Mycorrhizal fungi

What is mycorrhizal fungus?

VIDEO: mikorrhiza a Greek word meaning miko = mushroom, rhiza = root, i.e. fungus root. The fungal filaments (hyphae), which originate from the mycelium of the fungus (the vegetative, or germless, part of the fungus), entangle the roots of the host plant, and the two types of organisms interact to help each other get nutrients. The fungus provides water and nutrients to the plant, and in return the plant provides sugar to the fungus. 

10 reasons to use Mikomax with mycorrhizal fungi and biostimulants

1. Mycorrhizae, with hyphal filaments hundreds of times the size of the host plant's roots, can take up water and nutrients from much further away and more efficiently for the host plant 
2. Increases the plant's uptake of nutrients from the soil
3. Improves the plant's more efficient use of water 
4. The mycorrhizal fungus penetrates the host plant and strengthens its natural immune system, thus enhancing the plants' natural resistance to various pathogens and pests
5. Creating a more active and healthy soil life
6. Thanks to the above, it improves crop quality and increases yields
7. It also supports the plant's uptake of adequate amounts of water and nutrients during stressful periods such as frost or drought
8. They help the plant not only in the early stages of its life, but throughout its life. In the case of woody plants (e.g. vines, fruit trees), this can be several decades
9. Mycorrhizae secrete substances that enhance and improve soil aggregates, which are among the most important soil components.
10. The glomalin protein secreted by the fungus binds soil particles together, creating a friable soil structure 

How does this vital connection between fungus and plant come about?

In nature, plants get natural help from mycorrhizal fungi early in their growing season to take up more water and nutrients. At this time, the plants select substances that attract these fungi and encourage them to use part of their hyphal filaments to penetrate the roots of the crop.

The plant senses whether it can cope with the task of absorbing water and nutrients from the soil on its own, or whether it needs nature's help. If it senses that it needs help, it secretes ready-made nutrients, carbohydrates, amino acids and other signalling substances produced by itself into the soil through its roots. This signal is sensed by the mycorrhizal fungus and it moves towards the root and then penetrates the root. 

TIP: If you give your plants everything they need, e.g. intensive fertilisation (mainly phosphorous), regular watering (every single day), you will spoil your plants a bit and they will not need mycorrhiza fungi. The best way to help our plants is not to give them everything ready-made, but to "encourage" them to call in the fungi themselves. Therefore, we should give them mycorrhizal fungi and use organic fertilisers instead of artificial fertilisers.

For which plants do we recommend the use of Mikomax mycorrhiza?

Mycorrhiza is not plant specific, any plant will benefit from its use. However, in the course of plant evolution, some plant families simply do not need mycorrhizae because they can take up the hard-to-absorb phosphorus and other nutrients from the soil themselves. These plant families are: ericaceous plants (Rhododendron, Azalea, Calluna, Erica), brassicas (e.g. winter brassica, sugar beet, kale, Brussels sprouts, etc.), pigweeds (e.g. mustard, hairy pigweed). These crops can of course also be used, but the symbiotic relationship between the plant and the fungus is likely to be less likely. Researchers have observed, for example, that after sowing winter cabbage rape in the field, mycorrhizal fungi "disappear" from the field. This is why their use is recommended for the next crop.

Danuba Garden's mycorrhiza product: the Mikomax! Contents of Mikomax:

It contains six different strains of mycorrhizae, with a total of 500,000 germs/kg. The manufacturer has spent many years researching the strains of fungi that are most common in European soils. They have been selected to include species at all soil pH (acid, neutral, alkaline) to adapt to all soil types. When applied, the fungal strains that will proliferate in the soil in greater numbers are those that the most favourable living conditions in the place where they live. 

In what sizes are they available and how should they be used?

 The product is available in several packs: Mikomax 10 kg bucket, Mikomax Garden 360 g, MikoMax 60g. All three products contain the same mycorrhizal fungi in the same quantity (500,000 sprouts/kg). The only difference is the size of the packaging. In the case of the 10 kg bucket of Mikomax, a smaller granule size has been used to facilitate the application by machine in the field. This does not affect the composition or quality of the product. 

