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‘Invisible’ creepy-crawlies make for healthy soil, plants
Do you want to know a dirty little secret? Microbes.
Otherwise known as microorganisms – “An organism of microscopic size, especially a bacterium or protozoan” (American Heritage Dictionary) – these “dirty little secrets” live and thrive right under the soles of your shoes (or feet, if you’re a barefoot gardener). If it wasn’t for their presence, the things we grow in our gardens and landscapes probably wouldn’t survive without some type of inorganic help in the form of artificial fertilizers.
I think there needs to be more emphasis on creating healthy soil. When plants grow in healthy soil, they are naturally healthy, versus manmade healthy. Plants that rely on chemical fertilizers, given to them by overzealous gardeners who want bigger instead of better, might be deprived of healthy root-protecting fungi that are killed after chemical fertilizers are applied.
Therefore, if you want a natural and healthy landscape for your garden, it’s necessary to understand a little science concerning the soil, its inhabitants, and the relationship that exists between them and the plants gardeners like to grow.
Writing in “Teaming with Microbes: A Gardener’s Guide to the Soil Food Web,” Jeff Lowenfels and Wayne Lewis tell us, “Sure, it (the science of the soil food web) requires a bit of effort, but for too long, for too many gardeners, everything we needed to know came in a bottle or jar and all we had to do was mix with water and apply with a hose-end sprayer: instant cooking meets home gardening.”
Until I became a Master Gardener, I never gave much thought to what went on down under and how it affected the flowers and vegetables I grew. After realizing the important synchronicity between soil and plants, I began gardening with a different mindset.
So, what exactly is this “soil food web” anyway? Understanding what’s going on between plants and the organisms that live in the soil. That’s the basic definition. I’m positive you know about and have seen the larger organisms living in your garden soil – earthworms, centipedes, ants, slugs (yuck!), beetles and their larvae, and more. But you probably didn’t know that “A mere teaspoon of good garden soil, as measured by microbial geneticists, contains a billion invisible bacteria, several yards of equally invisible fungal hyphae, several thousand protozoa, and a few dozen nematodes.” It’s these unseen microbial life forms living in the soil that help our plants develop healthy root systems.
With so many organisms living in and under the soil, each requiring energy, Lowenfels and Wayne call it a “eat-and-be eaten world,” and offer a succinct definition of the soil food web: “Most organisms eat more than one kind of prey, so if you make a diagram of who eats whom in and on the soil, the straight-line food chain instead becomes a series of food chains linked and cross-linked to each other, creating a web of food chains, or a soil food web.”
Consider this an introductory article about the soil food web. I’ll continue the series in next week’s column. Between now and then, please take some time to do a little research on your own, and jot down any “dirty little secret” questions that you might have.
T.C. Conner is a Master Gardener and columnist for Allied News. He can be reached at tc@thewritegardener.com. Check out his blog at www.the writegardener.wordpress.com.
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Being in the middle means you can look back--and forward
This week I’ll be celebrating another birthday. As I do every year, I take the time to reflect on the many experiences I’ve had and ponder what the next 365 days will bring into my life.
Where did the time go? How did this year fly by so fast? For that matter, how did the years pass so quickly? -
Star’s unhealthy relationship a wake-up call for all
I remember a long time ago watching a program on TV about how to identify the unhealthy relationships in our lives and why we, as human beings, seem persistent in wanting to stay in those that are so bad for us.
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Historic wedding gowns on display
The Grove City Area Historical Society is featuring a new display this summer that holds sentimental value for many residents.
A collection of old wedding dresses, cake toppers, photos and other items are arranged in the storefront on College Avenue.
The dresses date from the turn of the 20th century to 1995. -
Find something fresh and something new at Olde Town market this week
Olde Town Grove City's Farmers' Market promises something new for the Thursday, July 8 market: A wedding theme.
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Downtown Summer Sounds series continues July 8
Olde Town Grove City’s first Downtown Summer Sounds concert started off with a bang on July 1 with fantastic music, great food and an enthusiastic crowd.
Locals Ryan Bibza and Sean Corbett began the show with contemporary acoustic offerings, including violin accompaniment by Fawn Todd and vocals by Kelly Bonner. Featured performer Zachary Luchette charmed the audience with everything from familiar opera pieces to humorous musical theater songs. -
Local 6-year-old chosen as finalist in Pa. pageant
Madison Jean Emmert, 6, daughter of John and Jennifer Emmert of Grove City area, has been selected as a state finalist in the National American Miss Pennsylvania Pageant, to be held Aug. 13 and 14 at Hilton Harrisburg & Towers, Harrisburg.
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Watch for early signs of late blight
Attention tomato growers!
Late blight has arrived in northwestern Pennsylvania, but thankfully not in my tomato patch, yet, and probably not in yours. -
Gardening rules? They’re more like guidelines, anyway
“How to” gardening directs you to plant this now and that later, or that now and this later. There seems to be little said about planting this and that whenever you want.
Following gardening’s rules is something I write about all the time, and I rarely encourage readers to break those rules--until now. -
Grove City Medical Center hosts annual volunteer honor
The staff and administration of Grove City Medical Center feted volunteers at their annual honor event, which was held June 15.
Following the luncheon, volunteer treasurer Carol Lambert presented Robert C. Jackson Jr., CEO of the hospital, with a check for $22,000, which represented the proceeds from all GCMC volunteer fundraising efforts throughout the past year. Included in the $22,000 was $9,000 in profit from the GCMC volunteer coffee shop, Grand Grounds. -
You're never too young to start living a healthy lifestyle
Good health is a precious gift, and young women are not realizing what they have until it is gone.
In this day and age, the combination of diet and fitness is extremely important, yet overlooked the majority of the time. We have too many distractions, and they are taking a toll on our health. The good news is, according to trainers across the nation and at the University of Kentucky, there are ways to achieve overall health without any drastic changes to the way you live. - More Community Headlines
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