FERTITABS

Bacteria

• Bacteria decompose both dead plant & animal material and take in nutrients released by the decomposition.

• Root exudates are favorite foods for some bacteria, so there can be huge populations of these bacteria near roots (called the rhizosphere).

• Bacteria lock up nutrients in their cells that otherwise would disappear through leeching. Since bacteria attach themselves to soil particles, these nutrients stay in the soil, close to plant roots.

• When bacteria die, fungi and other microbes scavenge their bodies, releasing locked-up nutrients back into the soil.

• Bacteria don’t travel far therefore the nutrients stay close to the roots.

• Thus, bacteria can be viewed as living fertilizer containers.

 Fungi

• Like bacteria, fungi break down both dead plant & animal material. But they also eat dead bacteria, releasing nutrients stored in bacterial cells.

• Fungi are the primary decomposers of the organic web of life.

• While some fungi prefer easier-to-digest sugars, most prefer hard-to-digest “brown” material like dried leaves and woody parts of plants.

• Fungi are able to penetrate hard surfaces including plants, insect shells, and bones. This ability to penetrate surfaces results in release of important inorganic minerals for plant (and ultimately animal) use.

• Some fungi exude nutrients while alive. But most release their stored nutrients when other organisms eat them. They also release their nutrients and feed the soil when they die and decay.

• Some fungi called mycorrhizal fungi form a special symbiotic relationship with plant roots. They produce microscopic threads that penetrate root hairs, transporting nutrients from the soil directly into the plant.

• Without mycorrhizal fungi, plants could not obtain the variety or amounts of nutrients they need to grow optimally.

• Fungi lock up nutrients in their cells that otherwise would disappear through leeching.

• Like bacteria, fungi immobilize nutrients they take in. These nutrients are released later when the fungi die or other organisms eat them.

• So, like bacteria, fungi are living fertilizer container

ONE TABLET COVERS UP TO ½ ACRE