Why should you strengthen your plants?
Robust plant defenses are crucial to plant health. They are constantly threatened by various harmful organisms such as insects, fungi and bacteria: a strong defense system allows plants to better withstand these attacks. Only a completely healthy plant that has an ideal location and is optimally supplied with nutrients can protect itself well against diseases and pests. Here we will show you how you can naturally strengthen and support your houseplants and thus increase their resistance to environmental stress!
The plant immune system and its activation
The immune system of plants is relatively simple: There are special receptor proteins on the surface of plant cells that can recognize and ward off the influences of pests and pathogens. This achieves a certain basic immunity. However, our houseplants do not have a specialized immune defense like humans and animals, i.e. immune cells or antibodies.
Successful activation of the plant immune system can limit damage and limit the spread of infection. Boosting the immune system can therefore represent a preventative alternative to chemical control with pesticides.
Stress factors for plants
If a plant is threatened with danger, defensive measures are activated, regardless of who the danger signals originally come from.
Factors that influence a plant from outside are so-called environmental factors. There are two categories of environmental factors: Biotic environmental factors are anything living that affects the plant. Abiotic environmental factors are non-living influences that affect the plant. These factors either positively influence a plant by matching the plant's needs or cause stress for a plant. They affect the normal functioning of the plant, limit its productivity or the plant dies.
Biotic environmental factors that influence a plant can include other plants, pathogens, insects, animals and humans. Biotic stress, i.e. a negative interaction, is, for example, competition between plants for nutrients. Furthermore, attacks by herbivores and parasites or parasitic plants are also biotic stress factors. Allelopathy describes an interaction between several plants that can cause stress. Plants emit chemicals through their leaves or roots that can affect another plant. For example, the growth of neighboring plants can be restricted.
Abiotic environmental factors that affect a plant include temperature, humidity, light, soil pH, nutrients and fire. But chemical factors such as herbicides, gases, salinity and heavy metals or mechanical factors such as wind are also included.
Abiotic stress occurs when environmental conditions are not conducive to the growth and maintenance of a healthy plant. These can be temperatures or humidity that are too high or low, but also too much water or drought.
Natural plant tonics
Plant tonics support health by promoting health through synergistic effects with the plant's own substances. Plant strengtheners often consist of natural, secondary plant substances. They can be organic based, for example essential oils, or microbial based through fungi and promoting bacteria. There are also mineral plant strengtheners, for example with primary rock flour.
Plant manure and field horsetail as protection against fungi and pests
You can easily make effective remedies for your plant yourself. Crushed plant parts of nettles or field horsetail can be used to extract the secondary plant substance silica. This helps to strengthen cell walls and cell structures and thus increases the resistance of plants.
To make a manure, fill a bucket 3/4 full with nettles and the rest with rainwater. To combat the smell, you can add rock dust or biochar. You let this ferment - the nettle manure is ready when the nettles have fermented for two weeks. You should never use it undiluted!
Broth from field horsetails is also easy to make: the plant parts simply have to be diluted with boiling water and left to stand in a container for at least 24 hours.
Prevent with fertilization - organic fertilizers for healthy houseplants
Fertilization provides plants with essential nutrients and is therefore indispensable in plant care. Like us humans, plants also need certain substances to survive - they are the building blocks for the plant's body. They can be absorbed from soil, water and air.
Because plants need certain amounts of them, the presence of these substances influences the health of the plant. If one of the substances is missing, the plants cannot grow well and are not as resistant. If you add this missing substance, the plants can grow better. This essential process is fertilizing.
The basis of successful plant care is the supply of all the main nutrients. These are nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Our FARBIO® liquid fertilizer for green plants supports you in caring for your houseplants! Rapid growth is promoted and the development of lush green leaves and magnificent flowers is supported.
Effective microorganisms
Plants are colonized by a variety of microorganisms that play an important role in plant health and also have a preventive effect against plant diseases such as powdery mildew and pest infestations. They control the absorption of water, the conversion of main nutrients and trace elements and contribute to the development of the soil structure.
Plants can be colonized by both good and harmful organisms - so adding effective microorganisms can help balance and create a conducive microbial environment. Microorganisms in the soil or sprayed onto the leaves help to strengthen your plant and make it less susceptible to infestation by invading pathogenic germs.
Humus to strengthen plants
Humus is created by the breakdown of organic materials in the soil. There are various organisms involved in humus formation: including bacteria, fungi, worms and other soil organisms. These convert organic matter into humic substances.
Humus can either be mixed directly with the soil in solid form, or you can give your houseplants humus in liquid form to strengthen your plants with natural remedies.
Liquid humus is a concentrated form of nutrients, microorganisms and other substances contained in humus. Liquid humus is usually produced by soaking humus materials such as compost or worm castings in water. Liquid humus can be used by mixing it with irrigation water or spraying it directly onto the leaves as a foliar fertilizer and strengthener.
Natural pesticides: do they exist?
Neem oil, also known as neem oil, is obtained from the seeds of the neem tree and contains ingredients that have insecticidal and fungicidal effects. Neem oil is therefore used as a natural and environmentally friendly pesticide. It is non-toxic to humans, animals and beneficial insects such as bees. Unlike chemical pesticides, which often have a targeted effect, neem oil can repel a wide range of pests.
Neem oil stimulates the production of phenols and other compounds that help the plant protect itself against environmental stress and disease - it makes the plant more resistant. In addition, neem oil can also affect certain plant hormones, such as auxin, which is important for the growth and development of the plant.
Although neem oil can support the immune system of plants, it should not be considered a panacea. It is still important to create an ideal environment for your houseplants by ensuring adequate nutrition, watering and ventilation.
