Grow your own food class at Heartland Gardens Part 6

This week we learned Organic pest and disease management. Benny Pino did the first presentation this week; he stated healthy plants are less likely to get infested with bugs. To prevent infestation prune off infected leaves and destroy. Do not put infected plants or leaves in the compost pile. Your tools should be kept clean with soapy water. Clean the tools between plants to prevent cross contamination.

The plants should be checked two times a week for bugs, eggs and excrement. It is best to treat infected plants only in late afternoon with Diapel. Diapel can be purchased at a “big box store”.

Planting marigolds can help with bug control. (Also, small animals such as rabbits will stay away.)

A Policy of Responsibility was the second topic:
5 steps:

1. Prevention
2. Use the right medicine
3. Genetic control-seed quality
4. Cultural control-cleaning, good potting soil (faford is a brand recommended)
5. Biological control-heirloom, organic

Prune plants for proper ventilation and to help prevent disease and promote growth.

Our gardens are fertilized once or twice a week with Neptune Harvest. Neptune Harvest is seaweed, fish foiler that we spray directly onto the leaves. We keep our tools clean and minimize touching of plants.

Donna