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Mycorrhizal fungi indoors and out

When you’re growing hydroponically, you are in control of all the nutrients available to your plants. But when you’re growing in a soil-based media, nature takes over. While you can still add fertilizers to supplement plant nutrient needs, it’s the microfauna and microflora in the soil that does a lot of the work for you.

Soil, in contrast to a contained hydroponics system, is itself a living organism. Beneficial bacteria, insects, arthropods and beneficial fungi are the engines that drive soil productivity. In soil, it’s the living inhabitants that break down organic matter, making nutrients available to your plants.

One of the most powerful residents in your soil is mycorrhizal fungi. Mycorrhizal fungi is a network of interconnected fungal root-like tissues in the soil that help boost nutrient availability and uptake by plants.

Mycorrhizal fungi live beneath the soil, attaching with root-like threads to soil, plant roots and even to mulch that is decomposing. These white colored “threads” are actually the mycelial filaments of fungi – or the “body” of the fungus. The mushroom caps you see above ground are actually the fruiting bodies of the fungi that produce spores; sort of like a flower.

Mycorrhizal fungi not only helps to break down organic matter in the soil, it also acts as an extension of your plant’s root system. The thin filaments actually join with the cells in plant roots, growing into them and create a bridge over which nutrients can be transferred. The plants provide sugars to the fungi, while the fungi provide nutrients like phosphorus to the plant. Essentially, it’s a symbiotic relationship that significantly expands the reach of a plant’s own root system.

Mycorrhizal fungi helps plants absorb nutrients more efficiently and take up nutrients that are often bound up in the soil. They even release enzymes that break down compounds to make nutrients more available to your plants.

If you grow an outdoor garden, grow edibles in raised beds, or use patio containers to grow your plants, there are liquid and powder products you can apply to introduce and encourage mycorrhizal fungi to proliferate in your soil.

But wait, did you know you can also introduce mycorrhizal fungi to your plants grown in hydroponic systems?

Certain mycorrhizal fungi products can be introduced into your growing system just as you would any other powder based additive. If you’re looking to boost flowering and fruiting, get the most from your nutrient solution, improve water and nutrient storage and expand root systems, you should consider using mycorrhizal fungi.

Just make sure you select a product that is labeled for use in hydroponic systems.

Boosting levels of mycorrhizal fungi in your soil and hydroponic system is a great way to help your plants help themselves in an eco-friendly and sustainable way.

Here are a few of the most common fungal diseases you’ll fight indoors and out

No matter if you are growing your plants indoors, or tending an outdoor garden, the balance of temperature and water always plays a big part in overall plant health. When temperature and humidity reach certain levels, fungal diseases can explode, ruining the crops you’ve put so much effort into growing. Over-watering, watering on top of foliage and too much humidity create conditions in which fungal diseases can thrive.

POWDERY MILDEW

Poor ventilation and too much water are an open invitation for powdery mildew to move in. In addition to these environmental conditions, pests such as aphids can also spread the diseases to your plants. As they pierce the leaves to suck out juices, they spread the fungal spores from leaf to leaf. Many indoor grown plants, roses, zinnias and tomatoes are especially susceptible to powdery mildew.

In the outdoor garden, you can reduce the spread of powdery mildew by restricting watering to the early morning hours, so that water doesn’t sit on foliage overnight. Also, try to water at the ground level, rather than water plants on top of their foliage. Plants like roses commonly succumb to fungal diseases due to overhead watering. Overcrowding plants in the garden can also lead to breakouts of fungal diseases when humidity levels are high.

Indoor growers should be sure to ventilate their growing area well and keep the growing area very clean. Always remove infected foliage, or any infected foliage that has dropped. Leaf litter around your growing space can harbor and spread new fungal spores to your plants, as well as create habitat for pests.

Organic remedies for powdery mildew include SaferGro Mildew Cure and Safer Garden Fungicide.

TIP: Keeping a clean grow area and tools will keep fungal diseases and pests from spreading or breeding.

