-
Your shopping cart is empty!
Until modern times, plants have relied on nutrients provided
by their relationship with microbial life. This relationship can seem complex
and mysterious. There are however, some key elements to microbial soil life
that can enlighten curious gardeners with little more than a brief explanation:
** Plants exude sugars from their roots.
** Bacteria and fungi ingest these sugars.
** Protozoa and nematodes then eat the bacteria and fungi.
** Their excess waste is transformed into "plant
available" nutrients right in the root zone.
** The plant uses these nutrients to grow.
** The plant is in control of when and what it eats. By using
a piece of its' own energy to feed these microbes, the plant insures a future source of energy
greater than what it has lost.
Understanding this cycle will help you better learn how
plants relate to the soils in witch they are grown. Realizing that plants
evolved with this relationship can help you decide what is best for your
garden.
Soil is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, and a full
spectrum of living creatures. It is also a microscopic landscape where life
decomposes to its base ingredients and ushered into new forms. Gardeners don't
need to know complex biochemistry to know their garden, but understanding some
of the processes going on in your soil can be rewarding:
** Fresh organic material is broken down by microbes. The
bacteria eat the sugars and fresh green material. The fungi eat the tougher
woody material and proteins.
** The plant material is further broken down by larger
microbes, small bugs, and worms that feast on the bacteria and fungi.
** Microbes hold moisture and nutrients in their biomass.
They keep the water from evaporating and the nutrients from leaching away.
** Bacteria produce slimes that bind particles together to
form humus in your soil. This helps the soil store oxygen, creates cracks for
water to flow, and provides a shelter for the multitude of creatures thriving
underfoot.
These are just a few examples of microbial soil interactions
that can help you better relate to your garden. Through these processes, the
life in your soil maintains balance with the environment that it is a part
of.
If you are adding compost, mulching, or avoiding chemical
fertilizers, then you are probably already doing much to improve your soils
health. By learning how these actions affect your garden, you can better trust
your own reasoning and intuition to guide your relationship with soil life.
** COMPOST: Compost is organic matter that has been broken
down by microbes so that its' energy is stored for further use. Applying it to
your garden ads colonies of diverse organisms to the soil. It also supplies a
new food source for existing colonies. There is much variation in qualities
compost can posses. For instance, the debris that comprises the compost should
be fully broken down and unrecognizable. It should have a deep brown color and
rich but subtle smell. If it smells strong than it is probably potent in some
way. If it smells rotten, than it could add problems to your soil. Many methods
of producing compost can yield different results, but remember: We evolved with
these microbes, plants, and soils as well. Your senses can be the best judge of
the quality of compost.
** COMPOST TEA: Compost tea is a brew of oxygen rich water,
high quality compost, and some foods to help microbes bloom in population. The
goal of good CT is to substantially multiply the beneficial organisms. They can
then be used to coat leaf surfaces, inoculate compost, and restore or improve
soil health. A bio-film of CT on leaf surfaces can keep pathogens from reaching
the plant as a food source. The microbes also respire CO2 that helps fuel plant
metabolism. Use of tea in compost or soil can drastically increase the biomass
of healthy life that stores and converts energy.
** MYCORRHIZAE: Most plants in the Earths' soils have evolved
to have a mycorrhizal relationship with Fungi. This is when a specialized
species of fungi attaches to the root of a plant, and directly exchanges
nutrients in the soil for foods from the plant. The fungi use enzymes and
organic acids to break down minerals in the soil and draw them into the plants
roots. The fungal hyphae (strands of cells that form the organism) can multiply
the water-absorbing surface area of the root zone by hundreds of times. Use of
mycorrhizal fungi spores can greatly increase your plants access to water and
nutrients.
** MINERALS: Many of the nutrients locked within our soils
are in the form of minerals. Some are readily available to plants, while others
need the help of microbes to unlock their energy. When we harvest from our
gardens, we deplete the nutrients made available from organic matter and
minerals. We usually replenish organic matter in the form of compost or
fertilizers. It is also good to add minerals while restoring fertility to your
soil.
** MULCH: Mulch can be a useful tool for dealing with a
number of garden issues. It can keep moisture in the soil, prevent weeds from sprouting,
and be a food source for the microbes in your garden. Mulch should be layered
thick enough to accomplish these tasks but loose enough to allow for the flow
of oxygen. It can take many forms and each posses unique functions. Try
different materials and decide for yourself what's best for your garden.
** TILLING: Tilling your soil can destroy fungal colonies,
damage bacteria, and release precious nutrients back into the air. Sometimes it
is necessary while rehabilitating a landscape to till the damaged soil. Compost
and Compost Tea should be applied soon after to inoculate the soil and restore
its' composition. Hand picking weeds, cover cropping and mulch can be useful
alternatives to annual tilling. When it comes to tillage, less is more.
Everything you do to your garden affects microbial life.
With little effort, you can enhance this life for the benefit of your garden,
your health, and your environment.