Soil Inoculants

Legumes are well-known for fixing nitrogen in the soil, but what most people don’t know is that they need a little help to create the best soil benefits. This helper is soil inoculant. Inoculants are used primarily with legumes, like peanuts, beans and peas.

Legumes are well-known for fixing nitrogen in the soil, but what most people don’t know is that they need a little help to create the best soil benefits. This helper is soil inoculant. Inoculants are used primarily with legumes, like peanuts, beans and peas.

Soil inoculants are completely organic. They work by introducing a microorganism to the soil, similar to how an inoculation introduces a vaccine to the body. The microorganism in soil inoculants is Rhizobium leguminosarum, a long name for a tiny bacteria that multiplies and allows the roots to produce nodules that can hold more nitrogen. This added nitrogen replenishes the soil, maintaining its richness for whichever plants use that garden space in the future.

Using soil inoculants is just as easy as planting seeds. Purchase inoculant from a nursery or online. When you are preparing to plant legume seeds, place a bit of inoculant powder in the in a dish with the seeds. Add a small amount of water and roll the seeds around to coat them with inoculant. After that, just plant the seed, water and garden as usual.

If you are planting peas, beans or any member of the legume family, soil inoculant is a critical factor in ensuring strong healthy plants with maximum nitrogen benefits. As an added bonus, soil inoculants have even shown increased yields in legumes!