DAMPING OFF

Damping off is a disease that typically affects new emerging seedlings and cuttings. The stem will start to weaken, rot right at the soil line, and then fall over. There is a large host of fungal pathogens that cause damping off and most are present in all soils. These pathogens include Fusarium, Botrytis, Rhizoctonia, Alternaria and many more. Young seedling stems are most susceptible to these pathogens. Strong seedlings with quick growth and vigor will be most resistant to infection.

There is no cure for damping off so preventative care is key. Damping off generally becomes a problem when planting media is kept too moist as seedlings are emerging. High humidity and poor air circulation also add to the problem. It’s best to use a quality, well-draining medium when germinating seeds. Organic Mechanic seed starting blend or JumpStart Pellets are both good options.

You can also use a sterile medium, such as Premier ProMix that contains a natural biofungicide to help suppress fungal diseases.

GRAY MOLD, BOTRYTIS

Have you noticed gray, soft and mushy spots on plants leaves, stems, flowers and fruit? If it looks a little like hair or lint, it’s probably gray mold, or Botrytis. Excessive humidity is the biggest cause of gray mold; once it takes hold, gray mold is very difficult to cure. Plants with a severe Botrytis infection often die. Immediate removal of infected plants from your growing area will keep it from spreading to healthy plants. If you catch an outbreak quickly, you could potentially fight it off. Remove the mold from leaves with a soft, dry cloth, clean and sanitize your grow area, remove debris in the garden if outdoors, increase ventilation and reduce humidity.

Eva-Dry Dehumidifier EDV2200 is a an example of a mid-sized conventional dehumidifier that can knock moisture out of most spaces.

You can also treat plants with gray mold with fungicides, including organic copper and sulfur based fungicides. A good option is the biological fungicide SERENADE Garden Disease Control: The spray can be used on fruits, vegetables, and flowers without harm to people or the environment.

How to use flushing agents in your hydroponic system

Speaking of clean, how clean is your hydroponic system these days? A healthy harvest requires a clean growing area. If you’re growing hydroponically, then keeping your system clean and your nutrients balanced is also crucial to success. Salt buildup, algae, and other debris can inhibit plant growth impact the quality of your harvest.

Plants grown hydroponically using mineral nutrients can often experience nutrient imbalances; excess minerals and additives can build up inside plant tissue. The result can be plant damage and poor flavor in your harvest. When you get close to harvest time, do your plants seem to get a little peaked? Flushing can help. You might have also over-fertilized and need to correct the problem. Flushing your system can help plants get the nutrients they need and remove buildup of unwanted chemicals in the plant.

The easiest way to flush your system is to simply supply your plants straight water with no nutrients added for the last week to two weeks before you harvest them. This will force the plants to use up any of the excess stored nutrients or additives they’ve retained in their tissue. However, using just water may not thoroughly clean your system or the plants. Flushing agents can aid you in both cleaning your system thoroughly and better correcting nutrient imbalances.

Example product: Grotek Final Flush eliminates excess fertilizer salts in the final stages of growth and can also be used to correct overfeeding or for desalinization of reusable growing media.

How to clean and flush your hydroponic system with a flushing agent in 5 easy steps:

1. Depending on your type of hydroponic system, you’ll need to drain the reservoir. Recycle the old water by using it in your landscape or container plants. The residual nutrients in the reservoir water can give your outdoor plants a boost.

2. Clean the reservoir completely. Remove all sediment, algae and other pollutants that might be present. It might be necessary to scrape the algae off the sides. If you have a lot of algae build up, you’ll probably want to use an algae cleaner. Using a cleaning product such as Safer Moss & Algae Cleaner & Killer will make this task a breeze. Then, be sure to rinse the reservoir thoroughly.

3. Now refill your reservoir with water and your choice of flushing agent and pump it through the system. A flushing agent makes the cleaning process quicker and more efficient. Be sure to follow the directions on the flushing agent label so you don’t use more than you need to.

Example product: General Hydroponics FloraKleen removes fertilizer residue that can accumulate over time in hydroponic systems, growing media, and potting soils.

4. Once you’ve flushed the system, discard the water and refill the system with plain water. Test the pH of your water and adjust appropriately. Run your system for 24 hours.

