Life friendly gardening for less insect damage to plants, the article with everything you need to know. At this time of year, you probably have seedlings that have germinated and are being tenderly nurtured by you. A real threat to your eventual harvest is invader insects, which can destroy you’re growing quickly. It is worth noting that healthy plants are not attractive to get eaten by insects, their immunity is higher and they don’t put out “eat me” signals which plants in poor health do.
The best strategy to prevent severe insect damage is therefore to keep your plants healthy throughout the season. This obviously starts in the soil and is influenced by what nutrients are available, and what pest control measures you are using.
Healthy soil is a good source of beneficial bacteria, fungi and organic matter. The more active the beneficial microbes are, the better nutrient cycling will be, giving your plant the nutrition it needs. As a bio-active cell food, enOrmus Bud is the ultimate food for these beneficial microbes, as well as a direct food for your plants, imparting great vitality and nourishment by Ormus minerals.
We have just launched enOrmus Bud in recyclable sachets for single-use (10 mls per sachet to feed about 10 small or 5 large plants). We’d love to hear your feedback, please ask your nursey or grow shop for EnOrmus Bud sachets and enOrmus Bus in 100 ml packaging!
enOrmus Bud, a bio-active cell food nourishes the microbes, fungi and the plant directly.
Another way to boost your plants’ immunity is with Frass. Similar to earthworm castings, this is fly poop! It contains many macro and micronutrients, but most importantly is rich in chitin (the stuff that insect exoskeletons are made of). When plants are in the presence of Frass, they increase their insect repellent capabilities – a wonder of nature indeed! Adding a cup of Frass monthly to a pot will do wonders for your plant health! Look out for enOrmus Bud Frass.
Frass Pack
If your insect damage challenges still persist, then Neem oil as a foliar spray will be your solution. Used for thousands of years for this purpose, Neem oil is a great environmentally friendly answer. It only stops sucking and chewing insects, and is therefore friendly to bees, butterflies and other pollinators. It’s also effective as a preventative for powdery mildew and spider mites – both very common in SA.
It is best not to spray on the buds in the last two weeks before harvest. In conclusion, healthy plants are insect resistant. Providing the right inputs help your plants to be resilient, vital and will give you the most optimal harvest possible – all in a natural, life-friendly way. If all else fails, spray Neem oil.
Happy growing!
