How-To Features Tree Registry Register your trees for customized advice. Elm Trees Mycorrhizae form when mycorrhizal fungi infect newly forming non-woody roots as shown here. Over millions of years, elm trees have evolved to thrive in a specific type of soil. When an elm is transplanted into a new environment, the soil is rarely ideal.
Elm trees are also susceptible to the devastating Dutch elm disease.
Other things being equal, an elm tree in suitable soil is better able to cope with the disease than one in poor soil. As a homeowner, it is your job to create a more natural soil for your tree . The best way to do this is with the addition of mycorrhizal fungi. The term 'mycorrhizae' describes a symbiotic relationship between beneficial fungi and plants . Mycorrhizal fungi live in and around the roots of most plants.