Got of lot of produce that won’t ripen in time? How can we put them to good use? How to make a fantastic all-purpose fertilizer that doesn't stink? KNF Fermented Plant Juice is your solution...
Most extension pest management experts will say to clean up your dropped fruit and clear your vegetable garden to avoid harboring pests that overwinter.
How does your advice to leave everything jive with that advice?
What I am saying jives with a natural farming standpoint. Those who follow the principles mentioned in the article have found that leaving them does not contribute to pest and disease issues, but quite the opposite, it contributes to healthy plants and less disease and pest issues. Pests eat decaying or nutritionally poor fruit, they do not eat good fruit. So if we build up the health of our plants and soil, the produce is of a higher quality that pests are not as attracted to. One of the major problems in the world today is the damage done to farm lands from removing crop residue which has diminished carbon from the soil preventing the soil from being able to hold onto nutrients.
These principles are a part of JADAM, chop and drop gardening, and regenerative farming. So those are some things to look into for a different perspective than a chemical based practice. There are actually quite a few research papers that mention the benefits of leaving crop residues in agricultural practice as well.
Mike, if you put it into a closed system to ferment (keep out the fruit flies, etc) until the sugars are mostly gone, the yeast and alcohol and time will break down most of the pests that might have made it into your brew. It's not the same as letting it sit in the garden to rot - which, IMO, is indeed not a good idea.
Most extension pest management experts will say to clean up your dropped fruit and clear your vegetable garden to avoid harboring pests that overwinter.
How does your advice to leave everything jive with that advice?
What I am saying jives with a natural farming standpoint. Those who follow the principles mentioned in the article have found that leaving them does not contribute to pest and disease issues, but quite the opposite, it contributes to healthy plants and less disease and pest issues. Pests eat decaying or nutritionally poor fruit, they do not eat good fruit. So if we build up the health of our plants and soil, the produce is of a higher quality that pests are not as attracted to. One of the major problems in the world today is the damage done to farm lands from removing crop residue which has diminished carbon from the soil preventing the soil from being able to hold onto nutrients.
These principles are a part of JADAM, chop and drop gardening, and regenerative farming. So those are some things to look into for a different perspective than a chemical based practice. There are actually quite a few research papers that mention the benefits of leaving crop residues in agricultural practice as well.
Thanks for a great article!
Mike, if you put it into a closed system to ferment (keep out the fruit flies, etc) until the sugars are mostly gone, the yeast and alcohol and time will break down most of the pests that might have made it into your brew. It's not the same as letting it sit in the garden to rot - which, IMO, is indeed not a good idea.