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Fertilizers, Pest Control and Soil Management
Organic Gardening

LifeLink: Add Life to your Soil, Health to your Plants

Last summer we raved about the benefits of adding beneficial microorganisms to your soil. Scientists have found that the right balance of soil life increases plant vigor and disease resistance, while decreasing plants’ needs for fertilizer and water—naturally! Now our Northwest organic fertilizer company, Whitney Farms, has a line of fertilizer and potting soils with the right organisms already added: Lifelink™. Now every time you fertilize, you can replace beneficial microbes lost to poor cultural practices or chemical use.

For your containers, Whitney Farms offers Uncle Malcolm’s Lifelink™ Potting Soil. For transplanting (and all-purpose new plantings), get Smart Start Lifelink™ Transplant Fertilizer. Rose Food and Bulb Food now come in the Lifelink™ line, as does the Citrus, Avocado, and Vine Food (also excellent for berries). Each fertilizer is blended with high-quality organic ingredients tailored to the needs of that type of plant. As always, the organic nutrients release slowly over time in natural synchronicity with your plants’ needs—but now the mycorrhizal and bacterial inoculants ensure that your plants can make maximum use of the nutrients.

As we reported last summer, our nursery manager inoculated his garden with soil microbes several years ago—and he has not needed to fertilize or water it since the initial planting. The Sweet Peas we trialed the Rose & Flower Lifelink™ Food on last spring grew OVER their trellis and bloomed with amazing profusion until November.

If you buy one of the plants we pot up ourselves (roses, fruit trees, & berries) you will automatically benefit from this technology—we are using it in our mixes. And now your plants can benefit every time you fertilize. Come see what the right soil life can do for your plants!

By Terri Williamson
Skylights Spring 2003, Vol 17, No. 1

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