Mycorrhizae

**Ash Barns** · Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 3:23 pm Post subject:

Great project Taylor Idea

you may wish to share your findings after you submit them to school. Perhaps in a new thread as 'Taylor's Science Project' or similar.

Colin, great to have you here as a contributing member.

Ash

**Brett S** · Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 10:55 pm Post subject:

HoYoku · Joined: 11 Mar 2008 Posts: 3

WooHoo back at ya T-bone! Laughing

Okay - here goes.... Not all the fungi that are mycorrhizal are mushrooms as such. Some have fruiting bodies (that's what mushrooms are) that are minute and below the ground. Some bigger ones are edible - like truffles.

Most species of plants - flowers, grass, crops, trees - have some sort of mycorrhiza. Most species of plant can associate with more than one kind of mycorrhizal fungus and most species of Mycorrhizal fungus can associate with more than one species of plant.

Most mycorrhiza connects to the tree inside the roots (endomycorrhiza) so you don't actually see it. The threads that go searching for nutrients are also too fine to see with the naked eye. Other types of mycorrhizal fungus connects to the tree by forming a sheath outside the roots (ectomycorrhiza) and these you can see - like in pines, for example.

Now then - if you make me type mycorrhiza one more time I'll...... Wink

Colin

**Brett S** · Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2008 11:05 pm Post subject:

Colin I was hoping yopu might be able to elaborate on the beginning of your article
What are Mycorrhizae?

I had been lead to believe the more Mycorrhizae the better.
After reading your article it suggests that Mycorrhizae thrive in marginal conditions.
Now I can understand that we may never have optimum conditions in bonsai pots for our trees so they need Mycorrhizae to thrive in the marginal conditions we put them through.
But it suggests to me that as our trees move further away from