Using Mikomax and Mikomax Garden

The mycorrhizal fungus is in the form of granules which are insoluble in water. MikoMax Gardena should be sprayed into the planting hole so that it is close to the roots of the plant. You don't need to sprinkle much (about a teaspoonful) because theoretically, if even a single hyphal filament of the spore gets into the root of the plant, it will then be well entrenched and woven into the root system of the plant.

Since mycorrhizal fungi need root contact, we need to get them close to the root, max 1-2 cm from the root, when applying. For larger trees, it should be applied around the canopy in several places under the canopy stump. It is recommended to apply to the smaller, thinner roots.

Dosing of micorrhiza fungi

In fact, it is difficult to determine the exact dosage, because if the mycorrhizal fungi have favourable living conditions (adequate soil moisture, pH, temperature), even a single sprout is sufficient to establish a symbiotic relationship between the fungus and the plant root. However, we do not know when this favourable living environment will occur, so we recommend the above dosage. Do not overdose! If you apply less granules in the planting hole, the symbiosis will still develop, but more slowly. The more you spread, the more likely it is to form and the faster the hyphal growth will be. 

Use Mikomax mycorrhiza for existing, already planted plants - afterwards

If you have a ready-made garden and want to add mycorrhiza to the roots afterwards, there are two solutions:

1. Using a spade or spade fork, make holes all around and try to get the mushroom as close as possible to the roots of the hairs
2. Liquid mycorrhiza is used. InoMyc about our liquid mycorrhiza product here read more

🌱 Lawn care with Mikomax mycorrhiza

It is an arbuscular mycorrhizal, or endo mycorrhizal, organism that forms a symbiotic relationship with 90% of plants, such as gyeppel is.

It is recommended to apply this product in one of the following ways:

1. The product should be spread and worked in shallowly before lawn care.
2. The mixture should be mixed with the lawn seeds and applied all at once.

Once the grass has been cut, the following options are still available for applying mycorrhiza:

1. It should be infiltrated into the top layer of the soil during lawn aeration and then well watered
2. What is a safer way: the InoMyc application of a liquid mycorrhizal product to the lawn, sprayed or watered with large quantities of water.

Shelf life and storage of Mikomax mycorrhiza

Between 5 and 30 degrees Celsius in its original packaging, the product will keep its expiry date for at least 18 months. It should be applied as soon as possible after opening but stored tightly resealed and refrigerated for up to 6 months without deterioration.

What is the warranty for Mikomax?

The manufacturer guarantees that the 500,000 germs/kg of active ingredient contained in the product are safe for 18 months. In practice, this means that after 18 months, this viable amount of spores is not lost, but slowly, over time, this viable amount of spores begins to decrease. You can still use it after 18 months, but you might want to spray a little more of it into the planting hole to make sure it's working.

Why is it important how to store Mikomax?

As the Mikomax mycorrhizal fungus contains living cells, it needs to be given the conditions in which it can remain viable. It is therefore important to maintain the storage temperature. The packaging is sealed, which is important to emphasise because we recommend that the packaging is tightly resealed after use to prevent the mushrooms from getting damp before use and from being over-contaminated by fungi or bacteria.

🧐 Did you know?

Did you know that it takes 4 years to produce a single block (unit of production) of micro-rhiza? Yep! Mycorrhizal fungi are propagated on the granules in the bag on the roots of several different host plants and then harvested. Many years of research have gone into which host plants are suitable, the ideal growing conditions and the best methods to produce the most spores. Careful research has gone into which strains of mycorrhizae thrive under which conditions and why those strains have been selected for Mikomax. 

Buy Micorrhiza Mushroom

Never before has it been so easy to mycorrhizal fungus purchase!

Order Mikomax mycorrhizal fungi directly from the importer: the www.danubagarden.hu from the webshop. We keep our own stock, so you can have your order delivered by GLS courier the next day. Our experts can provide up-to-date assistance by phone or email. We are in direct contact with the manufacturer, so any professional questions you may have, you can get the most authentic professional answer from us. As Mikomax is our most popular product, it is also a lengthy process to manufacture, and is sourced from the UK, so even with the greatest care, temporary shortages can occur and we will endeavour to make up for them as quickly as possible.

If you prefer to shop in person, visit the here our listed resellers, one of the garden centres and farmers' shops. We have no information on the stock of each of our partners, so please contact them if you have any questions. Our partners' prices may differ from ours.