5. Drain your system once more and refill the reservoir with fresh water and nutrients. Or, if this is a final flush before harvest, you may refill using water only. (Learn more about how to manage the nutrient solution in your system).

Example product: X Nutrients Flushing Solution is designed to flush away fertilizer salts and residues that accumulate in a plant’s stems, leaves, flowers and buds. Your crops will be healthier and cleaner.

Some growers will do a short flush every two weeks, while other will only flush their system once during a plant’s growing cycle; about one to two weeks prior to final harvest. Techniques will vary depending on your water quality, the type of plants you’re growing and the length of their growing cycle.

Did you know you can use flushing agents in soil and coir growing mediums too? Again, if you’re using mineral nutrients (synthetic fertilizers) in your potted crops growing in a soil or coir-based medium, excess nutrients can still build up in your plants. You should flush your container plants before harvest as well.

Mistletoe: Does it Hurt My Tree?

Mistletoe, a parasitic plant that attaches itself to many of our large shade trees, plays a significant part in the traditions of the holiday season. As far back as historical records go, mistletoe has been considered a magical plant with many purposes. It was once thought to protect against poison and also improve fertility. In fact, its reputation as an aphrodisiac led to the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe.

Mistletoe

Did you know mistletoe is a parasite?

Technically, mistletoe is a partial parasite, or a hemiparasite. That means it both penetrates and takes away water, nutrients and minerals from its host plant, but it can also grow by itself. Unlike true plant parasites, mistletoe can photosynthesize and make its own food.

Trees that are already weakened or stressed are most affected by mistletoe. Drought, construction damage, and pests and disease can make trees more susceptible to this plant-parasite. Without removal, the mistletoe will continue to grow and take up resources until the host branch eventually dies off. As branches die, your tree goes into decline and can become a hazard to your family.

If you live in an area with extreme storms, keeping trees clear of mistletoe and hazard branches is especially important.

How does mistletoe spread?

Birds and squirrels spread mistletoe by moving the seeds from tree to tree as they forage for food, perch or nest. Every three years, mistletoe goes to seed; therefore it’s best to remove it at least every other year or so so it can’t reproduce. Mistletoe is especially common in cedar elm and oak trees in the North Texas area. But it may be more common in other species in your area. If your neighbor’s trees have mistletoe, there is a good chance yours will eventually acquire it as well.

You have mistletoe. Now what?

If you notice mistletoe growing in your trees, the best time to remove it is during winter months. It’s important to remove the mistletoe before the flush of new spring growth so it isn’t stunted. Plus, it’s easier to find and remove mistletoe in trees that have dropped their leaves for the winter.

Follow up mistletoe removal with fertilization to replenish the nutrients that the mistletoe took away.

Garlic Chives Beats the Heat and Feeds the Neighborhood

It's pretty tough to find so many positive and desirable attributes in one plant, but garlic chives sure work hard to tik a lot of boxes! Garlic chives (Allium tuberosum) are one of my very favorite tough and versatile plants for your ornamental foodscaping garden.

Garlic chives are cold hardy from USDA Zones 3-9, which is a very broad range of cold hardiness....combined with extreme heat and drought tolerance. Plants can tolerate both sub-zero winters and hot dry summers. While you may see plants quiesce in a very hot dry summer (meaning the may rest and lose their top foliage but they don't technically go "dormant), but I've never seen that happen here in Texas yet, and it's pretty darn brutal in the summer. Even just a little supplemental water now and then keeps them growing. Foliage will die back in winter after a hard freeze (unless you cover them).

Plants burst into bloom in the hottest nastiest part of the summer here, usually in August, when many other plants may not be blooming or are damaged due to extreme heat, which has been more common these last few years.

Pollinator Magnet Plant

Blooming when they do, they are an absolute magnet when it comes to insects and pollinators. You might not think garlic chive flowers would be so popular, but without a lot of other blooming options, I can spot at any given time at LEAST five or six different species harvesting the flowers. And those are just the ones I can see (many are very tiny). None of them are bothered in the least by the others, they all just go about their business.

