Here are some different recipes for #PeatFree #PottingSoil blends -- depending on what one needs it for (#SeedStarting, #RaisedBeds, #PottedPlants, etc). The recipes also call for the use of #mycorrhizae to simulate root production. My cannabis farmer friends use that in their soil blends!

How to Make Peat-Free #PottingMix

Easy #DIY Potting Mixes for Potted Plants and Mo

"Going peat-free is one of the most impactful things we can do as gardeners to be better stewards of the earth and our resources. The lack of peat-free potting mixes at the garden center can be discouraging, but I see it as an opportunity to make my own which, frankly, has yielded far better results over the last few years. With a few basic components kept at hand, you can make great mixes for your plants, too!"

Learn more:
https://wildrevivalgardening.com/peatfree-gardening-guide/peatfree-potting-mix-recipes

#Gardening #SeedStartingMix #SeedStarting #SolarPunkSunday #PeatFreeStartingMix

A billion years ago, there were no plants on land. Plants managed to expand from the oceans by trading with fungi and microbes, who could break rocks down into nutrients they needed.

This led to a 90% reduction in CO2 levels. We owe our atmosphere, we owe our forests, we owe our grasslands to this partnership.

Mycorrhizae are still responsible for drawing down so much CO2 each year — the equivalent of ⅓ the emissions from fossil fuels.

https://www.npr.org/sections/planet-money/2025/08/26/g-s1-85185/plants-fungi-resources-trade-cooperation

#Fungi #Microbes #Nature #Science #CO2 #Climate #ClimateDiary #Mycorrhizae

Some trees form secret fungal alliances that make them drought-proof. This underground strategy could change the future of forestry. #ForestResilience #Mycorrhizae #ClimateAdaptation

https://geekoo.news/the-fungal-advantage-hidden-in-tree-roots/

#Orchid's #nutrient theft from f#ungi sheds light on #photosynthesis-#parasitism continuum.

#kleptophagy #kleptoparasitism #mycoheterotrophy #mycorrhizae

https://phys.org/news/2025-02-orchid-nutrient-theft-fungi-photosynthesis.html

#IndianGhostPipe - #MonotropaUniflora

Herbaceous, #perennial flowering plant.

It can't generate its own chlorophyll & is #parasitic - specifically #mycoheterotroph. Its #symbiotic #fungi hosts are in the #Russulaceae family.

Through the fungal web of #mycorrhizae, #GhostPipe roots sap food from where the host fungi are connected to the #photosynthetic #trees. Clustered node roots of this plant are covered in hairs called #cystidium. The #cystidia found on these roots allow easy attachment to #FungiHyphae. As it's not dependent on sunlight to grow, it can grow in very dark environments, like understories of forests.

#Indigenous #Cherokee peoples feature the "pipe plant" in some of their #CreationStories. The legend states that the plant was named "Indian pipe" due to a group of chiefs quarreling without resolution, while passing a pipe around during the dispute; the Great Spirit then turned the chiefs into the plant, as they should have smoked the sacred pipe after making peace with each other. The plant is said to grow wherever friends have quarreled.

Native to #PacificNorthwest & a few other areas too.

#NotAFungi #PlantIdentification #PlantLovers #ParasiticPlants #InterestingPlants #Wsanec #Saanich #PNW #VancouverIsland #VanIsle #cascadia #LearnAboutPlants #Bloomscrolling #StrangeFlowers #ForestPlants #YYJ #Nature #WildPlants #NativePlants

#Mycoheterotrophic #plants as a key to the '#Wood Wide Web'.

#mycorrhizae #soil #microbiome #rhizosphere

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-mycoheterotrophic-key-wood-wide-web.html

Exploring the #genetic composition of #fungi and its role in #plant health.

#mycorrhizae #genomics #heterokaryons

https://phys.org/news/2024-03-exploring-genetic-composition-fungi-role.html

If #plants can pick #fungi to help fight pests and diseases, it opens a door to greener farming and ecosystem recovery

#mycorrhizae #symbiosis #rhizosphere

https://theconversation.com/if-plants-can-pick-fungi-to-help-fight-pests-and-diseases-it-opens-a-door-to-greener-farming-and-ecosystem-recovery-221994