What plant-growing media would you chose if you were growing a mycorrhizal species?

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CreonAntigone
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Registered: 05/30/21
Posts: 4,077

What plant-growing media would you chose if you were growing a mycorrhizal species?

#29634136 - 07/27/26 03:53 PM (29 days, 19 hours ago)

I am ordering some Tuber Aestivum and am going to start some tree seedlings. But I am undecided in what medium I want to grow them in.

I know that not that many here grow mycorrhizal species, but some of you might use potting soil or alternatives in certain projects, and I'm curious to ask you what you would do in this situation.

I want to prepare some small terrariums as a start, to observe a few different tree species' response to inoculation. I'm unsure exactly what to use, though. There are a few options.

Coir, pasteurized or sterilized - completely inert media, lacks nutrition, not the best choice but would help the fungus grow axenically.

Potting soil, pasteurized or sterilized - this would have a lot more nutrition in it for both plant and fungus. I think sterilized might actually be bad, because mycorrhizal plants depend on bacteria to get going. Pasteurized might be a happy medium to allow some endospores remaining to get started again, but let the fungus get an initial foothold.

Completely untreated soil. This would be risky because other species exist in it that could overtake it. However, the research I've read suggests insects provide a very positive role for mycorrhizal species, so as long as they aren't the kind that completely kill the plant, I'd prefer them in my terrarium. Pasteurization would seem to kill all living insects and their eggs.

Also, perhaps peat moss could be treated with lime to become basic (since truffles prefer very basic soil), and perhaps some kind of liquid or organic nutrients could be added to make it more worthwhile for fungi to eat.

If it were a button mushroom pasteurized compost/soil would be the best move, but the same rule might not apply here. It's possible pasteurized compost might be TOO nutritious, inviting a lot of the dormant species to jump out and take over the space because the truffle mycelium is so slow.

Edited by CreonAntigone (07/27/26 04:03 PM)

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CreonAntigone
Stranger

Registered: 05/30/21
Posts: 4,077

Re: What plant-growing media would you chose if you were growing a mycorrhizal species?

[Re: CreonAntigone]
#29634190 - 07/27/26 05:01 PM (29 days, 18 hours ago)

Studies I'm reading about in-vitro mychorization seem to be on an inert media like vermiculite, perlite or sand and the addition of a nutrient solution that feeds both plant and fungi, such as Melin's nutrient solution - which appears to be be glucose and malt extract plus a number of salts that plants need.