The organic kitchen garden. Part 3: insects and pests

Organic gardening. Just stop watering and you're done, you might think. However, there is more to it than just stopping watering, although that does not mean it has to be more difficult. Have you created a healthy soil and applied the right planting distances? Have you taken preventive measures, but still have problems with insects that threaten to spoil your harvest? This is possible, and it is part of gardening. However, this does not mean that you should just let it happen! In this article we discuss some ways to save your home-grown vegetables.

Biological insecticides

Pyretrum and Spinosad based insecticides can be used for pest insects. Both act as contact insecticides, but Spinosad also works partly systemically. These agents are derived from organic sources, and for this reason may also be used in organic cultivation. Pyretrum comes from a Chrysanthemum species, and Spinosad from a soil bacterium. To combat slugs, use a product based on iron phosphate. This substance occurs naturally in the soil and is completely harmless to other animals. It acts on the crop gland which only snails have.

In addition to spraying, glue traps can also be used. These traps catch the pest insects, and can also be used to keep an eye on the pest pressure. If you notice that your traps are suddenly full of white flies, it is time to use a biological insecticide. These methods can complement each other perfectly, and make sure that you can control the insects efficiently and in a targeted way. Glue traps are very useful in greenhouses and other closed spaces where pests can develop very quickly and unexpectedly.

Compost tea against fungi

There are only a limited number of means to deal with fungal infestations. Prevention by keeping the crop dry remains the best option but is not always possible due to weather conditions. You can avoid infestations by adding a product with copper sulphate. However, copper is a metal that can accumulate, and this is very detrimental to soil life. Sulphur can also be used to ward off fungi. Another, more experimental, option is to spray with compost tea. You make the tea by soaking a handful of compost in a bucket of water. After soaking for a day, filter the liquid through a fine cloth and spray it over your plants. The bacteria and fungi in the compost will be spread through the tea over your plants, creating a very competitive environment that prevents other and more harmful fungi and bacteria from getting a chance. You can also use this tea as a leaf fertiliser.

As you can read, there are various ways of growing tasty and healthy vegetables without chemicals. Do you still have a problem, and you don't know how to solve it in a biological way? Send us an e-mail or give us a call!