Beneficial fungus....?

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Well, if that's the case, then maybe some pointers I've picked up while growing some terrestrial orchids might help out...

If possible try and collect either during dormancy or during the very beginning of the growth cycle.

Obviously, also get some of the soil it was growing with.

Keep in mind the depth at which the orchids were growing.

A larger pot with several individuals may work better than an individual orchid in one pot.

When repotting, don't throw out all of the soil, retain half of the old soil.

Feed mycorrhizae with wood chips, preferably from the same kind of conifer trees that are growing around the area. Like I said, I've read reports of these growing under citrus trees as well. If conifer wood are not an option, citrus wood may work just as well.

[keithrs]

Originally Posted by King_of_orchid_growing:)

Well, if that's the case, then maybe some pointers I've picked up while growing some terrestrial orchids might help out...

If possible try and collect either during dormancy or during the very beginning of the growth cycle.

Obviously, also get some of the soil it was growing with.

Keep in mind the depth at which the orchids were growing.

A larger pot with several individuals may work better than an individual orchid in one pot.

When repotting, don't throw out all of the soil, retain half of the old soil.

Feed mycorrhizae with wood chips, preferably from the same kind of conifer trees that are growing around the area. Like I said, I've read reports of these growing under citrus trees as well. If conifer wood are not an option, citrus wood may work just as well.

What about feeding the mycrorrhizea molasses? I use a molasses, kelp, fish emulsion, and yucca extract to feed the beneficials as they reproduce in my teas.

Why would you have to repot if you have the correct culture.... aside from upping the pot size? In theory, If you feed the beneficials they will reproduce in turn breaking down organics/food for the plant. You should not have to repot if you can keep the life cycle going.

[Discus]

Originally Posted by King_of_orchid_growing:)

Feed mycorrhizae with wood chips, preferably from the same kind of conifer trees that are growing around the area.

I don't think this would work if it were an obligate mycorrhiza with trees though (assuming such a thing exists) - wood is not the same thing as live tree roots

Of course, if it were only a mycorrhiza with the orchid, and otherwise a saprotroph, the decaying leaves of the tree might be a better food source than the wood, particularly if the fungus usually ekes out a living in the leaf litter.

I can imagine there are some interesting isotope (stable or otherwise) studies to be done to figure out who is getting carbon from where!

P.s. thanks for the notes/ideas a couple pages back