Most cover crops are a fall affair. Planting seed like crimson clover or rye can be depressing because it means winter will soon sequester the barren land for three months. Still, not all cover crops need the fall fixture for optimum growth. Buckwheat, also known as the "phosphorous pump", is a beautiful and beneficial addition to a summer garden. Buckwheat is unique in its ability to mine phosphorous from the soil into its roots. … [Read more...] about Buckwheat: The Phosphorous Philanthropist
Phosphorous
Garlic: Bane of Raccoons and Vamps Everywhere: Scene 2
Last week, in the first installment of all things garlic, the discussion leaned towards picking the right varieties. Now, it's time to get dirty and put some cloves in the ground. 1)Mise en Place Some of the best ingredients for a garlic garden plot is alfalfa (hay, meal or pellets), bone meal or soft rock phosphate. Bone meal and soft rock both contain a good amount of the delicious phosphorous garlic gobbles up. I prefer soft rock since beneficial microbes (like mycorrhizae ) readily … [Read more...] about Garlic: Bane of Raccoons and Vamps Everywhere: Scene 2
Mycorrhizae–The Happy Joy Sharing Fungus
We tend to look at funguses by first showing it our upturned nose. They can wreak havoc on a garden virtually overnight. Unsexy villains like powdery mildew, verticullium wilt, and the ever punctual early blight can transform a mild-mannered gardener into a curled up ball of whimper. Amidst this rogue's row exists funguses that actually benefit the plant and the soil. Perhaps the best known are mycorrhizae, a Samaritan fungus that creates a symbiotic relationship with the plant. Mycorrhizae … [Read more...] about Mycorrhizae–The Happy Joy Sharing Fungus
