Soil Bacteria

Bacteria are some of the tiniest and most important workers in the soil.

There can be billions of bacteria in just a teaspoon of healthy soil, and they're constantly getting on with the job of breaking down organic matter, recycling nutrients and interacting with plant roots.

Some bacteria help make nutrients available to plants, while others feed on dead material and waste products. They also become food for other soil organisms, such as protozoa and nematodes — so they're an important part of the soil food web.

And they're not all the same. Different bacteria have different jobs, needs and ways of living.

When we look at soil under a microscope, bacteria are often some of the first organisms we encounter.

They're tiny...

but there's an awful lot of them. 

Soil Fungi

Fungi are some of the great recyclers of the soil.

When you see a mushroom, you're only seeing the fruiting body. Most of the fungus is actually made up of tiny threads called hyphae, which grow through the soil and organic matter, creating a network called mycelium.

These fungal networks help break down dead plants and other organic material, releasing nutrients back into the soil. Some fungi also form partnerships with plant roots called mycorrhizae. 

The fungus can help the plant access water and nutrients, while the plant supplies the fungus with sugars made through photosynthesis.

Fungal hyphae can also help bind soil particles together, contributing to good soil structure.

And just like bacteria, fungi are part of the food web — they're food for other organisms and help keep nutrients moving around the soil.

So next time you see a mushroom popping up in your garden...

remember, there's probably a whole lot more going on underneath it.