THE SOIL GEEK™

CAN FUNGUS REALLY BE BENEFICIAL TO PLANTS?

Most plant care people are aware of different types of fungi that attack plants. Often pesticides are used to kill these fungi. A better approach is to promote the growth of beneficial fungi to combat these bad guys. The fact is, there are literally tens of thousands of types of fungi that can benefit plants. Here’s how some of these beneficial associations work:

• Some fungi attach themselves directly to the roots of plants and go into the soil and bring water and nutrients to the plants. In return, the plants give foods to the fungi to sustain them. These associations between roots and fungi exist in over 90% of plant life.
• Another positive aspect of these fungi is that they create a shield around roots to protect them from disease causing fungi and other parasites that attack plants. Additonally, fungi can increase the amount of energy and nutrient storage for trees and shrubs by more than 10 times in some cases.
• Understanding the difference between good and bad soil organisms is key to keeping your plants healthy without needing to use harmful pesticides and chemical fertilizers that can adversely impact the environment. It is actually possible to recreate a natural soil ecosystem by extracting, reproducing and applying beneficial fungi (and other microbes) from soil and compost. This process is the basis for many of our soil health treatments.