If you grow tomatoes, potatoes and eggplant in the same place and notice signs of infection – this is not a coincidence. They are from the same botanical family and share common diseases and enemies. This was noted by agricultural engineer Kristiana Opreva during a discussion “Diseases of vegetable crops and how to deal with them”. She also shared other interesting tricks for dealing with infections and pests of vegetable crops and fruit trees.
,,I grow six acres of vegetables and I encounter all kinds of diseases. This year there are big problems with tomatoes, potatoes and eggplant. They are from the same family and have the same diseases and enemies. Therefore, it is necessary not to grow them together”, she emphasizes.
Among the tricks he uses are his in-depth knowledge and understanding of the microdistrict or territory where he grows his crops, such as the amount of sunlight on the ground, the pH of the irrigation water, and the type of soil.
“In conventional agriculture, they spray 15 times, I spray twice. I use biological traps to catch insects to get rid of all the butterflies, worms, and other pests. I know what kind of water I use on the ground and what kind of sunlight I have,” Opreva explained.
When growing garlic, for example, an important detail is that the soil should not be less than 5.5 pH. Before planting it, vegetables such as cabbage, tomatoes, carrots, beets, and beans may have been grown on it. Another interesting fact is that neighboring crops to your garden can be a problem, since the spread of crop diseases is up to 5 km from the site.
Kristiana Opreva also shared an effective way to deal with thatch. This is the so-called mulching. It is the process of covering the soil around the plants with various materials. In her garden, she has experimented with mulching with straw. Dried grass, collected in small piles, and wood chips can be used. Before mulching, it is important to clear the material of apple, pear, and rosehip leaves, because they collect the spores of some diseases.
“I have mulched two rows in the vineyard with straw. The effect is huge. In one place, the grass was half what I have seen over the years – it reached my waist and I could not enter. In the other rows, where I had not used this technique, the grass was extremely high. This year I got a grinder and I’m going to try the wood sawdust method.”.
An effective method for dealing with slugs is beer, thanks to the brewer’s yeast it contains. Instead of wasting beer, we can use brewer’s yeast powder as a cheaper and equally effective product for dealing with pests. Another solution is to keep hedgehogs, because they can eat up to 20-30 slugs per night.
A more smelly way to repel various pests is to fill a can with stink bugs or even bedbugs. The container should be half full of water, as the insects will continuously gather. Stirring is also necessary for the final mixture to be ready. The pests are repelled thanks to the pheromone they contain. The more it smells, the better, says Opreva.
Especially for fighting lice, The agronomist shared another method that she herself has tried. Again, aromatic herbs are placed in a canister – thyme, lemon balm, mint, sage, basil. Half of it is filled with water, and the other half – with the herbs. This mixture is left to ferment. Once it is ready, it is sprayed around the plants with a sprayer.
The black gold beetle, whose larvae feed on the roots of the tree, also proves to be a problem for many. In just one year, the larvae are capable of destroying a large number of stone fruit trees. Kristiana Opreva and a participant in the discussion proposed two solutions to deal with the problem – using the jay and the praying mantis as natural enemies of the pest.
Something that Kristiana would not part with is her personal agronomic notebook. In it, she writes down every step – from planting to the methods she used in her garden. This is how she tracks the development of the vines and prevents diseases on them.
You can order training with Kristiana Opreva here.
Kristiana Ivanova Opreva is a member of the General Assembly of the Association “Public Center for Environment and Sustainable Development”. Master of Agronomy in the field of “Plant Growing” – “Fruit Growing – Production and Production Management” from the Agricultural University – Plovdiv and Bachelor of Science in the field of “Plant Growing” – “Agronomy” from the Technical University – Varna. Graduate in the field of “Biophysics and Reproduction of Sounds from the Plant World”.
She worked as a winegrower – agronomist in Euxinograd – the city of Varna, chief agronomist in a nursery for decorative flowers, shrubs and trees. She specializes in the field of urban landscaping and improvement of landscape architecture. A major supporter of park landscaping and improvement of plant diversity.
Provides training on planting, growing and maintaining trees and park plants in open meetings through the Public Center for Environment and Sustainable Development.
