AusBonsai

I'm a newbie, I figured this would be the best place to ask where I could get some good/cheap pinus pinea seed. Can you germinate seed sold for consumption? I'm looking to get quite a few so I can plant some in my backyard also.

on another note: has anyone infected their bonzai with mycorrhizal fungus to increase growth rates?

thanks in advance
themushroombloke

Hi,
you can pick them up off ebay.
michael

themushroombloke wrote: on another note: has anyone infected their bonzai with mycorrhizal fungus to increase growth rates?
themushroombloke

When usually repooting Pines, it is best to use some old soil to keep some Mycorrhizael Fungus in the pot so it develops quickly after repot.

If you have a new Pine, or one that does not have any, then yes it best to put some from somewhere else in the soil. Ie Borrow from a friends tree

see this Wiki link for a page on it with some links to more info
https://www.ausbonsai.com.au/wiki/index. ... ycorrhizae

Ken

During the cooler months you may find the fruiting bodies (mushrooms) or Aminita species under pines. It could be worth collecting some and placing them on top of your mix. Just remember they are poisonous. Another species that works on pines is the Lactaria deliciosa. It is less effective than Aminita in most conditions, but if it does fruit, the mushrooms are edible and taste REALLY nice (hence the species name "deliciousa". I agree the best way would be to incorporate other active soils though, this idea is just for those who want to know what species they have. A good way to introduce fungi of unknown species is to collect the older needles on the ground that has the white mycelium attached to them and incorporate these into your mix.

Ken, does the mycelium run throughout your diatomite/zeolite mix? I have wondered about adding a very small percentage (5% to 10%) pine bark to my mix just to see if it encourages more microbial and specifically fungal activity. I have not had any issues with health, just wish to constantly improve my horticultural techniques.

Joel

I have Pinus pinea seed from trees around this area as well as some seedlings in tubes and more up to 2m tall in the grow beds. Have never tried germinating food grade seed. Most imported so probably sterilised somehow to meet quarantine requirements but may be worth trying anyhow - I know from experience that dry beans from the supermarket germinate so maybe other seed does too.

I used to innocculate pines with potting mix from other trees but don't bother now. It seems to find its way into the pots anyway. There is also a school of thought that well fed pines do not need mychorryza. it is only useful to the tree in poor soil and hard conditions.

Shibui, michorrhiza does a lot more for a tree than just increase its uptake of fertilizer. This is from http://torontobonsai.org/Archives/horti ... rhizae.htm

"It increases root absorption surfaces.
It has the ability to render unavailable substances in the soil and make them available to the host plant (phosphorus, zinc manganese and copper).
It detoxifies the environment for the host plant. i.e. protection against pathogenic invasion. Protection is by utilizing root carbohydrates and other chemicals which would be attractive and would be utilized by the pathogens.
It provides a physical barrier to pathogens in the form of a fungus mantle.
It secretes antibiotics which inhibits or kills pathogens.
It supports a protective rhizosphere (non-mycorrhizal root area - DJ) population of other micro-organisms.
It stimulates root cells of the host plant during symbiotic periods to elaborate chemical inhibitors. Inhibitors function to maintain symbiosis but may also inhibit infection by pathogens."

Joel

Joel wrote: Ken, does the mycelium run throughout your diatomite/zeolite mix? I have wondered about adding a very small percentage (5% to 10%) pine bark to my mix just to see if it encourages more microbial and specifically fungal activity. I have not had any issues with health, just wish to constantly improve my horticultural techniques.

Joel

to be honest I have never noticed!
The way the trees grow ( better than in Rays mix) i think so..

Next time I repot my Pines I will take notice

Ken