is clearly visible evidence that the mycorrhizal vaccine I used works.
Mycorrhiza on pine roots
Fig. © PoradnikOgrodniczy.pl
This makes the conifers much stronger and more resistant.They have easier access to water and nutrients from the soil. In the garden, this translates into faster growing plants, full of he alth and vigor, at the same time requiring less watering and the use of smaller doses of fertilizers.
The effects of mycorrhiza are clearly visible on the conifers growing in my gardenI administered mycorrhiza to them in the fall of 2018. Even those planted in pots withstand last year's drought very well, as well as this year's 2019/2020 winter, which was practically free of snow and rain. From the readers of our guide, I received many photos of conifers turning brown after this winter, which simply withered away. They were bothered by the lack of water in the ground and the drying frost winds. I haven't watered my conifers in winter, and they look perfectNo browning or withering shoots. Mycorrhiza did her job: -)
Mycorrhiza Symbivit is perfect for the cultivation of thuja, yew and juniper
Fig. © PoradnikOgrodniczy.pl
For me personally, however,the most important benefit of mycorrhiza for conifers is greater disease resistance . And even the possibility of treating conifers with the help of mycorrhizal vaccines.
A good example is Jeffrey's Pine 'Joppi' growing in my garden. I planted it in the spring of 2018. I found out very quickly that the seedling I had bought was infected with a pine rash. The needles turned yellow, flecked and fell one by one, and the disease began to spread to other pines in my garden. The 'Joppi' pine seemed to be impossible to save as this pine variety is very sensitive to the rash.
In the fall of the same year , I applied ECTOVIT®mycorrhiza to all the pines in my garden. In addition, I sprayed with the natural preparation Biosept Active, avoiding the use of any chemical sprays.
Currently, 1.5 years after the application of mycorrhiza (spring 2020), I can say thatno pine in my garden shows any rash symptoms . The effects of treating Jeffrey's 'Joppi' pine, susceptible to this disease, are shown in the photos below.
How I overcame the pine rash thanks to ECTOVIT® mycorrhiza
Fig. © PoradnikOgrodniczy.pl
What mycorrhiza for conifers?
Success in the application of mycorrhiza to conifers largely depends on the choiceof the appropriate type of mycorrhizal vaccine for a given conifer speciesAs I mentioned at the beginning of the article, in the case of conifers we can deal with two types of mycorrhiza: ectomycorrhiza and endomycorrhiza. Thereforefor individual conifers, we must use an ecto- or endomycorrhizal vaccine, respectively
In the garden for conifers, two types of mycorrhiza are used:
1. Ectomycorrhiza ECTOVIT® , which is suitable for such conifers as: pine (Pinus), spruce (Picea), larch (Larix), fir (Abies), Douglas fir, fir (Pseudotsuga), cedar (Cedrus), larch (Pseudolarix), Choina (Tsuga).ECTOVIT® mycorrhiza will also be suitable for many deciduous trees.
2. SYMBIVIT®endomycorrhoea, which is used for such conifers as: thuja, thuja occidentalis, giant thuja (Thuja plicata), eastern thuja (Platycladus orientalis), Siberian microbiota (Microbiota decussata), yew (Taxus ), juniper (Juniperus), cypress (Cupressus), cypress (Chamaecyparis), cypress (Cupressocyparis), thuja (Thujopsis dolabrata), cedarwood (Calocedrus), Chinese metasequoia (Metasequoia glyptostroboides). This mycorrhiza is also suitable for many other garden plants, including most fruit trees and shrubs.
How to apply mycorrhiza to conifers?
Both of the above-mentioned mycorrhizal preparations are used in a slightly different way
SYMBIVIT® is in the form of a powder and can be sprinkled on , mixed with the garden soil in which we plant the plants.For already planted plants, add water to the SYMBIVIT mycorrhiza to obtain a gel consistencyand apply this gel to the holes in the ground within the root ball of the plant. The application of the gel is facilitated by the mycorrhiza applicator available in our store.
1. Pour the contents of the SYMBIVIT® mycorrhiza package into water
2. We mix and wait a moment until a gel is formed
3. Dosing of mycorrhiza will be facilitated by a special applicator
Fig. © PoradnikOgrodniczy.pl
ECTOVIT consists of 2 ingredientsThere is a powder in one bag, which is a carrier for mycorrhiza and facilitates its development. The second contains live mycorrhizal mycelium in liquid form. All thisyou need to mix with each other and add the right amount of water to get a mycorrhiza gel It is applied by dipping the roots of the planted plants in the gel or under the already planted plants by applying the gel to holes made in the ground.
Mycorrhiza Ectovit contains 2 bags
Fig. © PoradnikOgrodniczy.pl
When to use mycorrhiza for conifers?
Mycorrhiza is best used when planting conifers in the garden . Then we can apply it directly to the plant roots (soak the roots in the gel).
If plants are already growing in the garden, holes are made in the ground with a stick or pencil and mycorrhiza is applied to these holes. The holes should be deep enoughfor the mycorrhiza to reach the conifer roots directlyThe application is facilitated by the aforementioned applicator in the form of a plastic syringe with a thick tube.
The application of mycorrhiza under ts
Fig. © PoradnikOgrodniczy.pl
The best conditions for the development of mycorrhizal fungi are in the spring and autumnAnd then it is best to use mycorrhizal preparations. However, it is possible to use them throughout the growing season, from March to October. If we use mycorrhiza in the summer during drought, remember to water the conifers abundantly after the mycorrhization.Avoid only using mycorrhiza in periods when the ground may freeze, i.e. from November to the beginning of March.
