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As my tomato plants begin to succumb to July desert heat here in Palm Springs, I'll be taking them out, working more organic matter into the soil (mostly in the forms of compost and alfalfa meal), and planting cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata, or blackeye peas) as a summer cover crop. The heat-tolerant cowpeas (beans, actually) will capture and deliver solar energy to the soil in the form of root exudates, which will support valuable biological activity underground. Then, when the temperatures cool off enough this fall, usually in early October, I'll cut off the tops of the plants so their roots...

For those who want to create or maintain good healthy soils, whether they be home gardeners or farmers, here are a few simple guidelines to follow.   Avoid fast-acting high-analysis fertilizers, especially in liquid forms. Your important soil organisms are not adapted to big bursts of nutrients. The use of strong synthetic fertilizers (10-10-10, urea, ammonium nitrate, etc.) will eventually result in lifeless compacted soil and salt buildups. If liquids must be used, I suggest well-diluted fish and kelp. If chemical-type fertilizers must be used, try gradual-release (osmocoated) types supplemented with trace minerals. Low-analysis dry organic types (many now available...

On occasion, usually after a long hot day and a cold Margarita or two, I think about what is happening today with soil problems and the role of Biological Science in agriculture, plant nurseries, landscaping and home gardening. (I know, I could be spending that time pondering far more exciting things but I am, after all, in the business.) It's pretty clear that the Chemistry majors have prevailed in nearly all areas of growing plants, supported by big ad budgets and industry research sponsorship. You gotta hand it to the Dows, duPonts, Bayers, Orthos, and Monsantos of the world -...

I've often written about how mycorrhizal fungi colonize the root zones of plants and forage for nutrients, but let's take a closer look at this relationship. Some many, many, millions of years ago (for sake of simplicity, I'll just say "lotsa" millions), a connection was made between plants and a particular type of fungi. As so often happens in nature, two completely different organisms discovered that there was value in helping each other survive. The fungi found that plant roots contained a particularly tasty substance - the result of photosynthesis, which takes place above ground in the leaves of the...

As those of you who have been reading these newsletters for years know, I have a well-developed weakness for tomatoes. I've grown more than 150 varieties in my home gardens and it is always a day of quiet celebration when the first ripe fruit comes off the vine and into my hand. Like most folks my age (68), I began gardening at a time when manures were the primary fertilizer and observed the change to synthetic NPK "plant foods" during the 1950's, a time when the postwar chemical corporations were looking for new markets. This was touted as a great...