Types of beneficial plant microorganisms

Plant microorganisms are essential to a healthy garden. In previous entries I talked quite a bit about bacteria and fungi and the proper balance needed between the aerobic and anerobic microorganisms in your hydroponic growing medium.

The beneficial bacteria and fungi in your plant root systems perform 1 of 3 possible functions: they free up soil nutrients for plant use by the breakdown of organic matter, they can enter a symbiotic relationship in the root systems meaning that the microorganism as well as the plant benefit from one another and, lastly, they can help suppress plant disease.

Symbiotic microorganisms include Rhizobia, a nitrogen-fixing bacteria, that attach symbiotically to plant roots and convert nitrogen in the air to proteins that plants use and mycorrhizal fungi that help conduct water and nutrients through plant roots.

Bacteria such as Bacillus Cereus, Circulans and Paeniticillus Polymxa help suppress plant pathogens or disease. You can see that such microorganisms are very important in growing healthy plants so be aware they are there and needed, and do not get rid of them needlessly out of some preconceived notion that 'the only good bacteria is dead bacteria'.

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