And you know a plant is a solid pollinator plant when you see OTHER predators (like lizards or large spiders) setting up shop next to these plants to catch prey.

Edible Landscaping, or Foodscaping Plant

Of course the foliage and the flowers are edible for humans, and there's nothing better than running out into the garden to grab fresh chives when you're cooking. Plus, plants are SO pretty when they are in bloom they are an outstanding ornamental perennial even if you don't eat them!

Plants will tolerate some dappled or a little shade in the day but bloom best in full sun. Mine are actually shaded for a while in the morning due to the location exposure, then get blasted with all the hot afternoon direct sun. They perform beautifully.

I'm always so thankful, come the awful heat and garden stress of August in Texas, that my garlic chives come to life and burst into bloom, providing my eyes a much needed respite from the dregs of summer, and a feeding spot for all my neighborhood pollinators.

Plenty to Share

Garlic chives can spread by clump and seed. So be prepared to give them a little space, or to pull up little seedlings where you don't want them from time to time. I love to collect seed to give away to friends, or you can dig up small clumps to share when it's time to divide or reduce. You can keep it in pots if you don't have room in the garden.

When it comes to growing healthy plants, whether you are growing indoors or outside, the substrate in which your plants grow is an essential to the success of your ornamental plants or edible crops. Coir and peat moss are two natural products that both help to improve soil texture, improve aeration in compacted soils, increase water retention in sandy soils and encourage increased beneficial microbial activity. However, coir is commonly becoming a more popular choice over peat for a few important reasons.

What is Coir?

Fully saturated coir
PC: Leslie F. Halleck

Coir is made from the fibrous layer of the coconut between the outer coat and the internal shell. It’s used in a variety of products including rugs, ropes, upholstery stuffing, floor matting and hanging plant basket liners. Over the last decade it’s become very popular with plant growers and gardeners for improving soils and creating growing media.

What's the Difference Between Coir and Peat Moss

Peat moss is often used to acidify and loosen soils, as well as for seed germination or lightweight potting mixes. Both peat and coir are equally good at improving air flow to roots, reducing fungal diseases and root rot.

Water Retention: For areas of the country where intense heat is an issue, coir is a great addition to soil because it can retain water up to seven times its dry weight. That’s roughly 30% more water than peat can hold. Add it to containers, hanging baskets and raised beds too to make water management easier. I also like to add it to my raised vegetable beds to keep water sensitive plants such as tomatoes from drying out too quickly in the heat.

Ease of use: Wetting dried peat to break apart and mix into the soil can be a challenge. Coir, however, breaks loosens up easily once exposed to water, making it fast and easy to use. Coir is an excellent amendment for soil that is compacted and needs increased air circulation and improved texture. Once saturated, you can keep it in closed containers for long periods of time and it won't dry out or get hydrophobic as can happen with peat.

Hydroponic Systems: Coir is a popular choice with hydroponic growers due to its ability to retain water better than peat, rockwool or perlite; and because of it’s solid root support and ability to suppress certain pests and diseases. Take note that coir is negatively charged and does have the capacity to hold nutrients; but that also means that nutrients can be bound up by the coir, leading to nutrient deficiencies. You’ll need to monitor your solution for pH and nutrient levels just as with any other substrate.

Pros of Coir

• Neutral pH
• Rehydrates easily
• Much less susceptible becoming hydrophobic
• Aerates soil
• Improves water holding capacity of soil/substrates
• Cation exchange capacity is higher than peat
• Renewable resource
• Easily stored as dry compressed bricks or blocks

Cons of Coir

• Ships from overseas (Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Indonesia, South America)
• Byproduct of deforestation
• Use to have high salt content, which required rinsing/buffering, but that is less of an issue these days.

Expanding Coir in Water
PC: Leslie F. Halleck

Is Coir More Sustainable than Peat?

This is a topic of contention, depending on who you talk to and where you live. Technically, coir is a byproduct of the food industry and a renewable resource, whereas peat is not. By using it horticulturally this material is also kept out of landfills.

