GETTING TO KNOW YOUR MICROBES
A
s you walk up and down the aisles of
your local hydroponics store, you’ve
probably noticed products containing
mycorrhizae, microbes and beneficial
bacteria. On the back of the label, there
is a long list of Latin names for each
microbe species and how many spores
are included. If you aren’t familiar with
the many species of fungi and bacteria, this list can be overwhelming. You
might be wondering what each of these
critters actually does for your plants.
First things first, you need to
understand what microbes are. The
word microbe generally refers to fungi
and bacteria. Beneficial fungi and
bacteria are essential components of
the soil food web. They are the reason
forests are lush and green despite
gardeners not being there to water
and feed the trees.
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Maximum Yield USA | November 2015
Mycorrhizal Fungi
Mycorrhizal fungi form a symbiotic
relationship with their host plant. In
exchange for the root exudates the
plant provides, mycorrhizal fungi
spread their hyphae throughout the
soil and bring nutrients and minerals
back to the host plant. The beneficial
bacteria are an indispensable part of
this circle. They consume, digest and
excrete nutrients and minerals
back into the soil. If it wasn’t
for these bacteria holding
onto them, the nutrients
and minerals would drain
into the water table
when it rains. The host
plant and microbes
recycle nutrients to
feed one another.
“
Arbuscular mycorrhizal
fungi associate with most
crop plants and are what
most gardeners need to use.
”