Keeping your Plants Healthy the Organic Way
Although crop rotation can reduce the number of pests and diseases, there are a number of other tips to can help you to organically maintain your plants' health. These include:
- Always remove and destroy diseased plant material before making your new season's plantings.
- Grow your seedlings in pots and plant out good healthy stock that will establish rapidly.
- Always make sure you give plants enough space to grow without overcrowding.
- Try companion planting to reduce the incidence of pests. For example, inter-planting marigolds or basil amongst tomatoes can deter whitefly.
- Some vegetables can be sown once the danger of seasonal pests have passed, such as turnips and swedes.
- Catch slugs by setting beer traps.
- Certain pests, such as cabbage caterpillars, may be picked off by hand.
- Keep powdery mildew from crops by using moisture retaining mulches.
- Add low level screens, made from horticultural fleece, around carrots to help to protect them from carrot fly.