Re: [gardeners] Re: Mycorrhiza questions...
Allen and Judy Merten (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Mon, 19 Oct 1998 23:36:49 -0500
Hi Gardeners,
I have found that I can plant tomatos in the same area if I have to
as long as I plant resistant varieties and do not have a nematode problem
to begin with. I prefer to rotate my tomatos as well as other crops
because I have enough room. For the average home gardeners this may not
be a viable option. I have used MEDINA which is touted as a soil
stimulator. It seemed to improve results in soil with a poor tilth and a
poor response to fertilizer.
Allen
Bastrop Co.,Tx
Zone 8
Liz Albrook wrote:
> Margaret Lauterbach <gardeners@globalgarden.com> wrote:
>
> > I don't think we all have access to a botanist. At least I don't.
> > What did yours say? Margaret
>
> Mine said that mycorrhiza are specific to species of plants.
> For example, Don in CA is selling the fungi for use with tomatoes --
> he has a strain that will grow and work with tomatoes. It may grow
> and work with a few other plants, too. But there is no general
> purpose mycorrhiza that is the answer to everyone's problems or that
> will work with every plant. The last time I read Don's postings they
> were testing their strain on many plants but it was sort of a shotgun
> type approach -- there's no way to predict which plants will form a
> symbiotic relationship with a particular strain.
>
> I have real questions about the usefulness of using any form of these
> fungi in an organic garden such as yours -- one in which tomatoes are
> planted in the same location year after year. My own anecdotal
> experience is that tomatoes replanted year after year in the same
> soil grow exceptionally well. My guess is that part of that result
> comes from soil microbes that become established and flourish year
> after year -- not necessarily just a single type of fungus but a
> balance of many types of organisms.
>
> Liz