No organic fertilizer, are you mad. How will my plants grow? Great soil grows great plants. We already know it, but the agriculture and nursery trades are discovering soil secrets to grow healthy, gargantuan plants that cut fertilizer costs to a minimum. This is because good dirt already IS organic fertilizer.
And you can GROW great garden soil. Thousands of tiny organisms are eating away at your soil every day… and pooping it out! You know the best organic fertilizer is, you got it…POOP. Cow poop, chicken poop, worm poop. Its in all the stores. Mico organism poop is just as good and its already IN your soil… but you can grow your microbe count and improve your garden soil by ridiculous amounts.
Plants have an immune system, just like people do. Good soil grows healthy plants with a strong immunity able to absorb more nutrients and fend off disease and insects. Healthy plants without chemical dependency on sprays, synthetic fertilizers. Chemical fertilizers are in fact, detrimental to the long term health of your soil because they kill the microbes.
Lets let a pro explain the soil biology (If youre interested in growing super healthy plants watch this, then watch it again in 6 months)
So, you got it? Bacteria and fungus. thousands of different types, all helping you grow bigger better plants. Aint nature grand?
Starting from scratch.
How do I get beneficial microbes into your soil? This is the best part, theyre already IN there. You just have to make sure they’re happy and well fed so they can grow and multiply.
Fungus loves roots. roots love fungus (fungi to be correct). They feed each other and help one another grow. The greatest love affair of all time. Lets figure out how to fan the flames.
Humus + Beneficial Bacteria and Fungus (inoculant) + Plants (roots)
Humus
Its the perfect environment. Soil humus (loam) is filled with fluffy organic matter containing nutrients that feed both microbe and plant. Its the perfect environment for both to thrive.
Adding organic matter to the soil each year helps the symbiosis GO. If you have space and materials to make your own compost, its so much fun. Some people would never leave their garden without it!
Wood Chips are an excellent source of organic matter. Where we live, they’re plentiful and FREE! If your town doesnt deliver free wood chips, try out AboutTrees.com to help you find free mulch.
I’ll never understand why some people are angered by wood chips in the garden. The woman working at the hardware store actually told me that ‘when the roots hit the woodchips, or an air pocket in between, they die’. I didnt believe her for a second. I think many people are just misinformed. We can listen to what people say or watch what people do… Check out Garden Seeks blog post about using woodchips in the garden soil. The winner in this experiment was a 50% woodchip/garden soil mix.
Inoculant
Bacteria and Fungi are already in the soil, Keep feeding them with organic matter and leave plant roots in the soil after every season to provide food and organic matter. You can also ‘inoculate’ your soil by adding even more bacteria and fungi. You can purchase inoculant. It comes in a wide variety of products. I picked up the Jobes/Proven Winners brand just yesterday. Its filled with bacteria and fungi (oh my). If youre really motivated you can make your own!
How to Make Your Own Inoculant
The Master gardeners in Gwinnett County Georgia came up with this method. (the procedure is at the bottom of the page. It takes a whole summer, but seems like fun. In short, you’ll grow an annual plant that is known to form mycorrhizae, in sand. The roots should entirely fill the pot of sand by the end of the summer. Cut off the plant and save the root filled sand in a cool dry place until next season. Now you have a home made organic fertilizer to sprinkle on your plants or mix in with your garden or potting soil!
Plant Roots
Mychorriza (my-kor-eye-za) is the mutual relationship between roots and fungus. The ‘Rhizosphere’ is the 1 inch area immediately surrounding the plants roots where bacteria and fungus congregate and cycle nutrients. They feed off if the carbon content of plant roots then poop them out, at the root making these nutrients more available to the plant.
Farmers have begun to realize that no part of their land should be ever without some kind of plant. They grow cover crops in between rows or in rotation. Crops like vetch, rye grass and soybeans are turned back into the soil. This adds organic matter (food for fungi) back to the soil, prevents compaction, helps retain moisture and grows great plants!
Best Organic Fertilizer is NO Fertilizer. Growing Great Garden Soil
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