The Third Zone
When you want plants to thrive around a property, whether you are doing so as a homeowner or whether your job and business reputation depend on it, there are many different products and resources you can use. But there might be an opportunity — designed by nature itself — that you’ve been missing.
The First Zone
Some products work on the plant itself. They are nutrients applied to the ground that the plant consumes in order to grow. Plant foods and bloom boosters come to mind. Insecticides play a role here, too. These are commonly used and easy to find.
The Second Zone
Some products are strictly soil amendments. They are chosen based on the characteristics of the soil, usually to provide whatever the soil currently lacks. You can read more about them here as a guide for making your selection.
The Third Zone
But there is another zone of great importance to plant vitality, and it is often-overlooked and misunderstood. It is the root system or rhizosphere. This is where soil meets plant, and it is the hub of all kinds of activity that influence the success or failure of a plant. And here lies your great opportunity, because nailing the health of this zone helps to fulfill and maximize the potential of the other two!
Fertilizers and nutrients need to be absorbed by the plant’s roots to provide nourishment to the plant. Mycorrhizae and beneficial microbes work to greatly enhance the root system, thus making the “first zone” more effective.
Soil amendments can improve aeration or water retention, among other things, that make a good foundation for plant health. It is here that Mycorrhizae and beneficial microbes make the soil come alive — quite literally! Amended soil is one thing, but energized soil is what changes simple dirt into a thriving ecosystem.
Hit Your Targets
As you care for your landscape — or your customers’ landscapes, as the case may be — give yourself and your plants their most promising opportunity to thrive by targeting all three vital zones with strategies and treatments that work together. That includes not just the plant or the soil, but the vital intersection where plant and soil come together!
Need help? Send questions and we’ll be happy to guide you!