Plants' Methods for Organically Enriching Soil with Nitrogen
Nitrogen Stars: The Unsung Heroes of Plant Growth
Welcome to our enlightening deep dive into the magical world of nitrogen-fixing plants! This fascinating universe is where the green giants of our planet thrive, transforming the very air we breathe into fertile soil, fueling our food chain, and powering photosynthesis. They are none other than the Nitrogen Stars!
These plants harbor a secret weapon in their roots - the mysterious nitrogen-fixing bacteria! These microscopic marvels have the incredible ability to convert the inert nitrogen gas, making up 80% of our atmosphere, into a form that plants can digest and thrive upon.
Ready to meet some of these heroes of the plant kingdom? Let's get to know them better!
The Legume Gang
One of the most popular nitrogen-fixing plant families is the Leguminosae, home to familiar faces such as peas, beans, soybeans, peanuts, clover, and alfalfa. These plants come equipped with their trusty sidekick, the rhizobia bacteria, which reside in root nodules. Together, they work their magic, turning atmospheric nitrogen into something edible for plants. They even leave nitrogen deposits in the soil after they're harvested or die! Cool, right?
How they add nitrogen to the soil
The Actinorhizal Alliance
Certain plants add nitrogen to the soil by harbouring bacteria in their roots that convert nitrogen from the atmosphere into a form that plants can absorb.
These plants, like alder and birch, do not belong to the Leguminosae family but are just as impressive. They too form symbiotic relationships with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, this time named Frankia. These alliance members enrich the soil not only with nitrogen but with various other nutrients as well, ensuring a thriving ecosystem.
The Cyanobacteria Crew
Examples of plants that add nitrogen to the soil
In wetlands and aquatic ecosystems, you'll find the free-living cyanobacteria like Anabaena and Nostoc, who heroically fix nitrogen, making it widely available for diverse plant life thriving in these environments.
Alfalfa, beans, clover, peas, peanuts, soybeans, vetches, crimson clover, red clover, white clover, lupins, bluebonnets, indigo bush, mountain mahogany, alder, laburnum, sea buckthorn, ceanothus, broom, American bayberry, gorse, autumn olive, Russian olive, goumi, false indigo, wild senna, yellow lupine, leadplant, bush clover, yellowwood, Kentucky coffee tree, pagoda tree, Amur maackia, bayberry, New Jersey tea, sweet fern, Jerusalem thorn, casuarina torulosa, cassia, acacia, poinciana, bauhinia, honey locust, pig face, dandelion, nettles, bracken, coltsfoot, meadowsweet, comfrey, kelp, dulse, horsetails, lamb's quarters, dock, mallow, watercress, parsley, plantains, salad burnet, bladder wrack, chamomile, chickweed, morning glory vine, azolla, gunnera, azolla, psychotria, leacaena, sesbania sesban, albizia lebbek, tipuana tipu, prosopis, aciacia farnesiana, bauhinia, casuarina torulosa, cassia, tecom stans
The Cereal Grasses Comrades
Certain species of bacteria, such as Azospirillum, team up with cereal grasses. Their nitrogen fixation might not be as impressive as their legume counterparts, but they contribute significantly to the soil nitrogen levels.
While aloe vera and bay laurel shrubs have shown nitrogen-fixing properties, they are not as effective as the Legumes or Actinorhizal plants. Nevertheless, they play an essential role in urban gardens and bee-friendly landscapes!
Stay tuned for our upcoming segments as we delve deeper into the enchanting world of nitrogen-fixing plants. Discover the benefits they bring to your garden, learn useful tips on how to attract more nitrogen stars, and find out why these unsung heroes should be celebrated as champions of sustainable gardening! Happy exploring!
1.By partnering with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, legume plants like peas, beans, soybeans, and alfalfa, enhance soil health, contributing to the health-and-wellness of our ecosystems.2. Actinorhizal plants, such as alder and birch, foster symbiotic relationships with Frankia bacteria, enriching soil with nitrogen, and promoting the overall health of their environment.3. In aquatic ecosystems, cyanobacteria like Anabaena and Nostoc fix nitrogen, improving the environmental-science and fitness-and-exercise potential of wetlands by supporting diverse plant life.