There is no "regrowing" peat bogs, which are areas of decomposed plant remains that have accumulated over thousands of years. Peat bogs are an important CO2 sink - trapping about 30% of ground CO2and when mined that CO2 is released into the atmosphere. Once it's harvested (called strip mining) it cannot be replaced, nor can those ecosystems that depend on peat bogs.

But, many will argue that there are many unsustainable characteristics of Coir, one shipping inputs and costs from overseas. The longer distance it has to travel to get to you the larger the carbon footprint. Coir is a byproduct of coconuts & oil palms farming, which takes a lot of land meaning forests are burned to create growing farms for such crops.

Either way, there are environmental impacts with both product. However, no one is growing coconut or palm trees for coir production. It's a waste byproduct. So, many consider Coir to be the better choice of the two.

One alternative to consider for both peat and coir may be PittMoss, however I've had both molds and fungi grow on PittMoss in moist containers. The fungi tends to be either harmless or beneficial, while molds can present problems for both your plants and you when used indoors.

Rose 'Perle d'Or' Packs a Powerful Scent

I'm often asked which is my favorite rose variety or cultivar. It's impossible for me to pick just one, but if you know me you know I have a penchant for peach, apricot, and orange colored roses. Now, Rose 'Perle d'Or' (which translates to pearl of gold) doesn't really fall into this color category, BUT it gets close with a peachy pink bloom.

But many modern hybrid roses can be finicky and disease prone, or can't stand up to really hot dry climates. Not to mention, many have lost their fragrance through the breeding process....this is not the case with 'Perle d'Or'.

Not only is 'Perle d'Or' an incredibly tough Polyantha rose introduced in 1884- which requires little to no special care to perform admirably - it's also classified as a Texas Earth-Kind rose. And it's powerful fragrance will send you swooning!

Looking for a Rose to Sent your Entire Garden or Home?

Well, you've found it! 'Perle d'Or' plants may produce what seem like smaller flowers, but come mid-morning when the sun is out and temperatures have warmed, one plant can fill your garden with fragrance. Cut some of these bloom clusters for a vase indoors and your entire space will be scented with a classic old-fashioned rose fragrance.

How to Grow Rose 'Perle d'Or'

This tough heat- and drought-tolerant shrubby rose will grow 4-5 ft tall (usually gets to 5 feet for me in my long growing season). When planning for space, plant 'Perle d'Or' 6-feet on center.

Plants are cold hardy in USDA Zones 6-9. Unlike many less-heat tolerant roses, this rose prefers to be kept on the dryer side once fully established, so don't place it where there will be a lot of supplemental irrigation. Plants are very drought tolerant once established.

As with any rose, it needs a full sun location (at least 6 hour a day, more is better!). While plants are highly tolerant of typical rose diseases such as black spot, powdery mildew, or botrytis - and you really won't see a lot of this on these plants - good air circulation and keeping irrigation water off the foliage is always best practice.

Sure, you can follow the same rose pruning practices for this plant, but it's not required to get a bounty of blooms. If you need to reduce it's size, you can prune 30-50% of the plant back (but I rarely ever prune this cultivar this heavy) in late-winter/early spring (when it time in your area). Normally I only do about a 20% reduction, mostly just removing any dead or unsightly growth from the previous year. I will strip off any left over foliage that doesn't look good. But again, these plants are very resilient and you don't need to do much. Fertilize at the same time.

In mid-August (in hot climates) you can lightly prune again (and fertilize), deadhead, remove any stressed foliage, and plants will burst into bloom again in September.

But I'm going to be straight with you...this rose, along with several other Earth-Kind roses, I mostly ignore...and rarely do all the timely pruning...and they still look beautiful, and smell divine.

If you really want to keep plants in constant bloom, you can deadhead or pinch off spent blooms as they fade. BUT again, it's not totally necessary for this rose...it just keeps things looking a bit tidier.

Breeding History

This tough, beautiful, fragrant rose was originally bred in France by Dubreuil and introduced by Rambaux. It is a hybrid cross between R. polyantha and rose ‘Mme. Falcot’. You might hear it referred to as “Yellow Cecile Brunner” or “The Buttonhole Rose”, although I think these references have become fairly rare.