‘Teaming With Microbes’ podcast: Embrace the fungus

As rain pelts Southcentral Alaska, mushrooms (and wood frogs) are popping up everywhere.

Welcome to our weekly podcast with longtime Anchorage Daily News garden writer and author Jeff Lowenfels and co-host Jonathan White. It’s a companion to Jeff’s weekly ADN gardening columns and his popular series of books.

As rain pelts Southcentral Alaska, mushrooms (and wood frogs) are popping up everywhere. Jeff and Jonathan point out that mushrooms in lawns or meadows are usually a positive sign, indicating thriving soil microbiology. In fact, fungal activity in your lawn is beneficial, as mushrooms are great decomposers in the food chain.

Waldpilze

After the break, the guys discuss growing potatoes and ways to ensure you get the most out of your spuds. For example, if your potatoes are flowering, don’t panic! Let them hang out for a few weeks (or a month) so the starches can filter down into the spud. This ensures a great-tasting potato!

Finally, the team tackles a listener’s question about cauliflower.

Have a question? Ask Jeff and Jonathan at teamingwithmicrobes@me.com

• • •

Sponsored by Number 2 Organics, Big Foot Microbes and Down to Earth Fertilizers

Hosts: Jeff Lowenfels and Jonathan White. Produced by Evan Phillips.

This podcast is a collaboration between the hosts and Anchorage Daily News.

Feedback: teamingwithmicrobes@me.com

Read Lowenfels’ weekly columns on gardening and growing at ADN.com.

Read Jeff’s books: “Teaming with Microbes: The Organic Gardener’s Guide to the Soil Food Web,” “Teaming with Nutrients: The Organic Gardener’s Guide to Optimizing Plant Nutrition,” “Teaming with Fungi: The Organic Grower’s Guide to Mycorrhizae,” among others.


• • •

Listen to previous episodes:


Jeff Lowenfels

Jeff Lowenfels has written a weekly gardening column for the ADN for more than 45 years. His columns won the 2022 gold medal at the Garden Communicators International conference. He is the author of a series of books on organic gardening available at Amazon and elsewhere. He co-hosts the "Teaming With Microbes" podcast.

Jonathan White

Jonathan White is the co-host, with Jeff Lowenfels, of the "Teaming with Microbes" podcast. He's an Anchorage small business owner, gardener and former journalist.