Okay, obviously many of you already know what Mycorrhizae is, but I would be willing to wager that many of you do not.  Therefore I wanted to post a few videos that are not my own in order to help you understand an important element of fig roots that you may be missing.  Mycorrhizae comes from two greek words, mykos meaning fungus and riza meaning root.  95% of all plants on earth use mycorrhizae in a symbiotic relationship in which the fungus colonizes the root system of that plant and aids in nutrient absorption.  Mycorrhizae "borrow" carbohydrates from the host plant while the host plant gains the benefits of higher absorptive capacity for water and mineral nutrients, because of the large surface area of fungal hyphae, which are much longer and finer than plant roots.  These hyphae are like a web that sort of becomes an extension of your plants roots that can penetrate deep into the heaviest of clay soils and extract nutrients from various locations throughout the soil.  This is often called the soil web. 

This short video gives you a very simple idea of how this works:

Another video worth checking out, again very short and basic

I will post some more videos soon on this subject but this is just to get you going, learn to feed the soil and "grow" your own soil so that your figs can grow healthy roots!

Disclaimer 5% of plants do not seem to interact with the fungi this includes blueberries.  However figs do!

Why NPK is not only answer!  

bump

Sound interesting. Will definitely watch videos. Thanks for posting.

Awesome Cheryl, there are better videos than these on youtube but I chose these because they were short and sweet.  Please post any info you find or questions you have, maybe others will chime in as well.  Are you growing your figs in pots or in ground?

How to harvest microbes from the land:

I really like this guy:

I've read that mulch from wood chips, preferably from as many different types as possible will donate their unique fungus as the mulch breaks down.

I think adding charcoal powder to the top layer of mulch could help this process in the long run (1-2) years +

I incorporate pieces of lumpwood charcoal into my orchid potting mixture and fig potting to keep it sweet. Just don't use treated briquettes or any other charcoal that has been treated to make it burn fast or you will lose your entire collection as that lady did with her orchids.

Fungal hyphae are the secret to optimal growing period. No need to specifically "add" powders because spores and mycelia are everywhere in nature. The secret is using a groundcover or mulch to pull apart soil and provide moisture retention for development and co-existance of hyphae. Hyphae can shoot out for acres underground; henceforth, largest animal in the world Armillaria sp. covers 2000 acres in OR. Fungi are your fig's friends. STOP USING ANTIFUNGALS AND OTHER CHEMICALS AND FEED YOUR PLANTS ADEQUATELY SO THEY CAN FORM IMMUNE RESPONSE.

Organic mulch is the  big issue here.  If you can't find organic mulch like leaves and wood chips you can even use cardboard and grass clippings.  Also you can feed the fungi with starches from your rice and potato water :)

Technically any ground cover that maintains moisture would work, including inorganic materials such as plastic. fungi will be fine without being fed specifically, as long as the ecosystem is fixable and there is something that they can use to attract life. organic would be best, but the MOST important thing is soil moisture content, not organic mulch per se.

Good for potted figs too or just the ones on the ground

Silva, adding mulch on top of a pot will increase moisture retention. If you are in a dry area and need to conserve water, then this is a good idea. If you are in a wet area, then this could be a very bad idea.

It would not be wise to plant a fig in a wet swampy area to start with.
If the fig is planted in a well draining soil like it should be....mulch is
the answer to keeping moisture around new planted fig trees.
I do have 80 already in ground growing figs, and a little experience
with what actually works and what does not.

If you use compost or manure you already are supplying
the needed organisms for healthy roots.

Ive never added any special fungi and have always had good results.

Doug

Fungal activity can be enhanced by adding starches to soil, you can use your rice water, bean water, or even the water you boiled your potatoes in.  If you really want to increase the potency then add some molasses.