If you like fungi

Great video, he has continued forward from his 2005 book "Mycellium Running, or How Mushrooms can save the World".

The example he cites of research on Hemlock seedlings has serious implications for us as bonsai growers. Ponder what he says about mycellium moving water, sugars and nutrients from one species of tree to another.

He gets a little wild, throwing out anthropomorphic terms for some of the chemical activities, but in the end if you forgive the lapses into anthropomorphic descriptors, there is good science here. Much of what he says in this talk has been verified by independent scientists, often following on his ideas.

Hard to get one's head around the implications of everything he says. This talk is dense with information.

Thanks for the link.
 
I enjoyed the wild, probably hallucination induced hypothesis early in the presentation, fires the imagination. Dark matter as an externalized neurological network? Cool!
Although barely touched in the video I found the mention of high numbers of endophytic fungi within plant tissues very interesting. I recently read an article about an endophytic fungi that provides thermotolerance to a grass growing around hot springs in Yosemite. Interestingly it only works if a virus is also present. One has to wonder if a similar relationship occurs in for example conifers in cold climates? Could a bonsai grower introduce an endophytic fungi to help trees overwinter successfully in cold climates? Alternatively can a fungicide application destroy a pre-existing symbiosis thus leading to increased susceptibility to freeze damage? Other endophytes are known to produce alkaloids toxic and deterrent to plant feeding insects and herbivores. Other will provide a shield against parasitic fungi and even somehow induce systemic resistance against pathogens. There seems to be a growing belief that fungal partnerships are an essential part of plants immune systems. This can relate to Stamets claim in the video that species paired with fungi had increased survival through previous extinction events and have co-evolved together since.
Also applicable to bonsai, how about the ant killing/repelling Metathizium fungi? I had some conifer aphids and herding ants this summer, I would imagine that even the unaltered sporulating form could be effective control there?

I think that this is just the beginning and that further discoveries will have huge impacts on horticulture reducing the use of chemical fertilizers fungicides and pesticides.

Also the mycorestoration and medicinal implications are huge too, I found an agarikon this summer!

I'd be very interested to hear of other opinions and thoughts on the role of fungi and horticulture or anything else.

Mp
 
wireme said:
I'd be very interested to hear of other opinions and thoughts on the role of fungi and horticulture or anything else.
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One reason why I maintain an organic soil mix. I believe there is much more in nature than we know and replacing everything with what we know...means our tree will be missing something.
 
Great man...I just wish he train and encourage more people to do his type of work before he goes.
 
Yes, the leap to dark matter was part of the talk that I feared would cause seriously science orientated audience to dismiss him as drug addled. That was just wild speculation, and he said so, though his enthusiasm bordered on religious fervor. However the science is solid when he gets back to earth.

A couple things that I got from his books, and were alluded to in this lecture; Trees are not restricted to one species only as possible mycorhizal species. Most species of trees are able to co-exist and be colonized by several dozens of species. Older publications stated that only one species would be an acceptable symbiotic partner. The reality is, quite a range of species will work. Sometimes trees will have multiple species as their mycorhizal component.

This actually makes the job of providing mycorhiza simpler, even for tree species exotic to your backyard, it is likely there are several acceptable species living right there in your back yard that could become the mycorhizal partner for your trees, because the trees are not exclusive in the fungi they can partner with. This is not saying that all mycorhizal species will work with all trees, but rather of the several dozen species of fungi that are in most peoples back yard, there should be a couple that will be compatible.

It also says to me, that my fertilizer program should consider feeding the fungi along with feeding the tree. When I see the white mycelium growing out of the fertilizer cakes, I need to remember that this is one way the tree is getting the nutrition from the cake, the mycelium are breaking it down and sharing.

Lots to consider.
 
I have always avoided using fungicides because of fear of damaging the mycorhizae. Most fungal infections can be controlled simply by improving the environment, for example, more exposed location to increase air movement, more sun, cleaning up the previous year's dead leaf litter, and so on.

I never apply fungicides to trees that are not in danger of being lost. If the tree looks like it might pull through whatever problem it has, I skip the fungicide. I only use a fungicide when it looks like I will loose the tree if I don't.
 
I'll tell you about basic math and the dark matter.

1 + 1 = 3 (corrected via the presence of dark matter)
1 - 1 = 1 (ditto)
1 X 1 = 3 (")
1 / 1 = 3 (")

God created the earth + Jesus performed miracles = Big Bang + Dark matter

Dark Energy = Faculty Funding


Jesus was in actuality a Roman myth.

Coca Cola have yet to utilise Jesus in an advertising campaign.

Drink Aspartame like Jesus did!,i can't see it.
 
Now of course the burning question:

1%1=???

I once heard the poisonous but hallucinogenic Amanita Muscaria used to be filtered through reindeer to remove the poison.

1 cup mushroom deer pee= flying reindeer, scampering elves and red and white hats.

Ho ho hoimage.jpg
 
Klytus said:
They do look familiar.
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Ha, yes I wouldn't be surprised! Own any reindeer?

I googled the amanita Santa story and oddly enough it comes back to coca cola again.

"One Amanita story that may really be an urban myth though's the idea Father Christmas' red and white livery was based on it because until the early 20th Century Coca Cola advertising campaign he was usually depicted garbed in green connecting him to Robin Hood Khidr The Green Man Osiris etc."

Maybe 1+1 does equal 3
 
It was with this tool he cut the 1001 wooden stakes requested by a Vlad of Romania,he ran out of elves to deliver all that timber so he retained the services of local Gypsies.

