A gardener shared a great hack for protecting growing veggies from ravenous slugs, snails, and worms.
The scoop
In an Instagram reel, PawPaw Ridge Homestead (@pawpawridge) shared a great hack for protecting growing Brassicas such as collards and kale.Â
The gardener shares that a lot of the plants don't make it because they are left unprotected during the early growing stages and are eaten by hungry pests. To protect the plants, the gardener suggests using a PVC ring around the plant and using Vaseline to prevent the pests from eating the baby leaves.
The gardener also uses diatomaceous earth throughout the growing period to prevent pests from getting to the plants. In the reel, the diatomaceous earth is sprinkled around the plant and on the leaves to protect the plant.
How it's working
Diatomaceous earth is a natural pesticide made from the fossilized remains of tiny animals found in rivers, streams, lakes, and oceans. The fossilized remains are collected and ground down into a white powder and used in all sorts of common products.
DE can be bought as food-grade and used to get rid of common pests, including insects that are trying to eat your plants. The great thing about DE is that it is not poisonous, so it can be used around children and pets without any safety worries, unlike many chemical pesticides that have been shown to negatively impact children's health and have been linked to an increase in the risk of stillbirth.Â
Using DE instead of chemical pesticides can also help protect other insects and animals, such as bees and birds. It can be applied so that it will only impact the bugs you are targeting, which can keep bees and other insects safe.Â
DE dust is scratchy and can get beneath the exoskeleton of the insects, absorbing all the oils and fats and eventually drying them out. It also dries out the area where you use it, making it unattractive for insects that thrive in humid areas.
What people are saying
The post received lots of comments from gardening enthusiasts.
"Thank you for the great advice!" one person wrote.
"Great news for me and my garden," another commented.Â
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