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| I've planted a whole bunch of new trees over the past 9 months... some last fall. some this spring, some saplings, some 2-3 inch calipers (oaks, sweetgums, dawn redwoods, lacebark elms, maples, sweetbay magnolias) and I want to make sure I'm doing everything to promote their establishment and healthy growth and setting them up so that I have strong, big trees as quickly as possible but not at the expense of having them grow weak or unnaturally.
So... as I was looking around for the best price for some Treegators, I saw some other products that intrigued me and that I had heard about but didn't know anything about. In general is this a good thing for trees? Is it a scam? Specifically, does anyone know anything about DIEHARD� Transplant, DIEHARD� Injectables, or DIEHARD� Root Reviver What about THRIVE: http://bit.ly/N3B3ie Thanks in advance for your help. I live in Nashville, TN. We're about to enter the real dog days of summer 92-98 degree heat. I want to help my trees weather the storm, establish themselves and stay strong. |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Fri, Jun 1, 12 at 11:42
| voodoo marketing just water PROPERLY ... ken |
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| I do not know the products you mentioned, but mycorrhizal innoculants are not voodoo and I've used them in some circumstances with good success. Mycorrhizal colonies develop a symbiotic relationship with some root systems and are a common and necessary part of most soil ecosystems. That being said, the time to introduce it to your plantings is before or at planting time, and not after the fact. It is not proven to be beneficial to all plants equally, and you likely have it in your soil situation already. I have used mycorrhizal innoculated growing medium for at least five years in a commercial growing operation, and that's an whole different situation because the stock I was growing wasn't in natural soil, and some of it had to be grown on in a pot situation long-term. It also cost me no more to purchase the growing medium already innoculated than without it. Before it became available I did buy the innoculant by itself, more as a hedge and possible edge. My hunch is that the horse is already out of the barn with your plantings, and I'd procede pretty much as Ken suggests. Proper weeding and watering is more important at this stage. |
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- Posted by strobiculate none (My Page) on Fri, Jun 1, 12 at 16:33
| best results occur when roots can be innoculated prior to planting. most on these forums regard any product that is not a plant as a marketing gimmick. sad as it is to say, the history of horticulture is littered with marketing gimmicks, but then so are the histories of most types of business. what's odd is the gold standard of honesty on these forums is the Dr. Carl Whitcomb...who lost his job as a professor for lapses of ethical judgements...but then most things that involve money come down to ethics. as for most such things...if you have the time and the inclination, give it a shot. use it on some, not on others as a control and report back on your findings. the worst that happens is you learn something. |
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- Posted by wisconsitom 4/5 WI (My Page) on Sat, Jun 2, 12 at 0:52
| I used inoculated seedlings recently for a planting into very poor abused fill soil. I can't tell you if it's helping though. The results have been more or less typical for a seedling planting that is by necessity already "free-range". Some are doing well, some have died already. +oM |
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| mycorrhiza can be good for indoor plants too with enough light |
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- Posted by lou_midlothian_tx z8 DFW, Tx (My Page) on Sat, Jun 2, 12 at 8:38
| It may help where the land is completely razed over. I have used it *just in case*. It doesn't really cost much anyway. Proper planting, mulching and watering for the first 2-3 years are more important. |
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- Posted by wisconsitom 4/5 WI (My Page) on Sat, Jun 2, 12 at 11:34
| Of the studies I've seen, measurable favorable results with mychorrhizal inoculants were seen in primarily severely depleted soils like mine tailings. Basically, the more sterile the soil, the more these things appear to help. And it's not that they only "work" under these conditions, but rather, in many situations, the micros are already present anyway. In forests, mycorrhyzal associates are the rule, not the exception. But these are naturally occurring. +oM |
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- Posted by jimbobfeeny 5a IN (My Page) on Sun, Jun 3, 12 at 20:40
| William Cullina, NATIVE TREES, SHRUBS, & VINES: "Micorrhizae are of obvious value in nutrient-poor environments, but I am very skeptical of the efficacy of so-called mycorrhizal supplements that are sold as growth-boosting magic bullets. In rare cases, such as the revegetation of strip-mine tailings or other sterile, "dead" soils, inoculating transplants of mycorrhizal fungi has been shown to improve growth. However, a typical garden soil should already contain a host of mycorrhizal fungi, and further, their benefit is negligible if the soil is fertile...Lastly, certain fungi are hosted by specific groups of plants, and a purchased inoculant mix is not guaranteed to match the plants you are growing." Hopefully this helps. I have found this book extremely useful for growing native trees. -Jim |
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- Posted by wisconsitom 4/5 WI (My Page) on Mon, Jun 4, 12 at 18:09
| It appears that what the myco's do to help their host plants is procure phosphorus and enable the tree's roots to assimilate it. The tree in turn provides the fungus with carbohydrates-energy-bearing molecules to live on. As Jimbob states, there is a high degree of host specificity to their accompanying fungi. For example, many of the boletes make associations with conifers in the forest. And it's more specific than just that-certain of the boletes go with larch, certain ones with spruce, etc. I am and have been very interested in mycorrhizal associates ever since I first learned of them. And whereas they at first seemed like some kind of oddity in nature, further investigation has shown them to be the rule, not the exception. But having said all this, I've still not seen convincing evidence that the various preparations available from vendors are of any real value. At least not in most cases. +oM |
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