The associations between roots and fungi are called mycorrhizae. These symbiotic arrangements have been found in about 90% of all land plants, and have been around for approximately 400 million years. Plant roots are hospitable sites for the fungi to anchor and produce their threads (hyphae). The roots provide essential nutrients for the growth of the fungi. In return, the large mass of fungal hyphae acts as a virtual root system for the plants, increasing the amount of water and nutrients that the plant may obtain from the surrounding soil. A plant that forms an association benefiting both the fungus and the plant is a "host." Large numbers of native desert plants are hosts to these fungi and would not survive without them.

The diverse group of mycorrhizae is broken up into two larger groups based off of their morphology: endomycorrhizae, ectomycorrhizae. Endomycorrhizae, also known as arbuscular mycorrhizae, forms along the outer surface of the root and exchanges nutrients with the plant by inserting itself inside the plant cells. The complex the mycorrhizae forms with the root cell is called an arbuscule. Ectomycorrhizae form on the external surface of the root and exchange nutrients through the cell walls of the root cells staying outside of the cells. The ectomycorrhizae forms a complex with the root cells called a Hartig net. Mycorrhizae are extremely important to the overall function of many species of plants it is a symbiotic relationship that not only helps run ecosystems but helps to power our agriculture.

Nutrients and water

Mycorrhizae are essential in areas where soils are deficient in water and certain nutrients - conditions that are found in the desert. Even when there is an ample amount of a nutrient, it may not be readily accessible to the plant. A dramatically larger root system (or mycorrhizae) permits the plant to obtain additional moisture and nutrients. This is particularly important in uptake of phosphorus, one of the major nutrients required by plants.

When mycorrhizae are present, plants are less susceptible to water stress. Not only do the fungal threads help to bring water and nutrition into the plant, but they also can store them for use when rainfall is sparse and temperatures are high. When organic matter (compost) is added to improve a soil, mycorrhizae are important in making its nutrients available. The residual organic matter and the hyphae improve the structure of the soil. Recent research indicates that the fungi even help break down rock, increasing availability of the essential nutrients within, such as potassium, calcium, zinc and magnesium.

Disease resistance

Mycorrhizae also help the plant resist infection by other fungi and even bacteria. This may be because the plant, being better nourished, is healthier and has better resistance to the invader. It may also be that the large physical presence of one fungus impedes infection by others. Another possibility is that either the plant or the fungus produces compounds that prevent infection by pathogens.

Interaction with other soil microbes — a cycle of benefit

Desert plants interact with other organisms in the soil. Many of these microorganisms fertilize plants by "fixing" nitrogen, which is then available for plant growth. When mycorrhizae are present, the number and vitality of these nitrogen fixers increase. As a result, the plant‘s health and vigor improves, as does the health and vigor of the beneficial fungi.

Propagules are an average count of colony-forming inoculants called hyphae, root fragments, and spores:

• Hyphae is the fungal body that grows out of spores. They act as an extension of the plant's root system. They are short-lived and more vulnerable to stress.

• Root fragments are tiny root pieces that contain various fungal structures (hyphae, spores, and vesicles) that can be an effective means of fungal propagation and help re-establish the symbiosis with plant roots.

• Meanwhile, spores act as a mycorrhizal seed that will germinate in the presence of a host plant. They are more resistant and live longer than other propagules.

Spores can be viable or non-viable. Non-viable spores are lipid-free spores and are not able to germinate the fungi. On the other hand, viable or "active spores" are capable of germinating or colonizing a plant efficiently. They form symbiotic relationships with plants and play an important role in the inoculation of plants by mycorrhizae. RootMax contains 245 active spores per gram of glomus mycorrhizal fungi, which is more than 1500 propagules per gram

In order to get a stronger and more effective reaction, the product needs to be concentrated. RootMax is 50x more potent than any rooting powder or rooting hormone brand available anywhere in the USA. Use it for transplanting cuttings, mixing with organic fertilizer for preparing planting soil or basically growing anything indoors or outdoors. We give you the same potency that we supply to commercial farms globally as we believe gardeners deserve no lesser than farmers.

It is difficult to obtain data regarding natural mycorrhizal fungi already in the soil without specialized testing to identify relevant species, amounts and ratios, as well as the most beneficial mycorrhizal fungi's location relative to the roots of your plants. Making decisions based on unknowns may cause your plants to miss beneficial developmental opportunities during key times throughout the year, thereby delaying the formation of mycorrhizae with the plant roots. In addition, there is no guarantee that the mycorrhizal fungi in your native soil form symbiotic relationships with your plant species. The fungi in RootMax, however, engage in proven symbiotic relationships with our customers' plants and are the best way to guarantee inoculation. The sooner mycorrhizae form, the sooner they start to benefit plants, and as any grower knows, the first days of the plant’s life cycle can be critical to success. Growing necessitates getting plants off to the best start possible. With short life cycles of only a few months, plants need all the help they can get at an early stage so that they can focus on flowering rather than vegetative growth.

No! However, we don't want good fungi to go to waste. Don’t worry about over-application; each plant autoregulates its mycorrhization and maintains ideal levels of the fungi.

Early and often. You can apply all our mycorrhizaes every 2 to 3 weeks. Often it takes about 10 days for the mycorrhizae to start colonizing.

Yes! Mycorrhizal fungus works with your plant’s roots to increase the nutrients and water your fruits and veggies receive. Your plants will be hardier and more drought-tolerant with a mycorrhizal-inoculated rootbed.