Fertilizing correctly and keeping insects away from the vegetables garden
Like all plants vegetable require nutrients to thrive. Vegetable need nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K) and Calcium (Ca). Trace elements such as magnesium, Boron and iron help in good vegetable development.
Compound fertilizers contain several nutrients and are vital for balcony gardening. Nitrogen and Potassium rich fertilizers are ideal for the growing of vegetables in large containers.
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Types of fertilizers:
1. Mineral fertilizers
They come in as single or multi-nutrients fertilizers
Fast-reacting mineral fertilizers are compost of readily soluble salts that are rapidly absorbed by the plants. They come in powder, liquid and granules form.
Slow reacting controlled-release fertilizers have nutrients that are released slowly depending of temperatures and moisture of compost.
2. Organic fertilizers
There are made up of animal products and need to be broken down by soil organisms. There include hoof and horn fertilizers (which contain a lot of nitrogen), bone meal and the rapid working blood meal. Wear gloves when applying them to your compost.
Natural Plant Protection
Vegetables require a lot of care failure to do this normally results in pests and diseases infesting the plant. It is absolutely necessary to select the right position for the vegetables and supply adequate water.
Fungal disease
They normally occur when you water your vegetables carelessly. Avoid watering vegetables in the evening as this makes the leaves wet all night long-creating a breeding haven for fungi. Grey mould affects lettuce and fruiting vegetables if they are always too moist. Foot and root rot is caused by wet leaves.
Symptoms include brown patches on leaves, stalk and fruit. Downy mildew infests lettuces and melons. Yellow-brown patches develop on the upper side of the leaves while a whitish-grey film develops on the undersides.
Employing useful insects
You can combat pest by employing there natural enemies such an Enarsia wasp on white fly. Aphids can be controlled using insects such as lacewings, hoverflies and ladybirds.
Aphides are very useful insects and can e bought in larval stage or adult stage. Do not open the insect package in the wrong place as you might end up creating another infection.
Red spider mites
They attack cucumbers, peppers and runners beans. Use predatory mites of genus. Phytoseilolus will combat these.
Trips
They normally attack vegetable plants especially in dry seasons. Employ the Orius wasps to combat these pests.
Leaf miners
The larva eats channels through the interior of the leaves. This will result in death of entire leaf it the infestation continues. Use insects of the genera Dacnusa and Diglyphus.
Harvest time
Harvest times starts from the second month of spring to the beginning of frost. It is important to harvest at the right time, if you are going to get high quality vegetables.
Store vegetables for a few days at normal temperature in vegetable drawer. Store sensitive lettuce and leaf vegetables in a plastic bag.