FUNGUS Fungi are neither plant nor animals but a very different type of organism. They do not contain chlorophyll or the molecule used in photosynthesis to produce sugars with the help of sunlight. They do not have a root system like that found in trees, shrubs, flowers, and grasses. As a result, they cannot manufacture their own food, but, do feed themselves by digesting organic matter. Mushroom hunters are familiar with many of the mycorrhizal fungi characteristics of the north temperate forests; especially basidiomycetes such as gilled mushrooms, chanterelles, boletes, corals, puffballs, and jelly fungi. Mycorrhizas in these forests have a small percentage of ascomycetes such as morels, truffles, cup fungi, and elfin saddles. Lesser known of the more common mycorrhizal fungi are the zygomycetes, relatives of black bread mold. Fungi can be divided into three basic categories based on their relationship to their environment: Parasitic fungi that live off…
Author: Dan Willis
Mycorrhizas: The Underground Internet
Most people are familiar with fungi that cause itchy toes and moldy bread. What if I told you that there are a multitude of fungi in an “Underground Internet” that wraps around the roots of almost every plant in the your landscape? Not only that, but also these fungi thrives by sucking energy from the plants to sustain themselves? Yes, these fungi are lurking in the soil of your landscape right now! Is this some Friday the 13th scary story intended to raise the hair on the back of your neck? No! These fungi are real and they are everywhere! They are mycorrhizas (pronounced my-CORE-rye-zuhs). This not-so-glorious association between plants, soil, and fungus is fundamental to plant establishment and growth. There are about 5,000 different fungal species that form a mycorrhizal relationship with over 300,000 plants. This association is an absolute necessity for the establishment of many plants. The absence…
Home Plant Propagation From Cuttings
There are many reasons to propagate plants but the basic reason is simply to make multiple plants from a single plant that is unique, attractive, or has become old and leggy. Of course, propagation can be for sentimental reasons because it grew in grandmother’s garden. It is not possible to cover all the propagation techniques in one article but there are many reference books on the topic, some of which are given at the end of the article. PLANT PROPAGATION METHODS Sexual Propagation: This is the method of reproduction that yields new plants from viable seeds produced by plants. The advantage of asexual propagation is that seeds can be stored for a long period of time. Propagation from seed results in genetic variability and is useful if the intent is an improved or different plant characteristic. Asexual Propagation: Asexual propagation results in plants that have the same characteristic as the…