Page 42 - Discover Summer 2020
P. 42
Weeder’s Digest CONTINUED
to the philosophy of IPM, Integrated Pest which increases insect susceptibility.
Management, we can balance acceptable Organic fertilizers release gradually, and
damage against preserving the overall won’t potentially burn roots if you over
health of our gardens. It is a combination fertilize.
of cultural, physical, biological, and As always, place your plants
chemical practices.
in locations that suit their light
Cultural practices relate to the “blank requirements. Placing a shade loving plant
slate” in which we are about to plant. in too sunny of a site will lead to stress,
Our soil and its composition directly rendering it more vulnerable to insect
affect how a plant will transition into its damage.
new “digs”. In the proper soil, a healthy Lastly, consider the plant’s water
plant has the natural ability to withstand requirements. Due to our red clay, over
pests. When in doubt, have your soil watering is usually the local gardener’s
professionally tested, to find out its PH biggest nemesis. A best case scenario is for
level, nutrient content, texture, and also the plants to receive about 1 inch of water
for the presence of organic matter. For per week, which can seep in slowly. In the
many of us locally, red clay is abundant, absence of rain for new plantings, water
and can seem a daunting medium in which once a week deeply, instead of multiple
to grow plants.
times of short duration. Deep watering
To provide the best start, consider encourages strong root growth and
amending your soil with compost, or add supports branching and foliage growth,
materials that are similar to those found thus improving resistance to pest damage.
in the soil in which they were grown. Even under the best laid plans, an
Make provisions to allow for air, water, insect outbreak can occur. Environmental
and nutrients to be readily available. conditions such as too little or too
Adjust your PH to an appropriate range: much rain, and extreme temperature
between 6 and 7 for most plants, allowing fluctuations can create problems.
the plants’ roots to draw essential Vigilance and identification is necessary,
nutrients, both supplemented and as an outbreak can occur quickly. Keeping
naturally existing.
a journal of your year to year successes
When supplementing nutrients, and failures can help you to diagnose and/
consider organic fertilizers; chemical or avoid future problems.
fertilizers which are either manufactured It may sound obvious, but insects
or mined are effectively nourishing, but live to consume. How they do so often
tend to release quickly. This can cause includes chewing on or sucking out
growth spurts, and also floppy growth,
nutrients from leaves. Some insects bore
40 Discover Smith Mountain Lake SUMMER 2020
