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

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  • From: "Bruce Hansen" <brucedhansen@sbcglobal.net>
  • To: "'North American Fruit Explorers'" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Subject: Re: Blueberry planting alternatives
  • Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2005 12:08:33 -0400

Lee:

You are nit picking and apparently having a good time at it. Let it be. Your
arrogance is overwhelming

Bruce Hansen, Fd

-----Original Message-----
From: nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Lee Reich
Sent: Tuesday, October 18, 2005 8:49 AM
To: North American Fruit Explorers
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Subject: Re: Blueberry planting alternatives

Lon, not to nitpick but ...
First, the fact that mycorrhizae were found in acidic zones does not mean
that they created those zones. How about this for a scenario: Pockets of
organic matter made the soil locally moist and, incidentally, acidic. The
moist conditions were conducive to mycorrhizal growth.
Second, as I said, mycorrhiza grow perfectly well in the absence of organic
matter and humates, as evidenced by my growing mycorrhizae for research
purposes in pure mineral soil (a method used by many or most researchers).
And thirdly, because of the ubiquitousness of the association, probably
everyone's blueberries are mycorrhizal, so there's no reason to attribute
the pH tolerance of yours to mycorrhizae, whether by natural or artificial
innoculation.
So let's appreciate mycorrhizae but not start ascribing them with every
possible benefit. Mostly, what mycorrhizae do is enhance uptake of certain
nutrients, most notably phosporous and zinc, and frequently increase
tolerance to drought and soil-borne pathogens. And mostly, they are
naturally in place ready to do this work.
--
Lee Reich, PhD

Books by Lee Reich:
A Northeast Gardener's Year
The Pruning Book
Weedless Gardening
Uncommon Fruits for Every Garden

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