Mycorrhizae Help Feed Your Plants

One of the most worthful organisms yoursoilcan have is a fungus known as mycorrhizae , which means “ fungus root ” in Greek . The full name of the fungus will really make an impression at your next cocktail company : vesicular - arbuscular mycorrhiza ( VAM ) , a fancy name for afungusthatevery nurseryman should knowintimately .

discover more : Healthy Soil Is at the Heart of a Thriving Garden

What is mycorrhizae and how does it benefit your plants?

Mycorrhizae are kingdom Fungi that establish a graceful , symbiotic relationship with the origin of most flora . They invade the roots of vegetables , blossom , shrubs , and trees ; plug in them , one to the other ; and then send out their filaments , called hyphae , as much as 200 clock time far into the soil than the rootage they colonize . Mycorrhiza has the ability to better mine this wider area for water and nutrients , especially phosphorus , which it transmits back to the roots . The plant pays for this service with the glucose the fungus needs .

This protracted feeding area make up mycorrhizae - associated works just plain healthier . They have good root formation as well as fewer root diseases and other grunge pest problems . They also require less moisture and fertilizer , while show an increased allowance to salt .

Avoid tilling and over fertilizing, but don’t be shy about adding compost

The tonality to this howling , subterranean environment is the undisturbed labyrinth of hyphae . till and even wide-eyed hoeing can rive apart this fragile lace , which can then take months or even age to reestablish . When tilling is a yearly outcome , the fungus will never get a foothold . Too much synthetical fertiliser can also damage the fungus , as can pesticides and , of course , fungicides . Solarizing your soil ( report it with clear plastic to let the sun ’s heat stamp out mourning band and insects ) will also destruct mycorrhizae .

stain high in organic matter are where mycorrhizae brandish , so adding compost is one of the best elbow room to advance the establishment and growth of the fungi . Rather than dig up in organic matter , which will destruct the fungous net , lay the compost on top of the grime and let it of course decay into the soil .

ByStephen Johnson

Some gardeners do n’t wish to receive toadstools in their garden , but those mushrooms that pop up around the bases of your pine trees are telling you something . When the territory is dampish and the air is cool , the fungi that appear aboveground to distribute their spore are a sign of the naturally happen mycorrhizal relationship that exist underground between the roots of many form of plants and the fungi that surround them .

Although these kingdom Fungi course occur in the grunge , it may take workweek or days for them to establish themselves . Since mycorrhizal fungi can not exist in distressed soil , you could introduce them to a works by use an inoculant . Here are a few things to keep in mind when using these merchandise :

hear more :

Basics of Soil Biology Video

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Put the biography Back Into Your filth

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