What is Mycorrhizal Fungi and How Can I Use it to Help my Plants?

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Mycorrhizal fungi is an organism which has a great relationship with a plant’s roots to aid them in extracting nutrients and water from the soil. In exchange for this symbiotic relationship (a balanced interaction between species) the plant provides sugars to the Mycorrhizal fungi to help it’s own growth. In simple terms, Mycorrhizal  increases the plant’s root system and as this increases, the plants feed the fungi so effectively it doubles and doubles each species.

How the Fungi can Help your Plants

Over a long period this fungi will help plants to become stronger, increase in size faster and have a higher resistance to drought and disease, sounds pretty good doesn’t it? Well that’s nature for you.
Although you will notice better, stronger growth in just a few weeks, it is more advantageous to use Mycorrhizal fungi on shrubs, perennials, trees and roses, rather than short term plants like annuals and vegetables. This is because the fungi increases over time.

Can Mycorrhizal Fungi Help Fight Rose Replant Disease

There is little known about Rose Replant Disease but it is thought that over long periods of time pathogens (organisms which produce disease) build up in the soil and attack the roots of certain species like roses and some fruit trees. As the plants become established, their root systems are able to fight off these attacks. However, the roots of young roses and apples, for example, are not able to fight off these organisms with fatal consequences.
Using Mycorrhizal fungi when planting new roses and fruit trees, enables the new plant to establish much quicker, grow a stronger root system faster and therefore fight disease before it has time to take hold.

Advantages of using Mycorrhizal Fungi

  • The plant’s root system is more able to unlock trace elements like iron, helping acid loving plants.
  • Reduces the need for chemical fertilisers.
  • Faster growth to maturity
  • Higher resistance to drought
  • Better resistance to disease
  • A happier plant!

When Can I Use Mycorrhizal Fungi 

  • Planting new hedges
  • Re-planting roses
  • Re-planting fruit trees
  • Shrub planting
  • Planting Perennials

How to use Mycorrhizal Fungi

You can buy the fungi in granular form in tubs or pouches. At planting you add a scoop to the planting hole. If you can get the granules to touch the roots even better! Then plant and water in as normal.
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