KEEP THE GARDEN HEALTHY……
“What keeps humans healthy?”
I’m at the organic vegetable growing course at Greenhill farm and Klaus Laitengerger is asking us the question.
“Good healthy, balanced food, light, water, exercise and rest, ” he tells us. “The same principles apply to plants. When they are starved of these elements viruses and bacteria get in and break down the immune system. When a plant is stressed, pests and diseases aren’t too far away. To get healthy vegetables they need the right conditions and a healthy balanced soil to flourish, this will eliminate the need for chemicals.”
NPK fertilizer is junk food for plants…The plants might look happy and full, but they are starved of a lot of goodness. A well-balanced compost gives plants the right balances, and importantly it is released slowly. If the plants get too much nitrogen the leaves look lush, but they are soft and prone to infestation for all kinds of pests. Just like us, plants can get stressed…..
What can stress a plant?
There are a few common reasons why your vegetable plants might not be performing as well as they could be.
Spacing of the plants might be too close. This will mean the plants are fighting for the limited nutrients on the soil. It can also lead to a poor air flow and fungal infections will thrive in the damp stale air surrounding the plants. The plants will also grow leggy as they fight for light, again leaving them vulnerable to pests and disease.
Planting in the wrong place. Most plants need good light and some direct sunshine to thrive. Even if the packet says semi shade, here in Ireland the plants will need as much sun as possible.
Malnutrition. Most plants need a balanced diet and if they don’t get it they will perform badly. Add nutrient rich compost and manure to the soil in late winter when it’s dry and cover up with black polythene until you are ready to plant out the young vegetables.
Overfeeding. Plants will look healthy if overfed with the three main elements found in fertilizers but are far more prone to infestation from pests such as aphids and micro-organisms that can easily penetrate the soft flashy walls of the leaves. Most contact weed killers work on the principle of overfeeding the leaves to increase their size so much that they die off.
Planting at the wrong time of year. Ignore the sowing dates on the packets. Here in Ireland it is always better to wait a bit longer that the recommended times as cold wet weather can have a very detrimental effect on the initial growth of the plants. Plants have the ability to catch up with the season so if you plant them a bit later than recommended they stand more of a chance of becoming health mature vegetables.
Not hardening young plants off. Growing plants on the windowsill or in the greenhouse gives the plants a head start but they are not used to the elements such as wind. Put the young plants outside on good days to harden them off. It might take a week of moving them in and out but the results will be worth it, as they will cope much better when planted out into the beds.
Leaving the plants in tray modules. A few plants will survive being pot bound in the modules, the brassica family, leeks and cabbage, seem to do all right if they are left to long in the trays, but other plants will never recover from the shock of having no room to grow and develop. Dill ,coriander and rocket will bolt straight away and try to produce seeds to survive.
No crop rotation. Some soil borne disease can affect the vegetables if a clear sock rotation isn’t applied the beds. Some vegetables, like the cabbage, that can get club root, can’t be planted for up to ten years on a spot that has affected them.
Too much water. If your patch is too wet, most plants will have yellow lower leaves as they are getting starved of air at the roots. Growing plants in bags or containers can lead to over watering too so keep an eye on the leaves and check the drainage holes are clear. Let plants like tomatoes dry out before re- watering. Raised beds can help in a wet garden.
Too little water. Check containers often and if you have dry soil add loads of compost; this helps to retain the moisture.
Compacting the soil. Treading on the soil around the plants breaks down all of the hard work that the worms have done. Try to either avoid walking on it by using narrow beds and paths, or walk on a plank to distribute your weight.
Wind. Create effective windbreaks around the vegetable beds, as most plants will reduce their size to compensate when being battered by sudden gusts. Taller plants can also be knocked over. Willow is a fast grower if you need something quickly and it can be coppiced every year to keep it manageable.
Non appropriate planting. There are just some plants that will not grow in your area. Check with your neighbours to see what they have. You can also condition plants to acclimatise themselves to your area by saving the seeds and growing the same variety year after year. Like humans, plants are very adaptable……
“As an organic gardener, you do not have, or need the means to kill anything……It’s about getting the right balance.” Klaus Laitenberger.
