Page 15 - Simply Vegetables Winter 2021/22

Increasingly, we are hear that gardeners are less keen to use chemical methods to kill pests. Instead, preferring to find avoidance techniques to reduce pest incidence, whilst also preventing environmental pollution and the associated loss of the wildlife, that feed on plant pests.
The good news is that new generations of products are evolving that rely less on killing and more
on predator prevention and plant enhancement. Now already well established in the market, a good example of such a product is Grazers, which helps garden plants resist their predators, whilst harming none of them. Through a ‘plant mediated effect’ the two natural components of Grazers together give vegetable plants the strength and ability to deter their pests themselves, therefore leaving them alive for some of our garden wildlife to thrive off.
Most plant species evolved some type of natural defence methods over many thousands of years, be they physical like hairs or thorns, or
biological methods like exudates that signal warnings to their predators. Over time, with human intervention
in breeding for increased crop production, higher fertiliser rates, greater pest pressures and reliance
on artificial chemicals, these natural defence mechanisms have declined because plants have not relied on them as much. Therefore, finding ways to reinstate and bolster these natural methods is key to being able
to re-establish ‘natural balance’ in our gardens between our plant production, their pest populations and natural predators, such as birds, amphibians and hedgehogs.
The Grazers range includes other products for vegetable growers notably the Grazers G2, effective against Slugs & Snails. For more rural growers
the original Grazers product; G1 for Rabbits, Pigeon and Deer is very popular and often relied upon to dissuade wildlife from making us ‘wild with frustration’ when they eat our prized young vegetable plants.
So, now feel confident in saying that you are Gardening For Wildlife.
Grazers is available at most good
ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE
Making best preparations to prevent plant predators
A good example of the Grazers ability to give plants natural resistance is the Grazers G3 product that is designed for plants such as brassicas that are attractive to butterflies laying eggs.
(Left) Preventative applications give plants the ability to avoid butterflies laying eggs. (Right) Prevent eggs being laid and therefore caterpillars feeding.
garden centres.
01768 800 555 info@grazers.co.cuk www.grazers.co.uk
Simply Vegetables 15