One of the most unusual Christmas presents I received last year was a big bag of fertilizer. Well, it looked and smelled like fertilizer, but it really wasn’t. It was a bag of Bio-Tone Starter Plus. My kids thought that would it make my garden not only productive, but spectacular.
Bio-Tone is a blend of natural and organic ingredients enhanced with things called microbes and mycorrhizae.
Microbes are little guys that occur naturally in gardens and are essential for nutrient cycling, a process that transforms nutrients into forms that plants can easily absorb. If a plant can’t absorb nitrogen, for example, it will languish. Microbes also help plants establish stronger root systems from the get-go.
I had never heard of the word mycorrhizae before, but it may be the most valuable asset of any garden. Mycorrhizae permits the plant to obtain additional moisture and nutrients. This is particularly important in uptake of phosphorus, one of the major nutrients required by plants. When mycorrhizae is present, plants are less susceptible to water stress. One of the biggest downfalls of past gardens is reaction to droughts. It seems we have one almost every summer when plants shrivel up and die. Mycorrhizae helps plants survive during drought periods by taking in more of the water that is available.
The instructions for Bio-Tone say to apply at time of planting to help produce large root systems very quickly. This will help ensure that new plantings get maximum water and nutrients from the soil to minimize transplant loss. Twelve cups per 100 square feet are recommended.
I’m hoping that this huge bag of Bio-tone Starter Plus will be just what the plant doctor ordered and will assure a most bountiful garden.
I’ll keep you posted.
