You are busy checking the soil for proper nutrients and watering your plants to ensure they grow exceptionally. But are you aware that there is a symbiotic relationship that is happening in the hidden world of your garden soil?
Many years ago, higher green plants and the mycorrhizal fungi agreed to work together. Mycorrhizal fungi translate to fungus roots. Found naturally in the soil, it attaches itself to about 85 to 90 percent of plants all over the world.
A thriving mycorrhizal fungus will become a secondary root system for your plant. Its ability to extend farther into the soil helps your garden plants by extracting mineral elements and water from the soil. On the other hand, your garden plants provide energy to the mycorrhizal fungi by releasing sugars and carbohydrates after photosynthesis. But why is it important to have this fungus in your garden?
1. Growth Improvement
No gardener wants to spend their time on plants that do not grow. Luckily, the mycorrhizal fungi acquire nutrients that are efficient in helping garden plants maintain their optimal growth. The fungi help the growth of both the roots and the green plant above the soil, ensuring that no compromise is made as the plant grows longer.
2. Reduces Nutritional Deficiencies
The Mycorrhizal fungi work by mining out the growing medium. The roots of the fungi efficiently extract and bring nutrients to your garden plants.
This especially happens in regions where the roots of the plant are not present. Most of the nutrients that are transported by the fungi include phosphorus, manganese, copper, and zinc. By providing these nutrients the fungi prevent your garden plants from experiencing any nutrient deficiencies and their symptoms from becoming visible.
3. Wilting is Delayed
The mycorrhizal fungi can penetrate the depths of the soil where other plant roots cannot reach. Thus, they acquire water from the growing regions that your plants cannot access. More water means that your plants will not experience water stress and any possible wilting will be delayed.
4. Reduces Fertilizer Use
The process of mining out the growing medium that the fungi are involved in is usually for fertilizer elements. Thus, if your soil has thriving mycorrhizal fungi you can reduce the amount of fertilizer that you apply in your garden.
5. Reduces Attacks on Root Disease
By reducing wilting, the effects of stress that occur on plant roots will be delayed. Thus, any thriving mycorrhizal fungi will make the roots of your plant less liable to attacks by root rot pathogens. This is because the presence of the fungi on plant roots competes with these pathogens by consuming root exudates like carbohydrates. Besides, the fungi thicken the cell walls of the root making it difficult for any pathogen to penetrate.
6. Increased Resistance to Toxicity from Salt
If you live in a region that has high amounts of salt, you can still nurture your garden to fruition. The mycorrhizal fungi will protect your plants from toxicities that arise from micronutrients and excessive salt presence.
7. Increased Resistance to Transplant Shock
Unlike your garden plant, the roots of the fungi establish quickly whenever they are in new soil environments. Therefore, your plants will have an easier time with transplant shock in the presence of the fungi. The ease of extraction of water and nutrients helps the fungi to provide the plant with buffer abilities until the plant has adjusted to the new soil environment
8. Increased Plant Production
