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what is mycorrhizae?
The word mycorrhizae refers to a group of fungi which form a mutually beneficial relationship with many plants. These fungi grow either inside of a plant’s roots or attach to the surface of a root. The fungi benefits from the plant’s food and nutrients and in turn send their hyphae (like small roots) out into the surrounding soil to absorb nutrients and water. So, mycorrhizae actually enhance a plant’s ability to take up nutrients and water. Because of this, research has shown that the presence of mycorrhizae also help plants deal with drought and some diseases. There are two main groups of mycorrhizae : –
  1. Ectomycorrhizae
  2.  Endomycorrhizae.
    Both groups are specific in what plant types they will work with.
  • Ectomycorrhizae forms relationships with birch, oak, spruce, pine and fir, but is not important to most greenhouse growers since the above plant types are not typical greenhouse crops.
  • The second group of mycorrhizae is endomycorrhizae which are also known as vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae or VAM.


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