Puffball power

Roz Hart, a fungi expert, visited in August with member Carol and friend Helen – all are King’s Park volunteers. Roz was thrilled upon arrival to find Pisolithus puffball fungi-fruiting just near the entrance gate.  Pisolithus is a mycorrhizal fungi and there is strong evidence that they form symbiotic networks with plant roots, enhancing nutrient uptake and water absorption. They explored the 2024 plantings for Pisolithus in the front paddock which was fascinating, and found lots near the larger Eucalypts. 

When they walked in the back paddock through the 2026 plantings Roz realised that they had an ideal opportunity to harvest Pisolithus from the front paddock. Then experiment to see if it enhanced growth in the back paddock (where there is currently only a very few Pisolithus fruiting) with the new 2026 seedlings. Apparently the optimum time to apply the Pisolithus slurry was at that time.  They noted the exact location of the 53 Eucalypts that were surrounded with a Pisolithus slurry. They plan to return in August for the next few years to monitor that batch of Eucalypts, and Roz will forward us report. You can read about the method used at Fungi4land.com, under restoration using puffball spores.

Roz Hart and her colleague Sapphire McMullan-Fisher have just launched a book “Fungi for Land: a practical guide for land managers” produced by UWA Press.  It is available from Aspects in Kings Park.