ORGANIC FARMING JOURNEY #4: EARLY INFESTATIONS AND GROWTH ISSUES
TWO WEEKS OUT
Today I was working with our tomato plants and checking out their growth. Most of the transplanted tomato plants are showing signs of good growth but some plants are showing early bugs infestation seen on the young leaves and stalks. It has been raining for days now and plants only see some sun for about 3 hours in a day. Fortunately, only a few plants have problems like this.
Young leaves and new stalks under attack.
2 ORGANIC REMEDIES
Since we are going organic, we are doing away with harmful chemicals to drive away bugs and bad organisms. So today, I decided to do two things:
1. APPLY FOLIAR IMPLEMENTS
A concoction of lactobacilli (lactic acid bacteria/LAB), indigenous microorganisms (IMO-1), and a NANOTechnology-based plant food supplement imported from Thailand to strengthen the plant's immune system its foliage, spraying this concoction to the leaves and stem of the tomato plants.
LAB and IMO
Chor Chang - Nanotechnology-based Plant Food Supplement
The concoction above helps not only the plants but the soil as well as IMO aids in the soil structure loosening it to provide more surface area to be inhabited and propagated on by beneficial IMO.
2. INSECT TO COMBAT INSECTS
Israel has mastered this technique by looking for insects that will fight against the bugs that are harmful to your crop. Our okra plants have just been uprooted and I have noticed these dysdercus koenigii or red cotton bugs. As an experiment, I integrated a few of them to my tomato plants hoping they will be helpful in driving away other insects.
If you have seen these insects in your tomato plants and proved to be destructive, please do let me know.
In my next post, I will show you if it works or not, and may be find other alternative in addressing these early issue on my tomato plants. Cheers!
I did not know about the nanotechnology plant based product from Thailand. Will look into it further. One thing I learned from permaculture is that you can help to counter pests by creating a confusing environment, filled with predators they need to watch out for. you can increase predatory habitat by leaving piles of rocks with spaces between them so reptiles can hide out and come in the night to eat bugs, have perches for birds to sit on and hunt bugs, small lined ponds for frogs to live in and feed on bugs, plus many beneficial flowers that attract predatory insects, or create colours, smells and give off volatile compounds that make your garden less tasty for them, but no issue for your plants. Compost tea as well is an effective foliar spray and is said to give a biofilm that protects the plants and nourishes them topically, just like the EM solution, but something you can renew yourself, though if you know how, you can also grow out your EM. Just a few random thoughts, but I will stay tuned to see how your progress comes. Good luck @cjclaro !!!
Even the largest propenent of Compost Tea says that unles you have a microscope and training to know what your doing, You shouldn't apply compost tea to the root zone or expecially the leaves. It is litterally impossible to know what your culturing. Imagine if you have concertraions of ecoli or staff in your compost and they competed with the bene's in the perfect pot of bacteria food, and then you sprayed that on youe plants.
What about plain worm castings?? Make tea from that. Worm are able to digest pathogens and only excrete beneficial bacteria.
Good point, @cryptohustlin . But I use worm castings to make sure I don't get those pathogens, as @ecoknowme is pointing out. I used compost tea for my aquaponics system before. Having more "good" bacteria population in the garden will combat these pathogens.
Thanks for a very comprehensive recommendations. Yes, been planning for companion plants for tomatoes and I am into EM and IMO cultures as well. A confusing and threatening environment for insects is a brilliant idea. I will definitely look into this. Thanks again for the ideas. Cheers!
most welcome! Look forward to seeing how it goes! Cheers!