>I wonder how a bulb/fungus symbiosis would work with a species that essentially has annual root systems. I assume the fungus would have a corresponding dormancy cycle. That occurred to me, too. My (admittedly jaded) response to almost anything with the word “mycorrhizae” in it is that the fungi are already present in most garden soils which have not been polluted by an excess of chemical fertilizers or fungicides, and, if left alone, will do their job perfectly well. Which is to pull water to the roots during periods of drought. It isn’t necessary to add any fungi to a garden where the plants have demonstrated an ability to survive without precipitation for months on end, like they have here. Naturally, some people will associate a healthy, mycorrhizae-infested soil with one high in added organic matter; I see a healthy soil as one in which nothing has been added, and nothing subtracted. The value of adding mycorrhizae to pot-grown plants sounds dubious to me, since this would require such a careful application of fertilizers as to take all the pleasure out of growing the plants. It’s probably true that bulbs would benefit from a mycorrhizal association in the garden, but if the mycorrhizae are not already present then the reason for that needs to be investigated. (If your garden is on old mine tailings, then that’s the reason.) Bob Nold Denver, Colorado, USA _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.ibiblio.org http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/