Topsoils can be purchased and delivered if native topsoils are irreplaceable. This practice is expensive, removes topsoil from other areas, and must be haul from other sites. For these reason, this practice is neither ideal nor sustainable. Yet, project timelines sometimes require long stockpiling and may not allow mycorrhizal communities to remain healthy. In these cases, selling of native topsoil may be justified, but inoculation or importation are also options. If the soils structure are severely damaged, imported live topsoil may be necessary to re-establish a healthy mycorrhizal community.

(See “Construction and Siting Issues” section)

Inoculation can also be expensive depending on the volume of soil requiring mycorrhizal spores. The following vendors provide additional information on mycorrhizae products:

www.mycorrhizae.com

www.planthealthcare.com

Importation from adjacent sites is often free and therefore an inexpensive inoculation technique. (See “Case Studies” section) However, the least expensive option for maintaining viable mycorrhizal communities is to protect the health of native soils by minimizing disturbance and compaction and a constant moisture content.