• Brem@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    Not dirt, soil.

    Soil is alive & full of nutrients, microorganisms & such.

    • Da Oeuf@slrpnk.net
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      1 month ago

      I think using the word ‘dirt’ instead of ‘soil’ is a north american thing. We don’t use them interchangeably as nouns here in the UK.

      • grrgyle@slrpnk.net
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        1 month ago

        I hadn’t thought about it but you’re right. Dirt as in dirt from a mess shouldn’t really be sharing the same name as the stuff that everything grows out of

    • WagnasT@piefed.world
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      1 month ago

      Exudates is like the coolest fucking concept. The plant can’t extract the specific nutrients it needs from non soluble minerals so what does the plant do? It fucking bribes microbes that can do it with tiny cookies, eventually the microbes die and leave behind water soluble nutrients. The plant has like its own microfarm going on.

      • Brem@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        For anyone curious about this magical process & wanting to learn more:

        Plant exudates include saps, gums, latex, resin, and kino. Sometimes nectar is considered an exudate.Plant seeds exudate a variety of molecules into the spermosphere, and roots exudate into the rhizosphere; these exudates include acids, sugars, polysaccharides and ectoenzymes, and collectively account for 40% of root carbon. Exudation of these compounds has various benefits to the plant and to the microorganisms of the rhizosphere.