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nafex - Re: [NAFEX] Subject: Re: Blueberry planting alternatives

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  • From: "Lon J. Rombough" <lonrom@hevanet.com>
  • To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Subject: Re: Blueberry planting alternatives
  • Date: Mon, 17 Oct 2005 08:20:22 -0700

I have never inoculated my blueberries with mycorrhizal fungi. It wouldn't have done any good if I had, since the mycorrhizal fungi that Ericaceous plants need aren't in the commercial mixes sold now. I was referring to work by forestry people who found that myco fungi colonies in forest settings were able to create acid zones in otherwise alkaline mineral soils. It's not a hard stretch to assume that mycorrhizal fungi associated with blueberries would help create an environment suited to the host plant, and given that the ability to acidify soil has already been demonstrated in other myco fungi, why couldn't it exist in the organisms associated with blueberries?
I was, as you do, advocating the addition of organic matter to encourage naturally occurring mycorrhizal fungi since most types that have been studied do better in the presence of humates from organic matter, and the organic matter in the form of mulch also helps keep soil moisture levels more constant, which would aid the plants as well.
In short, encouraging and aiding proper microflora with good levels of organic matter should help compensate for less than ideal pH for blueberries in many soils.
-Lon Rombough

Grapes, writing, consulting, my book, The Grape Grower, at http://www.bunchgrapes.com Winner of the Garden Writers Association "Best Talent in Writing" award for 2003.
On Oct 17, 2005, at 8:01 AM, Lee Reich wrote:

So I seriously doubt whether mycorrhizae are responsible for your
blueberries apparent tolerance to high pH. Furthermore, it's doubtful
whether your innoculating them had any benefit. I also did some studies when
I worked for the USDA on blueberries and mycorrhizae. In my experiments, the
mycorrhizal innoculum was so ubiquitous that even uninnoculated plants
became mycorrhizal.  This may not be true everywhere, but probably is so in
North America and many other places.

In summary, appreciate mycorrhizae, but don't waste money buying them; add
plenty of organic matter to your soil to keep your plants happy; if the soil
is not in the preferred pH 4-5 range for blueberries, add sulfur.



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