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The Mycelium Web
This Christmas I was admittedly a little spoiled. My family went overboard with gifts for the gardener (and yes Mom, I loved them all!) One big surprise was a book called The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben. I was fascinated by the book’s premise that trees have feels and are able to communicate with each other. Any gardener will tell you that they can sense a presence from their plants and that when they are tending them, there is a definite sense of commune. I talk to my trees, shrubs and perennials the entire time that I am in the garden; complimenting them on the beautiful blooms or chastising them for scratching me with their thorns. So how can we use this knowledge to make our own outdoor spaces just a little bit better for the vegetation that we share them with?
Companion planting has always been a personal priority when it comes to my vegetable garden. Planting crops that contribute to each other’s growth and well-being just makes sense. The same applies when we design our landscapes with trees and shrubs. As designers and homeowners, we often strive for plant diversity in our gardens. We strive for four seasons of interest with blooms happening throughout the spring and summer months combined with bright berries and branches in the fall and winter. Instead, we should be focusing on plants that naturally grow together. For example, studies have shown that there is a relationship that occurs between paper birch trees and Douglas firs. Research has shown that these two trees have a harmonious relationship, each caring for the other during certain times of the year. The birch provides the firs with photosynthetic carbon through their entwined root systems. This helps the fir to generate more energy through photosynthesis. The firs then help protect the birch throughout the winter months when the deciduous trees are more exposed to the elements.
We should also be paying attention to what is happening below the ground in our yards. This intertwining of roots between trees and shrubs depends on something called the mycelial web. The mycelial web is comprised of the vegetative branches of fungus or fungus-like bacterial colony, which naturally help to breakdown the soil into smaller and more manageable units (called monomers). Basically, they turn biomass into compost that helps feed the plants around them. Areas with active fungal colonies have healthier plants, which is why more farmers are looking at mycelium sources of feeding their crops for larger, and healthier yields. The same is true in our yards and gardens. If we encourage more healthy fungi in our soil, our plants will be happier. Many organic fertilizers now offer Mycorrhizae fungus, which is an easy way for the home gardener to help the roots of their favourite specimens.
This spring, take a look at the overall health of your yard. Making a few simple changes to the way we care for them may go a long way to creating a more harmonious space for our leafy friends.
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