North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Steven Covacci <filtertitle@aol.com>]

Hi Leslie,


This is an often way too understated key to successful horticulture - the 
fungus is key.  My question is: do you think it's worth spending tons of $ on 
purchasing fungal spores, where you can go into the woods (preferably rocky 
where it wasn't farmed) and collect soil samples and introduces the soil into 
the garden?  Then place mulch on top.


If I have paw paws - the best composition of mycorrizae spp. will be found 
under a paw paw patch; persimmon.. same; hickory .. same.  


It might be a worthy experiment.  Plant a group of seedlings of one species 
in a planting where the fungi spores are added, and in the same conditions 
being planted adjacent, of the same species, plant a test plot where soil 
gathered from under a wild stand of that species of plant is found is then 
introduced.  


Steve; NJ 6b/7a








Message: 4
Date: Fri, 17 Jun 2011 22:57:30 -0500
From: Leslie Moyer <unschooler@lrec.org>
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Serviceberry growing very slowly
To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Message-ID: <7B767EC7-1FAD-4A90-9545-44D0D1D3B428@lrec.org>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

My serviceberries are growing slowly, too, but I planted them 2 years ago and 
since then I've been planting all of my trees and shrubs with a dusting (to 
the 
roots) of mycorrhizae spores and watering them in with humic acid.  It seems 
to 
really make a big difference--everything takes off so much faster and puts on 
new growth like crazy.  This is something you can add now by mixing them in a 
water solution and watering it in around the root zone of the tree.  It won't 
work as well as putting it directly on the root ball, but it's probably 
better 
than nothing.  You can read some about it (and see some comparative photos) 
here: http://www.fungi.com/mycogrow/index.html  His (Paul Staments) books 
have 
more info, too.  

Giving it plenty of water (you didn't say where you lived--if you live in a 
drier area they'll definitely appreciate supplemental water) and mulching 
around 
the root zone with leaf compost would help, too, if you haven't done that 
yet.  
(The leaf compost will give the mycorrhizae something to feed upon, too, and 
will likely introduce its own natural supply of mycorrhizae spores.)  Other 
mulches work, too, but either leaf compost or ramial wood mulch (mulch made 
from 
small diameter branches and other bark) works best if you have it available.  

I'm putting mine on a drip tape and adding lots of leaf compost this year in 
the 
hopes it will spur faster growth. Good luck to us both!  :-)

Leslie Moyer
unschooler@lrec.org







-----Original Message-----
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To: nafex <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Sat, Jun 18, 2011 8:01 am
Subject: nafex Digest, Vol 101, Issue 19


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Today's Topics:

   1. ARS Newslink: The rise of the blueberry (rob hamilton)
   2. Re: ARS Newslink: The rise of the blueberry (Doreen Howard)
   3. Serviceberry growing very slowly (Dan Nave)
   4. Re: Serviceberry growing very slowly (Leslie Moyer)


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Fri, 17 Jun 2011 09:40:46 -0700 (PDT)
From: rob hamilton <lostman_amiga@yahoo.com>
Subject: [NAFEX] ARS Newslink: The rise of the blueberry
To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Message-ID: <965683.14314.qm@web63401.mail.re1.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii


The rise of the blueberry:
The National Agricultural Library now  features the papers of a USDA plant 
scientist who helped transform the  blueberry into a domesticated crop early 
in 
the 20th century.  (6/16)

http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2011/110616.htm

-------------------------------------------- 
Now Zone 8a!!  Atlanta, GA 

Atlanta Fruits Club   http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Atlanta_Fruits/ 
North American Fruit Explorers (NAFEX) www.NAFEX.org 
Southern Fruit Fellowship (SFF) www.NAFEX.org/SFF 
Southeastern Palm and Exotic Plant Society (SPEPS) 
www.SPEPS.net 
California Rare Fruit Growers 
www.crfg.org 

My New Blog!! 
http://atlantafruitman.wordpress.com/

------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Fri, 17 Jun 2011 11:52:43 -0500
From: "Doreen Howard" <gardendiva@charter.net>
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] ARS Newslink: The rise of the blueberry
To: "North American Fruit Explorers" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Message-ID: <3E4882E5DFD04AC1A7AE7EB2515E5466@gardendiva>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
        reply-type=original

If you grow blueberries you should read this.  Thanks for posting it, Rob.

I read this yesterday and saved the page.  Interesting history about the 
blueberry origins.  I can use the info and contacts for an interview for the 
book I'm writing now on heirloom fruits.
Doreen Howard



------------------------------

Message: 3
Date: Fri, 17 Jun 2011 21:10:58 -0500
From: Dan Nave <nave1@comcast.net>
Subject: [NAFEX] Serviceberry growing very slowly
To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Message-ID: <4DFC0932.2040701@comcast.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

I bought one of the Serviceberries from Gurneys last year and planted it in 
my 
garden.  It said is 
was Shadbush Serviceberry, I believe.

It is growing but is still quite a tiny plant probably not more than a foot 
high 
in it's second 
year.  It doesn't get a lot of direct sun because it's so damned small.  I 
thought it would grow a 
lot faster and outgrow the day-lilies that grow around it...

Anyone have any suggestions?

Dan


------------------------------

Message: 4
Date: Fri, 17 Jun 2011 22:57:30 -0500
From: Leslie Moyer <unschooler@lrec.org>
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Serviceberry growing very slowly
To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Message-ID: <7B767EC7-1FAD-4A90-9545-44D0D1D3B428@lrec.org>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

My serviceberries are growing slowly, too, but I planted them 2 years ago and 
since then I've been planting all of my trees and shrubs with a dusting (to 
the 
roots) of mycorrhizae spores and watering them in with humic acid.  It seems 
to 
really make a big difference--everything takes off so much faster and puts on 
new growth like crazy.  This is something you can add now by mixing them in a 
water solution and watering it in around the root zone of the tree.  It won't 
work as well as putting it directly on the root ball, but it's probably 
better 
than nothing.  You can read some about it (and see some comparative photos) 
here: http://www.fungi.com/mycogrow/index.html  His (Paul Staments) books 
have 
more info, too.  

Giving it plenty of water (you didn't say where you lived--if you live in a 
drier area they'll definitely appreciate supplemental water) and mulching 
around 
the root zone with leaf compost would help, too, if you haven't done that 
yet.  
(The leaf compost will give the mycorrhizae something to feed upon, too, and 
will likely introduce its own natural supply of mycorrhizae spores.)  Other 
mulches work, too, but either leaf compost or ramial wood mulch (mulch made 
from 
small diameter branches and other bark) works best if you have it available.  

I'm putting mine on a drip tape and adding lots of leaf compost this year in 
the 
hopes it will spur faster growth. Good luck to us both!  :-)

Leslie Moyer
unschooler@lrec.org



On Jun 17, 2011, at 9:10 PM, Dan Nave wrote:

> I bought one of the Serviceberries from Gurneys last year and planted it in 
> my 
garden.  It said is 
> was Shadbush Serviceberry, I believe.
> 
> It is growing but is still quite a tiny plant probably not more than a foot 
high in it's second 
> year.  It doesn't get a lot of direct sun because it's so damned small.  I 
thought it would grow a 
> lot faster and outgrow the day-lilies that grow around it...
> 
> Anyone have any suggestions?
> 
> Dan
> __________________
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