MYCORRHIZAE
“Containers
are
tough environments for plants,
and mycorrhizal fungi help
plants withstand the drier
conditions and make better
use of restricted nutrients.”
You only need to add mycorrhizal fungi once.
Those web-like hyphae spread to fill the roomiest container, so when you replant, remove the top
layer of compost only, leaving the colony intact.
As long as you replant right away, the fungi
happily buddy up with the next plant too.
Use with Care
Mycorrhizal fungi are living organisms, so when
you buy them it’s a little like buying another
plant. Store them with care—not in the fridge,
where condensation makes conditions too damp,
but in a cool, dry place like the shed or garage.
They will lie dormant for up to two years; after
that, the spores begin to die out so just use a little
more product to guarantee enough viable spores
(10 per cent extra per year is about right).
Once you’ve applied your mycorrhizae, look
after them. Your efforts and expenditure in adding
mycorrhizae will come to nothing if you till the
soil regularly, or fill it with phosphates from
chemical fertilizers. Fungicides will also kill them
off, of course, and tap water is also best avoided
as chlorine is an effective fungicide. If you must
use tap water, leave it in an open container overnight for the chlorine to evaporate.
Mycorrhizal fungi have the power to make
the difference between a so-so season where
plants struggle to establish in sub-standard
soils, and a truly productive veg garden full
of vigorous, healthy plants with harvests to
match. Target them well and use them with
care, and those microscopic mushrooms can
work their magic on your garden, too.
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Maximum Yield USA | January 2017