Mycorrhizal Fungi in Pine Roots

vance hanna

Here's a healthy P.parviflora that I've grown for the past 15yrs. Now that I've been repotting at 3~4yr intervals, I have noticed more and more fungii. I have been innoculating all my bonsai with Japanese fertilizer pellets and once a month inorganics for the past 6 or so years.

This is the first time I've had so much Mycorrhizal fungi that I chopped up the old roots and bagged it up for give away to friends.

As I'm sure you are aware this fungii is present in most all living root systems. However I've not seen such vast quantities in all my pines!

Happy pines!

Attached Images

	micorhiz_03 copy.jpg (54.9 KB, 118 views)
	micorhiz_med.jpg (67.6 KB, 100 views)

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vance hanna
fine bonsai take time

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Aaron_K

That looks like a real nice pine there Vance!

vance hanna

Thank you Aaron, I'll post a photo of it when I find them....

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vance hanna
fine bonsai take time

Jerry Meislik

Vance,
Awesome fungus.
I have observed that the fungus appears in more of my trees when the soil does not stay too wet and when I use more organic fertilizer and less inorganic stuff.
Does this agree with your experience?
Jerry

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Jerry Meislik
Whitefish Montana USA
Zone 4-5
http://www.bonsaihunk.us/

vance hanna

Jerry,
Great to hear from you. Hope you're doing well.
Yes, you know me...and my pines. Well to be specific: I do use organics as my main stay. And yes, I keep the pines dry. Then only to soak them throughly when they are dry, and then let 'em dry dry dry! Most pine people know that when you've watered them and you check them the next day that if they are slightly moist we let them dry out. This means (for those who are not familiar with watering techinques) that we water when the tree needs water and not on some time schedule or automatic cycle.

Other bonsai might do well on automatics but I don't think pine is one that would, unless: you have a climate that does not rain for months (I can only think of So.Cal)
And you're a long time resident of this zone(5/6), so you know that from the daily growing season in mid summer, we can have some very hot dry days or some very wet cool ones..

Your notes correspond with my observations right on target.

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vance hanna
fine bonsai take time

malhomme

RedPine

I get the foamy stuff growing out of the drain holes with just using pine mulch and rocks as soil.Before Carl Bs' recent post regarding Boons' soil mix,I always assumed I was using too much Mirclegrow and a harmless mold was feeding off the nutrients.This isnt the first year I have seen it,but I don't recall ever seeing it in summertime before.

Since the topic is on soil, maybe I can see if any of you have heard of soil smoking?From buying at a garden center the soil is always pure organic and very compacted,the inner rootball is always very dry.When I chop into the rootball with a knife I can catch a small amount of white smoke(not dust) and the air will smell a bit like raw.Actually it smells alot like the inside of my fertilizer box.Anyone hear of such things?It kinda worries me because of the whole nitro and sawdust thing.

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Levon

Did someone ever tried this product ?

http://www.plantrevolution.com

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Aaron_K

Vance,

How's that photo of the pine coming along?

Warmest regards,

Aaron