Mycorrhizal Research: Phase 2
In this phase we will studying the effects of commercial mycorrhizae products on tree growth, soil health and drought tolerance. This is a pilot study to gain understanding and further hone our research methodologies for when we scale up the number of trees next year.
what we are doing
We planted 2 native tree types from seeds, and inoculated the soil the seeds are grown in with commercial mycorrhizal fungi. The seedlins will continue grow in plant bands until November/December in the TreeFolks nursery, and then we will either transplant them into 1 gallon pots or plant them in the ground.
2 Native Tree Types: Red Oak & Bald Cypress
2 Treatments + Control: MicroLife’s Mycorrhizal Plus and Humisoil (local)
2 x Trees for future drought and non-drought conditions
35 Trees per type, treament, and drought conditions
35 x 2 x 2 x 3 = 420 Trees!
Research Stages
february: mixing soil
From left to right: Evan(Humisoil) and Vit(TreeFolks) shoveling soil, Mixing the soil, Plant bands full of soil and ready for seed
march: planting seeds
From left to right: Angel planting bald cypress seeds, April planting red oak seeds, Humisoil seeds planted and labeled
taking some measurements
Plant bands with no seeds were taken and the soil used to perform nitrate and microBIOMETER tests. The next set of tests will be an aggregation of plant bands for a more representative sample.
From left to right: Nitrate testing, Soil samples settling before nitrate testing, microBIOMETER reading
look at how our seedlings have grown!
In the treeFolks nursery From aprill 22nd, 2025(bottom) to May 14th 2025(top)
In each group, trees from left to right: red oak and bald cypress.
on site at treefolks nusery
timeline:
July 2025
Seedling measurements
Height measured from top of plant bands
Seedling diameter
November 2025/December 2025
Transfer seedlings to pots or into field
Seedling measurements
Height measured from top of plant bands
Seedling diameter
Soil Analysis
Root Analysis
This project is proudly in collaboration with:
Site: TREE FOLKS (Austin, TX)
We are working closely with Vit Kaspar at the TreeFolks nursery to ensure our efforts are well placed. We are mimicking their tree growing processes so that we can help come up with a set of recommendations to help their tree attrition rate during drought conditions. The 420 seeds we planted are all currently growing in the Treefolks nursery, and Vit has been taking care of them while they are there.
Treefolks was founded as a local solution to local warming and deforestation on August 30, 1989. Since then, TreeFolks has grown to work with communities throughout Central Texas in community tree planting, street tree and backyard tree giveaways, education and urban-wildland reforestation efforts. From a single acorn has grown a canopy to shade communities in Bastrop, Hays, and Travis Counties, and serve thousands of Texas’ people.
