Plant Gardens 101

Many diseases that roses get are caused by fungus that attacks your roses. However, I do have some good news for you, no matter what kind of fungi is damaging your roses the treatments are all pretty much the same.

There are many things you can do to keep the fungi away from your roses and to make sure that your roses do not attracted the fungi. One way is to actually water the soil instead of the plant it self. Fungi are attracted to any water that is one the plant itself, which means the leaves, stems and petals should stay dry if at all possible. You should check your roses on a regular basis to be sure that the canes are not exposed because fungi can make an easy home of an exposed cane.

You should keep the area around the base of the plant clean from any fallen dead leaves and petals. If you suspect that any blooms, leaves or canes have been infected with fungi they should be removed promptly. Once they are removed they should be disposed of properly so no other plants are exposed to it. You can throw them away or you can burn them and never throw them in your compost pile, this can make matters worse. (more…)

Mycorrhizal Fungi has remained relatively unheard of except for a few serious organic gardening buffs and erosion control professionals, even though it has been around since creation.

In nature trees, plants and grasses flourish without any intervention from man. Think about that for a moment. Consider, our nations great plains, national forests and vast grasslands. How is it that things grow so well without any interference from man? Don’t they understand that they are supposed to have synthetic fertilizer to grow? Silly, I know but isn’t that the way we have been told to think? Want a great lawn? Then spray this chemical on it and make it look green really fast! Want big tomatoes? Then use this miracle growth chemical!

When what was once natural habitat has been disturbed there is a very hard time getting new trees and sod to grow much less flourish. Wonder why that is? When top soil is stripped or cultivated, naturally occurring micro-organisms are wiped out. Vast networks of Mycorrhizal fungi, bacteria, protozoa and nematodes are gone. The results? Newly introduced plants and turf grow stunted and weak. They become targets of disease and insect infestations otherwise known as natural selection. Nature’s way of culling out the weak and ensuring the survival of the fittest. (more…)