It is said that Kaifas also had iron nails on his Xmas wishlist but these were beyond the scope of Yahweh's inventiveness and without St Nicholas it fell to Hesphaestus' student Vulcan to create the spikes of resurrection.
 
Whilst i'm in the mood for channeling the wisdom of Odin's eye I will mention that Vulcan was a bit of a showman and as such also fashioned the so called spear of destiny,this like the crucifixion nails when removed caused the wounds to heal.

The crown of thorns and the vinegar will remain a mystery for another time.

For now you will have to entertain yourselves with idle notions of Virgin births.
 
@Klytus, you gave me a good laugh. I suspect, but don't want confirmation, that in your youth, like me (statute of limitations has run out, obligatory legal disclaimer) I suspect you have some familiarity with various hallucinogenic mushrooms. I really enjoyed Psylocybe shrooms the few occasions that I did encounter them, some 30+ years ago, in my college days. "the ones that stain blue"

On the serious side, Stament's forays into religious fervor over his rather wild speculations does get the solid parts of his research dismissed as "junk science". I really wish he would keep that under control, and be more cautious how he phrases things. I wish he kept a more distinct line between what the scientific observations, formal conclusions and what is speculation. Oh well.

As to Dario's (Poink88) question about others carrying on his work, he does have students of his methods. He does occasionally publish in peer reviewed academic journals. He has a 'following' that includes serious researchers, he keeps a very busy lecture schedule. When he does retire, or expire, there are others that may be able to continue where he left off.

He has made enemies of a number of the large Agro-Business corporations, Montsanto in particular. (he patents some of his results, and refuses to sell to Monsanto) So he does have trouble getting funding, but he has carved out a niche and continues to work. Many Universitie's Agronomy programs are funded by Monsanto, and proposals that mention Staments often do not get funded.

I am glad to hear others are familiar with him, and would like to see more people get to know about some of his work. It has huge implications for improving horticulture.
 
organic mixes and fungicides

Given the thread, my speculation is that one reason totally inorganic mixes are popular, is that standard horticulture for bonsai does not keep a beneficial mycorhizal system healthy. By moving to totally inorganic mixes, one would have fewer issues with the regular killing off of the mycorhizae.

If one uses an organic mix, one would need to take extra care to make sure to keep the beneficial mycorhizae healthy. In other words, fungicide use should be quite limited. This may include the spraying of lime sulfur, daconil for needle cast, and copper based soaps such as Phyton 27.

I need to research further. I have his 2 book set on cultivation of mushrooms, need to go through and see if I can find information on keeping mycorhizal species happy. An interesting project for the cold days of winter.
 
Here's an off-topic question. are all the mushrooms that stain blue good as hallucinogens?
I have mushrooms growing in the yard, that turn blue when crushed, that I don't think are the same ones I remember as the psyillocybin containing ones of my distant past.
Just wondering.

Libby
 
Leo in N E Illinois said:
As to Dario's (Poink88) question about others carrying on his work, he does have students of his methods. He does occasionally publish in peer reviewed academic journals. He has a 'following' that includes serious researchers, he keeps a very busy lecture schedule. When he does retire, or expire, there are others that may be able to continue where he left off.

He has made enemies of a number of the large Agro-Business corporations, Montsanto in particular. (he patents some of his results, and refuses to sell to Monsanto) So he does have trouble getting funding, but he has carved out a niche and continues to work. Many Universitie's Agronomy programs are funded by Monsanto, and proposals that mention Staments often do not get funded.

I am glad to hear others are familiar with him, and would like to see more people get to know about some of his work. It has huge implications for improving horticulture.
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Thanks! I got that (he having interns) after watching a few more videos of him.

I am glad he refuses to vow to Monsanto, I am with him on that one 100% too.
 
bumblebee said:
Here's an off-topic question. are all the mushrooms that stain blue good as hallucinogens?
I have mushrooms growing in the yard, that turn blue when crushed, that I don't think are the same ones I remember as the psyillocybin containing ones of my distant past.
Just wondering.

Libby
Click to expand...

Definitely no. Staining blue is not a defining characteristic in isolation. I believe Staments in one of his books points several blue staining mushrooms of the genus Psilocybe that are not hallucinogenic, yet they stain blue. There are other genera of mushrooms that also stain blue. It is one trait, but by itself it is not a defining trait.

I am not sure, but I would not be surprised if there were poisonous mushrooms that stained blue. Without hitting the books, I could not tell you.

Never eat any mushroom that you have only identified from books or on line keys, always train with an experienced collector. Some mushrooms can kill. The "Little Brown Mushrooms" as a group have some of the more deadly mushroom species. Do not sample anything without being absolutely certain of its identity.
 
Back in 2012 I believe, there was a story from northern Ohio about a Japanese family living in Cleveland Ohio. The father, an executive had moved there for his position and found some mushrooms that looked like their favorite ones they prepared in a dish they enjoyed back home. He collected them and they had them for dinner that evening. That evening a call came in to 911 from the son who related how the father was unresponsive on the floor and the mother was too weak to get up from the toilet from vomiting and he was suffering severe stomach pain. The paramedics arrived and were able to get the son to the hospital where he eventually recovered but the mom, dad and sister had all died from the poisonous mushrooms which were identical in looks to the popular food they enjoyed back home. Personally I never would never mess with any wild mushroom as I have no idea what is safe.

ed
 
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