Mushroom - the plant's backup

Fertilizer

Mushrooms are not just good to eat. Mushrooms also collaborate in a completely unique way with most plants - and are also very important for decomposition. They are simply necessary for all of us who grow, and they can provide both larger and fresher crops.

Written by: Liselotte Roll

Swedish garden inspirer, journalist and author of books about nature, cultivation and animals, such as "Soil", "Grow for insects" and "Chickens as a hobby".

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Fertilizer

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Soil and fertilizer

Bokashi – create natural fertilizer from food scraps

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Fertilizer

Earthworms - the helpful gardeners

That earthworms are important for the soil is well known to everyone, but exactly what they do may be a little more unknown. Here we delve deep into the world of the winding fields.

Fertilizer

When you hear the word "mushroom", you may think at best of a delicious mushroom soup or at worst of a mold that breaks down the walls of a summer house. But fungi exist almost everywhere; in cold polar environments and on deep-sea floors, but above all they exist down in the soil. There are plenty of fungal threads down there spreading their fine networks. In other words, fungi are much more than the fruit bodies we see above ground, such as chanterelles and fly agaric. In fact, most fungi lack a visible part above the earth's surface.

The benefits of mushrooms in the garden

Fungi can break down tough materials like wood, which other decomposers like earthworms and microorganisms struggle with. They are therefore an important part when organic material is turning into soil-improving humus (peat, bark, and topsoil). Fungi also improve soil structure, as their threads hold the soil in place and bind loose particles. This helps the soil retain water, nutrients, and minerals more effectively. The soil is also better protected against heavy rain and drought.,Image: Liselotte Roll

Life-saving collaboration with plants

Mushrooms and plants collaborate and live in a miraculous symbiosis called mycorrhiza. The fact is that over 80 percent of all plants need or benefit from various types of fungi. Through them, plants can better absorb nutrients and minerals from the soil, become more resistant to drought, and sometimes even produce fruit earlier. What happens is that the fungal threads grow into a plant's roots, forming fine root extensions that allow the plant to better absorb nutrients and water from the environment, such as nutrients it wouldn't otherwise reach. Fungi can also release important minerals from rocks or stones. In return, the fungus receives carbohydrates from the plant. It becomes a kind of "two-way street". Despite this happening around the clock, everywhere on Earth, few people think about it – or that a large part of our plants would disappear if this symbiosis did not exist.

A mushroom of one's own

Mushrooms of different species often prefer a certain type of plant. Therefore, you can find chaga (birch fungus) near birch trees, and aspen fungi near aspen trees. If you dig up a blueberry plant in the forest and plant it in your garden, it will most likely not thrive properly in the soil because it lacks its specific fungus. Bring some of the "mushroom soil" from the forest and you will have better success. Another plant that cannot be grown without "its fungus" is orchids - they simply will not grow if they do not have access to their exact "orchid fungus".

This is how you can benefit from the useful mushrooms

The beneficial mushrooms in the garden thrive best if you do not fertilize too much and avoid mineral fertilizers and liquid nutrients. They do not like too much phosphorus. There is also another problem with too much fertilizer - if the plant senses that it has too much access to nutrients, it may decide to get rid of the fungal threads since it is already taking up sufficient nutrients. If a period of lower nutrients later comes, it will then have problems as the root system is no longer as effective. A moderate amount of nutrients is therefore best. Mulching works well and also provides a moist, undisturbed environment for the fungus. Diversity and vegetation covering the ground is also good, as it ensures that there are always host plants for the mushrooms.

WRITTEN BY

Liselotte Roll, Swedish garden inspirator, journalist, and author of books about nature, cultivation, and animals, such as "Jord", "Odla för insekter", and "Höns som hobby". (Photo: Sandra Birgersdotter Ek)

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Fertilizer