You may have seen our recent post on Instagram and Facebook about pest management. I get a lot of questions at markets about this, so decided to share a video of one of our primary methods of pest control- physically going from plant to plant looking for and smashing problem bugs! But in fact, this technique only comes into play later (hence my reference to it as “remedial pest control” in the post’s comments).
Preventative management is actually the biggest tool we have to combat pests. This means that we take measures to prevent or delay the impact of pests before they even show up or become a problem. Row cover and bug netting are two of the biggest tools in this regard. After all of the bug damage on the earliest succession of beans, we’ve started planting later rounds under bug netting until they are several weeks old and large enough to withstand more pest pressure. We also grow all of the arugula under row cover or bug netting to keep flea beetles from damaging the leaves. Another preventative technique we rely on is crop rotation. Moving crops away from the beds they were planted in the previous year helps to delay the onset of pest problems particularly with those pests that overwinter in the soil.
This week we’ll have more tasty snap peas as well as the first potatoes of the year! See below for the full harvest list and we’ll see you at the markets this weekend.
Farmers Katie & Mike
This week at the market:
- Salad mix
- Arugula
- Baby kale
- Snap peas
- Spring onions
- Garlic Scapes
- Radishes
- Lettuce heads
- Kale
- Collard greens
- Rainbow chard
- Carrots
- Beets
- Potatoes
Comments
lynn brownell
June 13, 2019Thank you for that pest info. It is so interesting to see how it can be done pesticide free, especially after
reading the article on seed diversity loss in the Times on Sunday. One of the functions of that diversity
is to grow plants that have built in pest controls through greens production & natural seed resistance.
After reading your comments, it makes it even more clear how important that diversity is to organic
farming. Thanks
Barbara Grogan
June 13, 2019Amazing how closely you must monitor every plant—no wonder your crops are so delicious and favored by so many at the markets. Good luck this weekend!
Patricia Sterner
June 13, 2019I saw the video of you crawling down the rows, finding bugs and smashing them… had no idea about the preventative measures you take even before planting. Makes total sense, and underscores the importance of paying attention to how/when crops are planted to sustain healthy, non-chemically treated plants. Keep the information coming!!