Soil Fungus Types in a Flower Bed

Fungi are microscopic cells that develop as long strands or threads. These threads are called hyphae, and as these grow, they push up from between the soil particles, plant roots and rocks. Hyphae range in size from a few cells to many yards. The fungi in soil of flower beds can be of three types: the decomposers, pathogens or mutalists. These distinctions between fungi are made on the basis of how the fungi get their energy.

Decomposers

The decomposer fungi are also referred to as saprotrophs. Dead animals and plants in the soil are the main food for the saprotrophs. The fungi recycle or decompose this dead matter into chemical nutrients such as nitrogen and carbon and release them back into the air, water, or soil. Saprotrophs are among the first fungi to appear on the stems of many flowers. The saprotrophs are also a common reason for general fruit rot in apples, pears, peaches and plums.

Mutalists

The mutalists are also known as the mycorrhizal fungi. These fungi colonize the roots of the plants. They substitute the carbon in the plant with the soil nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and water. The major group of mycorrhizal fungi is known as the ectomycorrhizae and they grow on the surface layers of the plant roots. Mycorrhizal fungi are very common and are found in all soils. Many plant species depend upon mycorrhizal fungi in order to survive since the fungi play a big role in the nutrient intake by plants and the recycling of these nutrients within the soil.

Pathogens

The third type of fungi that is likely to be present in flower beds are known are pathogens or parasites. Parasites can lead to stunted growth or the death of plants by colonizing the roots of plants and other organisms in the soil. Some of the more destructive parasites in the soil include Verticillium, Pythium, and Rhizoctonia. These pathogens caused heavy agricultural losses when they infest crops. Soil pathogens in flower beds choose flowers as the primary site for invading the entire plant.

References

• United States Department of Agriculture: Natural Resources Conservation Service: Soil Biology
• Nature Works: Decomposers
• “Fungal Biology;” Harry J. Hudson; 1992
• “Biological Control of Microbial Plant Pathogens;” Richard Ewen Campbell; 1989

Resources

• Ryan Banks: Orchidaceous Mycorrhizal Fungi
• “Plant Resistance to Herbivores and Pathogens;” Robert S. Fritz,, Ellen Louise Simms; 1992