Best Kept Gardening Secret Revealed!

Mycorrhizal Fungi has remained relatively unheard of except for a few serious organic gardening buffs and sustainable agriculture professionals

. James Cameron's science fiction blockbuster Avatar features an incredible scene in which the hero is laid down on the forest floor and becomes engulfed in glowing vines and slithering trails of cobweb like filaments. It was at this scene I pointed to my wife and said, "That's Mycorrhizal Fungi!" Indeed, it is a great visual depiction of how it works, albeit on a much smaller scale. This naturally occurring micro-organism forms a symbiotic relationship with plant roots to exponentially increase the total area used for the uptake of nutrients. In nature trees, plants and grasses flourish without any intervention from man. Think about that for a moment. Consider, our nations great plains, national forests and vast grasslands. How is it that things grow so well without any interference from man? Don't they understand that they are supposed to have synthetic fertilizer to grow?

Silly, I know but isn't that the way we have been told to think? Want a great lawn? Then spray this chemical on it and make it look green really fast! Want big tomatoes? Then use this miracle growth chemical! When what was once natural habitat has been disturbed there is a very hard time getting new trees and sod to grow much less flourish. Have you ever wondered why that is? When top soil is excavated, stripped or cultivated, naturally occurring micro-organisms are wiped out. Vast networks of Mycorrhizal fungi, bacteria, protozoa and nematodes are gone. The results? Newly introduced plants and turf grow stunted and weak. They become targets of disease and insect infestations otherwise known as natural selection. This is Nature's way of culling out the weak and ensuring the survival of the fittest. About this time, someone gets the bright idea to spray some chemicals to make things look nicer. Dead foliage and grass clippings build up into layers of thatch because there is nothing to decompose them naturally. Waterways become polluted with Algae overgrowth due to synthetic fertilizer leeching away.

Both animals and humans become exposed to chemicals documented to cause numerous health issues. We've spent over forty years proving that modern chemical farming methods don't work. They destroy the very soil fertility needed for healthy growth. In turn they supply the market with produce that is practically devoid of nutrition. And just think, you get the added bonus of ingesting chemical residue from all the herbicides and pesticides! So what do you do? First, get your soil tested and follow the recommendations. This is especially important for those who sow directly into tilled native soil. Your soil test will reveal what the key elements of your soil chemistry are. This is your first step because it helps you determine what needs to be done and in what order. In addition to soil chemistry your test will give a reading for organic matter (OM).

Research tell us that up to ninety eight percent of a plants growth comes directly from organic matter. That makes this a very important component when it comes to increasing your soils fertility. After you balance the soil chemistry and provide organic matter to support basic life it is time to re-introduce Mycorrhizal fungi back into the environment. Now you are well on your way to the most awesome, organic produce you've ever grown! There is really nothing difficult about organic gardening. There is no miracle cure and no magic fix, it is simply a matter of working in harmony with nature instead of trying to find a short cut.

Copyright 2010 Greg Traver

by: Gen Wright

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