Mycorrhizal Fungi

@Marley Farley , @Verdun
I bought a small packet of Mycorrhizal Fungi .( As suggested from the savia post a week ago ) Tomorrow I am planting some heather , saxifraga and campanula in the rockery garden at the caravan . Some plants struggle in this soil, so we'll see how MF helps . Instructions are for about one teaspoon full in each planting hole ?
Watch this space !

 

Morning HarryS and good planting
Heathers at least should respond well to MF..........have you checked soil ph there though? Winter heathers like carnea types tolerate lime but many need acidic soil

 

Morning Verdun , you have read my mind ! Just ordered a little PH testing kit . In the Silverdale area everything is limestone , so I expect the soil to be rich in lime. I plant in a little pocket of ericaceous compost and see how it goes.

 

@HarryS Erica Carnea will only tolerate alkaline soil if it is planted in shade. Otherwise, it prefers neutral to acid.

My suspicion is, even if, as you suggest, you plant it in a little pocket of ericaceous compost, the soil will soon turn alkaline.

 

I know the erica compost will only give it a start . I'll plant it on the shady bit of the garden , then they have two chances , live or die .

 

Regarding Mycorrhizal fungi this BBC programme BBC Radio 4 - Is Eating Plants Wrong?
could be of interest.

 

Heathers like open sunny spots HarryS. Shade will greatly reduce flowering and produce lanky growth.

 

Whilst that is quite true, and I would not disagree, it is also true that heathers placed in shady spots are also more tolerant of soils with a higher pH.

I do wonder though if Erica Erigena would be a better choice than Erica Carnea if the soil is alkaline.

 

I've been growing winter flowering heathers for years in basically neutral soil, with the odd lump of chalk present, but looking at the instructions on my pack of mycorrhizal fungi it says it it is ineffective on ericaceous plants.
You need to buy a different one for those.

The one I have is from Root grow and it says you need Rootgrow Ericoid.

 

Yes, winter flowering heathers are tolerant of lime and thrive in most soils. The summer ones will die in alkaline soil

 

I've used the Mycorrhizal fungi when planting up the rockery garden . I did not have the right sort for the heathers but we will see how it goes. All the plants are beaming with health so far
I used the little tube PH test kit , quite impressed with it . It shows the limestone rockery is about 7.5PH so on the alkaline side . So maybe not good for heathers. I got six test tubes for £3 on Ebay , very easy to use and only took 5 minutes.

 

I keep forgeting to use this micro fungi despite a bag stitting in the garage.

BUT.....

The last couple of days ive been potting up tomatoes,palms,monkey puzzles etc and to help fill the pots been adding good amounts of partially rotted leafmold.

This leafmold is alive with visible fungi and other beasties and im now thinking this will act in the same manner as microchozial fungi ?

Will be interesting to see what happens. I saw a guy on youtube who plants his toms in leafmold and the roots were huge with great cropping...............

 

Harry, very high for summer heathers....too high. Why not get some ericaceous compost and plant them in a pot? The MF wont make any difference as far as that is concerned.
Not sure MF has much of an effect on herbaceous perennials either