Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
in the solution through aeration. Still water (as used in
compost extract) doesn't have much dissolved oxygen in it,
and the beneficial microbes in compost require oxygen. So,
actively aerating the water in which the compost is steeped
will serve to boost populations of beneficial microbes from
the compost. This can be done inexpensively by putting a fish
tank aerator and air pump in the bottom of a container
containing the water and compost. Some reasonably priced
and favorably reviewed commercial options are also available
through Keep It Simple, Inc. (
www.simplici-tea.com
) or
Alaska Giant (
www.alaskagiant.com
).
Importing Beneficial Insects and Nematodes
Imported beneficial insects have their greatest applicability in
greenhouses because, being quite mobile, when applied
outdoors they are prone to fly away. Even outside they can be
useful though, particularly when applied to crops infested
with their favorite pest species and also provided with their
favorite plants.
Table 12
(earlier in this chapter) lists which
beneficial insects to use for what problem and what sorts of
plants should be established in advance of their arrival so they
will stay in the garden.
Beneficial nematodes are extremely small worms that wait
underground for a chance to work their way into pest insects
and kill them. Beneficial nematodes are harmless to plants
and pollinators and shouldn't be confused with pest
nematodes such as root knot nematodes. Once inside the host,
the nematodes release their gut bacteria, Xenorhabdus
luminescens, into the insect's interior, where the bacteria
multiply and the nematodes feed on them. The pest species
eventually dies from infection. There are two commonly used
