Robert Pavlis is a Master Gardener with over 45 years' experience in the art and science of horticulture, with a particular focus on soil chemistry and health. He is the owner and developer of Aspen Grove Gardens, a 6-acre botanical garden featuring 3,000 varieties of plants. A sought-after speaker, and lecturer, Robert has published many articles in magazines such as Mother Earth News and Ontario Gardening. He maintains two widely read blogs - [...] and [...] - and a popular YouTube channel with tens of thousands of subscribers. Robert is the author of Compost Science for Gardeners, Plant Science for Gardeners, Soil Science for Gardeners, and Building Natural Ponds. He lives in Guelph, Canada.

1. Introduction

Why Learn About Microbes?

Terms Used in This Book

2. The World Under a Microscope

Microbes by the Numbers

Microbes Are Important to Plants

Microbes Can Harm Plants

Gardeners Affect Microbes

How Do Microbes Move Around?

How Much Do We Really Know?

3. Bacteria

How Do Bacteria Eat?

Where Do Bacteria Live?

Life Cycle of Bacteria

Nitrogen-Fixing Bacteria

4. Fungi

What do Fungi Eat?

Where Do Fungi Live?

Life Cycle of Fungi

Pathogenic Fungi

Mycorrhizal Fungi

5. Yeast

Life Cycle of Yeast

Yeast-Plant Interactions

Yeast in Hellebore Nectar

Yeast Creates Alcoholics

Yeast on Leaves

Yeast in Soil

A Bioindicator of Air Quality

A Possible Solution to Plastic Pollution

6. Nematodes

7. Protozoa

Life Cycle of Protozoa

Nutrient Cycling

Protozoa-Plant Interactions

Plant Diseases

8. Viruses

Viruses in Soil

Life Cycle of a Virus

The Spread of Viruses

Virus Infection of Microbes

Virus Infection of Plants

Rapid Mutation

Beneficial Interaction with Plants

9. More Microbes

Archaea

Actinomycetes

Cyanobacteria

Algae

10. Microbe Communities

Microbe Communities and Microbiomes

Signaling Between Microbes

Microbes Attack Microbes

Mycorrhizal Interactions

Lichens

11. Plants Love Microbes

Nutrient Availability

The Phyllosphere

Rhizosphere

Rhizophagy Cycle

Seed Microbiome

12. Manipulating Microbes

Fungal-to-Bacterial Ratio

Effect of Agriculture

Biodiversity

13. Bioinoculants for the Garden

Bioinoculants for Seeds

Bioinoculants as a Foliar Spray

Bioinoculants for Soil

Microbes Are No Longer Living

Should Gardeners Use Commercial Bioinoculants?

Compost Tea

14. Pathogens

You Suspect a Disease-What Now?

List of Plant Diseases

Fighting Plant Diseases

Commercial Pesticides

Human Diseases

Endnotes

Index

About the Author

Also by the Author

About New Society Publishers