Strategy

Do bugs bug you? The bad buggers bug me badly! Well…I have a seven prong approach to defeating “pests” in the vegetable garden. The first is to recognize that healthy plants are less prone to both diseases and pest invasions. I am constantly working to improve plant health by feeding weekly or bimonthly, depending on the time I have, with a high quality brewed compost tea and an organic fish fertilizer (Pure Protein,) added every other brew or sprayed separately, that will blow your mind when you see the results. I have been “sold” on the Boogie Brew and Organic Ag Products for several years now because of the amazing results I’ve witnessed, so it is all that I prefer to use both as a foliar feed and root drench!

There are other factors that affect plant health, too. Proper watering is one…which is one of the main reasons Mr. Farmer Brown and I completely converted ALL of our garden beds from in-ground to a self-watering container method of growing called RGGS (Rain Gutter Grow System). Keeping plants spaced well and properly pruned is another key factor for proper air flow. “Sweaty” plants, as I call them, all crammed together and overlapping each other is a breeding ground for problems. Proper sun exposure is, of course, another factor, so placement of the garden is a key first step. Lastly, soil imbalance will create unhealthy plants, so knowing what you are adding to soil and, in our case, making our own potting mix with a balanced PH and adding quality organic amendments that create a lot of microbial activity will make the plants dance!