by The Long Island Gardener

Created on: April 11, 2009

The Espoma Company opened its doors in 1929 with a single product: Espoma Organic, a secret formula plant food.

In time, Espoma changed the name to "Plant-Tone", and presumably updated the analysis as well as the formula. Today's Plant-Tone is a 5-3-3 blend of Feather-, Cocoa-, Bone- and Alfalfa-meal, Poultry Manure, Greensand, Humates and a few miscellaneous elements.

The most important thing about this product, however, is something else it contains: 15 species of beneficial Soil Microbes.

Think about it. Many gardeners are still battling microbes, defending their fruits and vegetables, flowers and bulbs from microscopic pathogens. And for good reason. Rhizoctonia, a Fungus that causes Damping-Off Disease, can wipe out a tray of afflicted seedlings literally overnight. Xanthomonas campestris, which targets leaves, ruins vegetables as a the pathogen in Black Rot. Powdery Mildew and Botrytis Blight, Crown Gall and Bulb Rot are all caused by malicious microbes.

So to many people, the thought of adding Bacteria and Fungi to your yard would be considered, well, nuts.

Except that scientists have learned much about microbes over the past 25 years. And they've learned you can counter-attack disease with microbes of your own. Fight fire with fire.

This is not so far-fetched as it sounds. Consider Penicillin, Erythromycin, and Streptomycin - each, a common Fungus. They cure Polio, Strep, and Pneumonia, among other killer illnesses, all by themselves.

Rhizoctonia is easily controlled with Trichoderma virens. A beneficial Fungus.

Enter the world of biofertilizers.

In Plant-Tone, innoculants of Bacillus licheniformis, B. subtilis, B. thuringiensis and 12 other bacteria are applied with organic matter to the soil. Moisture activates the dormant spores, and they begin to multiply.

B. licheniformis and B. subtilis, bacteria whose enzymes dissolve protein stains, are useful in laundry detergents. But both are also potent fungicides. Among its many fungal prey: Actinopelte dryina, the Fungus that devastates the leaves on Oaks, Red Maples, Eucalyptus and Sweetgums. B. subtilis is also found in medicine cabinets as the antibiotic, "Bacitracin."

B. thuringiensis is a well-known biopesticide, often sold as "Bt". Different strains target the larvae of flies, moths, beetles and mosquitoes.

There are other biological weapons on Espoma's menu. The various Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Rhodococcus and Arthrobacter species set up shop around the garden and disperse, helped by wind currents, wildlife and splashing raindrops. Chemical companies have yet to produce a spray that could multiply, hunt for target pests, or disperse under the right conditions without becoming diluted.

I look at Espoma "Plant-Tone" as the ultimate plant prescription. Except it's over-the-counter. When purchasing, make sure you check the expiration date, posted on the container, and store it carefully to preserve the contents.

Espoma may not know as much about marketing as their multinational competitors, and their facilities and ad budget can't come close. But their products are pure science. Institutions ranging from the USDA to scientific journals published by top research labs document precisely why gardeners all over the planet would find the ultimate weapon in Plant-Tone's talented microbes.

Espoma certainly had the right idea when they set up shop just before the stock market crashed in 1929. This time, perhaps the global Green movement will line up for Espoma's biological cocktail.

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