April 2, 2009 – Monrovia, a leading grower of premium ornamental plants, has introduced a line of organic soil mixes and fertilizers, developed specifically for home gardeners who want professional growing results.
Monrovia, a leading grower of premium ornamental plants, has introduced a line of organic soil mixes and fertilizers, developed specifically for home gardeners who want professional growing results. The new Monrovia Organics are available in independent garden centers nationwide, and include a potting soil, planting compost and seven plant-specific fertilizers.
“Savvy gardeners know that one of the most important things they can do for their plants is to make sure the soil is healthy,” explained John Keller, soil expert at Monrovia. “That means using the right balance of organic materials — ideally soils and fertilizers that contains mycorrhizae, a beneficial fungus.”
Keller points out that Monrovia has been adding mycorrhizae to its soil mixes for more than a decade. “We custom blend 45 different soils for our 2,200 different plant varieties,” he said. “Because our plants are so healthy and flourish in the garden, people have been asking if they could get some of our soil. And now they can.”
Mycorrhiza comes from the Greek words Myco meaning fungus and rhiza is root. The mycorrhizae create filaments or threads that are actually extensions of the root systems – enlarging the surface-absorbing area of the roots by as much as 100 times. Mycorrhizal plants are often more resistant to diseases, such as those caused by microbial soil-borne pathogens, and are more resistant to the effects of drought. These effects are perhaps due to the improved water and mineral uptake in mycorrhizal plants. Mycorrhizal plants often require less watering and are more likely to be drought and salt tolerant. Monrovia Organics and standard soil products include: Monrovia Organics Potting Soil, Monrovia Organics Planting Compost, Monrovia Organics Line of Fertilizers, Monrovia Custom Soil Blend and Monrovia Soil Amendment.
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