PRESENTED BY ONE CALL SAW WORKS
This week we talk about getting the most nutrients for your trees and woody plants. This also ties into concerns of over poisoning when spraying your favorite weed killer, it might be doing more than you realize. Some of the words this week may seem difficult to pronounce, but the main word to focus on is "mychorriza" which sounds like "my core rye zuh".
Mychorrhiza is the partnership between a tree root system and fungi living in the ground. Both organisms benefit the other in a relationship called symbiosis. Most woody plants form bonds as they grow with mychorrhizal fungi naturally. In fact, some woody plants require that relationship to grow, this is called an obligatory mychorrhizal species. Oak trees (Quercus spp) will normally form hundreds of relationships with different fungi on its growth to full maturity.
The reason the fungus is so important to the tree can be brought down to a very simple level, increased surface area. A trees roots absorb water and nutrients from the ground, but they're big in comparison to that of fungi roots. Fungi have much smaller and finer roots (mychorrizal hyphae) which allow it to absorb more water, nutrients, and micronutrients that the tree may not uptake. Mychorrhizal fungi comes in two categories, endo and ecto, which describe how they colonize. Endo means the fungi penetrates inside the cells of the tree roots and are only seen through a microscope. Ecto means the fungi penetrates between the cells of a trees roots and grows a cover over the roots, called a mantle, and is visible to the naked eye. Hyphae are very thin and delicate hairs that grow very dense leaving very little area for water and nutrients to pass unabsorbed. The efficiency of nutrient collection directly affects the health and vigor of your tree.
Why would a fungi grow into and around a trees root system though and how can the fungi, by collecting all of these nutrients, benefit the tree. What benefit does the fungi receive? Plants we are most familiar with fall into a category called "autotrophic" meaning they produce their own food and are self sustaining. Fungi fall into a category known as "heterotrophic" meaning they derive their food from other organisms. The tree produces a significant amount of carbohydrates which the fungi require to survive. The tree benefits from the share of resources by receiving nutrients and micronutrients it may otherwise not receive in large enough quantities, such as phosphorus and nitrogen. The more the tree thrives in its habitat, the more food it will produce, and therefore the more it can share with the fungi. The fungi has a vested interest in the health and success of the tree as it relies solely on the tree to survive. Symbiosis at its finest. Nature is a beautiful thing.
When spraying poison, understand that the runoff goes into the ground and kills or damages the fungi. It may not kill the entire organism, but if you overspray or overdose, you may not allow the fungi enough time to recover. This, though effective on weeds, may result in a decline in your trees overall health. The dosing instructions are on the container for a reason. The old saying 'if a little medicine does a little good, then a lot of medicine does a lot of good' is NOT the way to go when spraying poison in your yard or garden.
Fun facts: a few varieties of trees that form relationships with endomychorrhizal fungi are: cedars, cypresses, junipers, maples, ashes, sycamore, and sweet gums. Several varieties of trees that form relationships with ectomychorrhizal fungi are: pines, firs, oaks, hemlocks, Alderson, and beech.
If you have any questions please email us at onecallsawworks@gmail.com or mail us at P. O. Box 427, Franklinton, LA 70438. If you are in need of an Arborist please call us at 985-839-2637.
