Book Review: Teaming With Microbes
Would I Encourage Others To Read It?
If you are someone who has even the slightest interest in nature, biology or caring for the living plants around your home, this is a MUST READ. I had some inundation of this information from John Kohler of Growing Your Greens on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/user/growingyourgreens) as well as Josh Cunnings from the California based company Boogie Brew (http://www.boogiebrew.net/gyg)
Even with their introductory teachings, I found a huge swath of details that added to my overall view of how to truly let nature work for you. This being my first year to ever garden, I can safely say that organic biological gardening is the way to go.
What Does The Book Discuss?
There is a broad spectrum of material in here that would peak the interest of many different people with many different interests. The first part of the book covers the biology within and around the soil that help facilitate a healthy food soil web. The second part helps to put that knowledge into practice in order to lessen the work for yourself and encourage nature to thrive. Fantastic information overall and well worth the cost of admission.
The first section was essential for me to understand why exactly I want each part of the soil food web in my garden. Knowing how each species plays off one another is not only interesting but crucial to keep nutrients cycling to your plants and the other organisms.
The foreword and preface was a great way to reach gardeners who may be a bit misguided on how to approach true success
What Sections Made An Impact On Me?
Part 1 of the book was excellent, the chapter on bacteria and fungi were quite revealing.
Part 2 was phenomenal throughout, which is why I will be including a lot of images from that section for you to gloss over 📖
Chapters 3, 4, 5, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 22
For every book I read, I love to take notes in order to help me when looking back for information. There was ALOT here that stuck out as essential details. For me, this will be material used as a reference for years to come!
WARNING: MANY PHOTOS ABOUND
each page has at least one thing I jotted down
Used this exact fungi while transplanting my friend's okra last night!
good bacteria can work for you to outcompete the bad
95% of plants create a bond with michorrizal fungi?!
bacteria play a major role in the root zone (rhizosphere)
the three strategies to successfully team with microbes
great knowledge i was previously ignorant of
Actively Aerated Compost Tea has been my "go to" source of creating alliances with microbes, with tremendous results, thanks to Boogie Brew
*Dechlorinated water is a must, whether making compost tea, or simply watering your plants from day to day
Suffice to say, lawn care can become very easy when letting living organisms work for you 🤗
GREAT GUIDLINES TO LIVE BY WHEN GARDENING!
Rating And Closing Thoughts
10/10
I am sure that if you got to this point you'll realize how unsurprising it is that I gave this a 10.
Even with all the pages I have attached to this review, it is literally the tip of the iceberg
As previously stated, I plan on reading this again to familiarize myself with these topics and have the knowledge easily accessible to me.
This being my first year as a gardener, I have yet to make my own compost or mulch, but I am confident that with this book in hand I'll be able to accomplish those tasks with ease, along with soil tests, lawn care, etc.
This is material that should be in schools across the country as MANDATORY READING. Gardening in any capacity is something not taught in the centralized public school system which in itself is a travesty
I hope this review/sneak peek into the pages of this book will inspire you to give this a read.
IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO SUPPORT AMAZON:
https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781604691139
Gardening would be great if taught in school - with all that unused land surrounding the building their course costs would be low if not nil . Plus the school would save on lawn maintenance!
Community gardens are becoming more popular at local churches and unused lots, so why not a school? Wouldn't it be nice to grow your lunches? A concurrent food preparation and nutrition course would be good as well.
I garden, but not like your book! It was interesting to read the science but I naturally just know what to do (many years of being a "pragmatic gardener".) I read through the list of gardening "rules" and checked off most of what was suggested with the exception of compost - I don't do that on purpose, but I do allow the plants to self compost, meaning that I turn the soil over a couple of times at the end of the gardening season and let the healthy dead material go back to where it came from :) I am aware of companion planting as well as the use of native plants, trees, shrubs etc.
Now that my kids are grown and have gone on to their own lives and family, I don't grow my own food. We have a local farmer's market a few blocks away that serves us well. I used to grow a lot of berries, apples, herbs, green vegetables and tomatoes.
Gee, my reply has turned into a post :)
I don't use chemicals - I hand pick nasty bugs and hand pull weeds. Weeding can be calming for me, although I hate hate seeing them grow back. Have you ever noticed how weeds "pretend" to be the same as the plant it grows around? Sneaky.
Thank you for the long response it means a lot. While i don't agree with turning soil and such. It is nice to hear from a seasoned gardener! I will hopefully be a teacher's aide in the coming weeks, so i plan on talking to the higher ups and seeing what i can do to have this sore of curriculum in the school.
Feel free to resteem this review to give the subject more exposure! Anything would help 🙂🤘
A teacher's aide? Nice. I hope they hear you out as it would be a great part of curriculum. Fingers crossed.
Suggestion re the length of your post....it's too long. You can break something like that review into 3 parts, easily. Lots of people do that. That's y two cents worth. :)
The review itself wasn't long. Just all the photos, which are to be read at the leisure of the individual. If they choose to do so. But i know what you mean.
Thank you! Not many people comment on my posts so it is a breath of fresh air.
And yeah, my fingers are crossed also!! 🙏